PVC's/PAC's during exercise, need help!

[oceanminded]

I've dealt with an anxiety and panic issues for the last few years but just started having PVC's/PAC's a few months ago. Luckily they don't happen every day but when they do happen the episodes last up to a few hours. Well, recently I'm now getting these extra beats during exercise. This never happened before and I've always been pretty athletic. I'm 34 yrs old, male in decent shape. I've had most of the heart tests done with everything coming back normal. I do have a family history of high cholesterol and I am currently on meds for it. I also take Lexapro for Anxiety, fish oil and magnesium for the extra beats which I guess isn't working. Now I'm really bumed out because I always enjoyed an athletic lifestyle. Why all of a sudden am I now getting these extra beats during exercise. Should I go back for more testing? I can't exercise while I'm getting these extra beats. I start getting anxious and out of breath. Please advise with any info.
Thanks!

[a_fibphil]

Hello, I started having palpitations throughout the day. So I went to my GP and said I was stressed with school, work, and getting married in a few months and having palps. He gave me a calcium channel blocker and an anti depressant. Didn't know it was an anitdepressant though, he said it would help take down my stress. Later I changed docs because it seemed my palps were getting worse. My new doc gave me lexapro and after taking that and toprol XL I developed more pac/pvc and even started having arrythmia during exercise. Long story short, I am now off Lexapro, have ongoing anxiety (worse than before Lexapro, never really had anxiety before lexapro) and my arrythmia has been diagnosed as Atrial Fib once my heart rate hits 150+. I can't say if Lexapro caused my problems, but one of the side affects of Lexapro is palpitations (which are actually PAC or PVC's.). Good luck, anxiety disorders can cause a lot of problems which can make palps worse. More than likely you will live to be 100 with this condition, but it doesn't stop it from worrying us :)

[Bon-Bon]

What nervouslady said sounds  very understandable to me.  I can relate to the fact that exercise, in my case, esp. whilst the adrenaline and heart rate are going up can very much mimic the feeling of a possible  anxiety / panic attack is coming feeling.  There was a time when I would experience a cold-clamy feeling that would sometimes whoosh through me during a brisk walking session.  I would then immediately get scared and stop because of that feeling and sit down.   At other times, I would make the decision to continue and push through it, while scared and all and that feeling would finally go away.  Afterwards, when I had all the tests done including the stress-test, it showed that my heart does function extremely well under a load of physical stress.  I was diagnosed as having a healthy, structuraly normal heart, no blockages just begnin PVC's lots of 'em.

I know its scarry to exercise when you have these heart issuses.  But as long as the doctor has ran all the appropriate tests and has given you the go ahead with exercise it would be safe to assume your doctor knows what would be in your best interest.  If, by chance, you do not trust the doctors opinion maybe a second one would help clarify your thoughts and feelings on this and help ease your mind.  With your doctors approval, you may start by doing small workouts and build upon that.  

I pray the very best for you and your heart oceanminded.

Have an active and anxiety-free day; afterall, it is "yours" to have.  Take it by force if you must.  :  )
Bon-Bon      

[nervouslady]

Hi, I have anxiety/panic and PVCs (and other arrhythmias too).  As you probably know, anxiety can exacerbate or induce PVCs.  Do you think you might be getting anxious during exercise?  And maybe this is causing the PVCs while you are exercising?   It is common, after experiencing many panic attacks, to become fearful during exercise because a fast heart rate, sweating, all of the normal things that happen when you exercise are the same things someone feels when panicking and the association is uncomfortable for most.  Many people with panic disorder fear exercise because of this.

I don't know if that makes sense or not, but it's something to think about.  Personally, I had a bad health scare in my early 20s, and was okay, got into really good shape afterward!  Then, panic attacks started a few years later.  After a year or so of having panic, I became nervous when I'd exercise, I was afraid to get my heart working hard for some reason.  It's not as bad anymore, but some days are harder than others to feeling comfy getting my heart rate up and working really hard.

Anyway, maybe your anxiety is causing the PVCs and not the fact that you are exercising?  Just a thought...

[jondsam]

With normal blood work, thyroid function, and normal heart tests the chances of doctors being able to pin point what exactly is causing your PvC's is slim to none.  Mainly they can not actually find anything wrong with you or your heart so they call them benign.  Who knows what really causes them??  Many think its from excess adreniline, or oxygen saturation to low, or vagal tone, but this is all speculation.  I honestly would not worry about them, and continue your life as normal.  If you have had all the tests, there is nothing the doctors can do for you anyways.  An ablation procedure is for people that have serious PvC's and that sounds like that is not you.  Anyways hope you get better.

P.S. I throw over 5000+ PvC's a day, during exercise, and after.  The doctor says I am fine to exercise and I am not in any serious trouble.