PVC annoyance

Dr.

I started having PVC's with my second pregnancy with started last Oct, and ended this last June resulting in a healthy baby boy.

They occured about twice a month (that i felt) during my pregnancy, which sent me to the cardiologist, there he did an echo and did some blood work.  My echo was normal.  My heart is structurally healthy.  However, my potassium was found to be 3.3, slightly low.  So i started eating more high in potassium foods and around Feb 08 things were normal again, then two weeks after my son was born June 08, i started getting more PVC's.  At this point my cardiologist said to go to the er, they did an EKG and caught three over a 5 hour period, not too many i guess, and told me not to worry,and ignore them.  But once again my potassium was found to be low.   So, I have a follow up apt with my cardiologist on 1 Oct 08, but my real question is, why in the heck does my potassium seem to get low.  They checked my kidney function constantly throughout my pregnancy as well as recently.  Can lack of 4700 mg a day of potassium cause it to get low..resulting in more pvcs?  

I jsut need some reassurance other than "just ignore them'  Because I am afraid my heart is going to just stop..or beat really fast.  

When i feel the pvc it doesnt hurt, my breathing is fine, i dont get dizzy, but it messes me up in my head.  I hate them.  Please help me....I need to be able to focus on my small children and my job and not these.  I have always been very healthy so that is why i dont understand why i got these.  I didnt ahve them with my first pregnancy and i gained the exact same amount of weight with both pregnancies!!!  Sorry...i just need some professional reassurance.  

[Michael J. McWilliams, M.D.]

This is going to sound bad but PVCs are so common during and after pregnancy that I have seen some cardiologist block cases like this from their schedule.  I tell you so that you know that you are far from being alone on this.  This is almost never a clear explanation for why some people get pvc's.  It is rarely do to potassium or magnessium.  I don't have a good answer for why your potassium is low but 3.3 is not that low.  People do not die from normal heart pvc's.  While being concerned about sudden death is common, it just doesn't seem to happen.

I hope this helps.

[Tonya730]

Thank you sir for the reassurance!  I guess you take for granted your "good" health for so long that when you hear about problems u block it out, until it happens to you.  I was rough on my body from age 18-22, probably like most young adults are..so I took for granted my great health. I know with the exception of my need to lose the excess weight from this last pregnancy, along with my potassium levels and pvcs, I am overall very healthy.  I cannot remember the last time I even had a cold, or the flu. I forgot to mention that my biological mother told me last year sometime that she has had pvc's her whole life (she is a alcoholic and drug user) and she is now 45 or so.  My older, 27 year old sister (in the pic with me) apparently gets them all the time as well.  But up until this year I could only sympathize, not I can relate.  Have you in your professional experience found that Pvc's are hereditary or genetic?  I am not wanting any medication as from reading this forum mine seem to be very mild compared to others, however, like many, it is nice to have that instant gratification and have an answer from a health professional like your self that helps me get thru the days that they are bad.  Yesterday was a "bad" day for me.  

Thank you very much!

[Michael J. McWilliams, M.D.]

I haven't seen that but it would be really hard to study.  Almost everyone has them, the real question is why do some people feel them and others do not.

[Deane205]

A related discussion, Missed beats was started.