PVCs from Anxiety?

There was a close loss that caused me to become hypochondriac for the past few months, and we were in the midst of changing doctors at the time, so I was afraid that something was wrong with me, and the fear manifested into anxiety which caused me to feel it in my heart.

I had a panic attack one day, and my heart felt numb the rest of the day, and I've had PVCs ever since. I finally got to see a doctor, had all the tests run, blood, ekg, pulse, chest x-ray, all came back normal.

The pvcs drove me up the wall, but it seemed like when I accepted them with little to no fear, they eventually got less intense, except for when I sat up and lurched forward, and I eventually started feeling like I was only days away from full recovery and back to being my normal self. In the process, I tried everything from apple cider vinegar to apple juice, the valsalva maneuver, lying a certain way for a while, deep breathing, you name it.

It seemed like one of a combination of those things over time was making them less intense, bearable, and made me feel like they were about to leave me forever.

Then, a week ago, I was reading an article about heart attack, had a little heart quiver that scared the living daylights out of me and sent me into a full panic attack, minus the breathing. Just intense fear, that took a few hours to fully subside. Seems like that reset everything back to the way it was before recovery tactics, as the pvcs got bad again, and even the anxiety symptoms like achiness, headache, etc came back.

Symptoms are just about gone again, but the pvcs are still hanging around, as they seem to be the last to go like they were last time.

My question is, because I have no true heart arrhythmia, and they were brought on by a prolonged case of anxiety, does this mean that they will just run their course, and eventually, I'll go back to only having them after intense exercise or excitement, because that used to be the only time I would have them. When I calmed down, they were gone. Now, they mainly appear when I am calm, or trying to relax.

The internet is scaring me, because it seems like from people's accounts, once you get them, you have them for the rest of your life, and I can take a palpitations every now and then, but now when it squeezes my heart really tight for like 5 seconds. Those hurt, and bring more waves of anxiety.  

I just want to know if pvcs from high anxiety eventually go away after anxiety recovery, because I'm just about recovered from anxiety itself, but the remaining symptom of pvcs doesn't help matters any.

They're manageable only when I'm in a good mood, because they're not every other beat. I feel normal, and then every about 10 or 15 minutes, I get the strong one that ruins my mood and brings anxiety.

I just want them gone, it at all possible.

Please help, don't ignore this question, and people reply as much as often. Keep talking to me, at least to give me hope. Answers, research, I don't care. I'm just tired of being ignored or being told to wait.

[yarrow]

It sounds as though you are having a terrible time with symptoms so many of us here are familiar with, and I'm sorry you have to go through the experience.  From your description, it seems you understand that testing has shown that your heart is healthy, and that the big problem is anxiety or panic associated with the odd heartbeats you continue to feel, as you worry that they will never go away.

They may or may not go away.  There are various remedies people can try, from prescriptions like beta blockers, to OTC magnesium supplements and so on, but overall, not much has been found in the medicine cabinet that reliably stops benign ectopic heartbeats.

It is known,however, that things that keep the adrenaline level high make ectopic beats both worse and more noticeable.  So the next logical step is to find a specialist who can help you with the anxiety.  Have you tried that?  

The reason I ask is based on my own experience:  Every few years, I have a phase of panic attacks that lasts for months.  It is invariably accompanied--instantaneously--by pvcs, and whether it’s the chicken or the egg, I have no idea, but the whole situation can get pretty difficult pretty fast!  

For those who are opposed to medication, there are various mental exercises, such as hypnosis or cognitive therapy, that may help with this kind of problem.

Personally, I find that my panic attacks come on so swiftly that these calming exercises are of little help to me. I have gotten my best relief via medical help from an excellent psychiatrist, for which I am grateful.

In my case, this has meant trying several different medications, and by now, I know that some antidepressants of the SSRI class are worth their weight in gold to me for long-term control of anxiety or panic.  Zoloft is my favorite, and has worked reliably for me time and again (sometimes, the pvcs have disappeared for months when I was on it).  I also know that Celexa may work, or it may not.  And for me, Lexapro and Paxil are useless in quieting down a good, four-alarm panicky phase.  (And Lexapro made chocolate taste like chalk, to boot, which was definitely not good!)

Books and articles about our problem say the ectopic beats are usually only perceived by people when they are anxious, and that has been my experience:  After a little while on Zoloft, I hear and feel them less and less, and I mind them less and less.  In other words, the disturbing physical symptoms go away as my nervous system quiets down and I am no longer compelled to 'listen' to my body.  My shrink likens it to having an overly sensitive car alarm, one that goes off even when it feels a gust of wind, and he advises me to use the medication steadily for several months beyond the point my symptoms have diminished--"to give the alarm system a chance to cool off," as he puts it.  

Based on my experience, I’d suggest you try to find a psychiatrist who specializes in treating anxiety. You might have to see more than one doctor to find the right one; you might need to try several drugs to find the right one; but the end result will be that your life will once again be enjoyable, with or without PVCs.

[Dahrol]

My main thing is, since they were brought on by anxiety, does that mean they will go away when the anxiety does?

[yarrow]

It's possible, but I don't think anyone would guarantee it.  You might get more insight from the first entry on the page that comes up when you copy this link:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&biw=1261&bih=756&q=Anxiety+over+long+runs+of+PVCs%2FPACs&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=

[is_something_wrong]

I think you're asking your question a bit wrong, I will explain why.

The relevant question is not if they will go away. The relevang question is more "Why are you afraid of them"?

You know that PACs and PVCs are not dangerous. Why are you afraid of a benign phenomenon that everyone experiences to a certain degree? Of course, when you pay attention to them, the sensation of them will be stronger. My guess is, you've always had a few of them (everyone does), but anxiety made the number increase and the sensation increase.

I bet you don't pay attention to hiccups. And still you know, they will be there from time to time the rest of your life. They are annoying, but not dangerous. Neither is premature beats. You need to get the same relaxed feeling about premature beats as you have about hiccups.

They will reduce as soon as you stop trying to make them go away (a paradox). Stop doing Valsalva (it only works with AV reentry tachycardia, it will never stop PACs or PVCs), stop doing all tricks to reduce them. The only things you can try is stop drinking coffee, stop smoking if you do, and try to reduce stress. I assume you don't take coke or similar substances. Healthy food is also good. Some people experience their anxiety levels and heart activity rise after excess sugar intake.

Conclusion: Don't focus on making the PVCs (or PACs, which they usually are in young anxious people, not PVCs) go away. Focus on accepting them as normal heart activity. If you do, I can promise they will at least reduce, and the rest of them will pass more or less unnoticed (as before).

[sinur]

hello,i understand we all have the same kind of feeling ,,no matter what age we are or which part of universe we are at,,i have the same problem for so long,i skip how long part,,but it comes and goes and never give up,i know it comes with stress,, and that would made me even  more stressfull,, when i feel extra beats!!i do meditation and yoga for 15 years,,it helps,,but not vanishs,than u can learn the ways of useing ur thougths for healing!!it takes some time,take it as aducation, i recoment books by adam,,the healer,,canadian,,u migth benefit,
i must say one of the usefull answer belongs to ,,is something wrong s ,,to me very ,,truthfull ,,very much intelligent,
i thank him for my side,,
i hope u will find way out,,

[Dahrol]

Why am I afraid of them?

Because of how they feel. We're not talking little heart hiccups here. We're talking about extremely forceful beats that occur everytime I try to relax, and scare the living daylights outta me.

I can take a little pre-mature beat, but not when I feel my heart squeezing REALLY tight, leaving my chest and throat in pain after every one.

Ignoring that is easier said than done.

Sure, everyone gets them, my thing is that if I'm stuck with them, how do I stop them from being that strong?

Hiccups don't hurt. These do.

[chucksusanb]

Hi Dahrol

People have given such great advice.  Did you have a 30 day event monitor put on?  Maybe you need a second opinion for someone to explain to you and answer all of your questions.  Until you believe that they are "just" pvc's you probably won't be able to relax much.  I pray that you will find some answers, which will bring peace.

I completely understand where you are coming from, although my PVCs are not painful - just scary to me.

Keep posting for encouragement.  We are here for you.

Susan

[Dahrol]

I still have general anxiety, and just want to know how to get the palpitations to where they're not painful, because they bring me more anxiety on top of the anxiety I have, and everytime I start feeling good, they bring me back down.

Everytime I think I can handle it, a strong one brings me back down.

[chucksusanb]

Definitely I would get a second opinion so at the very least, they can reassure you that it is okay to have pain along with that.  There is nothing wrong with getting a 2nd opinion if you are having pain.

[Dahrol]

It's an anxiety symptom.

That's my problem. Dealing with the physical anxiety symptoms.

[Dahrol]

I've notice a slight reduction in pvcs since I started laying on my back with my chest totally spread out. Been sleeping like that.

Think that might have somethin to do with it?

[jondsam]

Once a PVC'er always a PVC'er.  

[Dahrol]

I don't believe that.

If that were the case, I wouldn't have gotten them because of the anxiety, or still have them whilst still having other anxiety symptoms.

Not to mention that other people who have had them, had them go away when their anxiety did. I don't have a heart problem, nor a rhythm problem.

Also, they were diminishing until my most recent panic attack, which is what triggered them off again.

I've always had them once in a while, but not like this until I got struck with anxiety.

[yarrow]

If you are interested in dealing with your anxiety, try the anxiety forum at this site:

http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Anxiety/show/71

They do discuss the link between anxiety and physical manifestations such as arrhythmias.

[Mom2four85]

stress and anxiety will only worsen your symptoms - each of us have to find what works for us to deal/cope with them as best as we can

for some that's ignoring them - that's me - my nick name should be Ostrich because I just completely ignore the beasts...I get some wooweee knock me on the floor ones; probably worse than anyone could imagine - my heart stops, I pass out or sometimes I just grab my chest at the strangest times feeling like oh geez am I going to die this time? turn pale and people stare at me LOL I've had vt runs so often I can't count;  even lethal VT runs that just scare the heck out of me - but I just brush them off and move on

get a copy of your test results if you haven't; look them over and see what it says, do your research on what your case is; if you can't deal or cope with them alone then meds may be an option, but just remember those meds may come with a price too - low bp/hr that may make your arrhythmia's worse - that's my case - I'd rather not take meds than deal with the side effects of taking something; I tried for 9 months and nothing worked except Inderal without major side effects

I tried lexapro once but didn't notice much of a difference after a month so I didn't remain on it; however others do well with an SSRI

another good thing is like yarrow suggested - behavior therapy; also keeping a journal; writing things down of when/where/what happened and symptoms may help - I keep one and it helps me for the next visit I have so I can have it fresh on paper of what happened

[Dahrol]

I was riding in the car with my friend, and was feeling panicked for no reason, and then we started going up a hill, and the worst pvc I think I've EVER felt in my life hit me, and I thought in that moment, it was for sure a heart attack. I did a little walking, and was in tears, literally TERRIFIED that it was gonna hit again and possibly kill me.

My chest was tight, in pain, and my neck hurt the rest of the day. Plus, it was cold out, so that didn't help matters any.

So, he took me home, we watched a movie in the living room with my sister, that was REALLY funny, We laughed alot, he went home, and then I went upstairs to my room. to try to go to bed, since it was late.

I few nights ago, I started trying to sleep on my back with my chest spread out as much as possible, and overall, I've noticed a reduction in the strong pvcs. Most of them are really weak and tolerable now *knock on wood.*

I don't know if it was the laughing, or spreading my chest, but I could feel that when spreading my chest, there was like, this gassy bubbly feeling around my heart, and I got that feeling like something is in your throat and you gotta hack up a lougie. I just kept my chest spread, and let the pvcs thump away, and it seemed that although they were still strong, they were at least kinda more manageable on my back.

Now they've seemed to be less intense, finally, (*knock on wood*) and I PRAY to God that if they don't go away, that they at least stay this quiet and manageable so I can work on the anxiety portion, because all the pvcs did was cause an anxious feeling to go throughout my whole body, especially when I was trying to be happy and calm. When I don't get them, I feel confident and happy, and can relax easier, and I get this warm soothing feeling that courses throughout my whole body when I can relax and lay still in a comfortable position.

The fact that my tests prove that my heart is nice and strong, I don't have any rhythm problems, and I've never smoked, drank, or drank coffee (gross!) is what leads me to believe that it's anxiety, because I have that background adrenaline feeling ALL THE TIME, and I constantly feel on edge, and they say that stimulates your nervous system. Plus, pvcs aren't the only symptoms, further making it seem like anxiety, that will make all these symptoms go away once my levels drop, some way, some how.

I do nothing that stimulates the nervous system. The anxiety does it.

[jondsam]

Mostly everyone has PVC's at some point in their life.  Your anxiety might be gone but more than likely you will have PVC;s whether you can feel them or not.  Just cause you think their gone a lot of times you cant feel them so how do you know?

[Dahrol]

Just to clear things up, I could care less whether I have pvcs or not. Everyone has them, and I realize it's normal, so the thought of a PVC doesn't scare me at all.

It's the strong feelings that I'm trying to find a solution for. Getting rid of the strong thuds and whatnot.

If I can't feel them, I don't mind them being there.

I'm trying to find a way to get it to where I DON'T feel them.  

[is_something_wrong]

Hi, I'm sorry for a late reply.

In general, the sensation of PVCs or PACs depends on several factors.

The most important one is amount of blood pumped out in each heartbeat. In general, more adrenaline = harder contractions. The heart works like a balloon. More air = larger "BAM" when you let the air out. And - the more blood your heart contains, the higher % of the blood will be ejected. If your heart contains 120 ml blood before the stroke, it will probably eject 70 ml (58%). If it contains 150, it will probably eject 100 (67%) and so on.

If you are anxious, the strokes will be harder. And when the heart takes a little break after a premature beat, it fills up extra. In other words, if you had a filling of 120 ml, the setting of a premature beat would maybe add an extra 30 ml, total 150, and the little "bam" you could feel would maybe be 100 ml blood ejected. If you were anxious, however, with a normal filling of 150 ml, a premature beat could make the next one even higher, causing a large "BAM!!!!!!"

Conclusion: It's probably the anxiety, with higher minute volum and higher blood pressure, that increases the sensation.

[Janpes]

Hi,

I would just like to add that there could be a link to the vagus nerve. It can cause palpitations etc.. especially if it is trapped between the muscles in the neck.
You mentioned that your neck hurt for the rest of the day. Have you noticed tight neck muscles at all? Have you thought about massage?
Sometimes the vagus nerve gets trapped between the muscles and can give the feeling of skipped beats and palpitations.
Do your skipped beats/paps come after eating?
This was one of the things that my doctor mentioned to me, before I got the big one attack that needed to be chemically cardioverted. Found out then that I had SVT/AVNRT.
Read up about the vagus nerve see if that helps.

[Dahrol]

I thought about that considering that sometimes I get them when swallowing.

What can I do about it?

[jondsam]

Hey is something wrong, how is it going long time no talk.

"PVC's, the more you try to cure them, the more you fail"

Dr. Thompson
University of Wake Forest Medical School

[Dahrol]

The doctor says that every test under the sun has come back beautifully, and that He seriously doubts I'm even at risk a tiny bit for any cardiac problems.

Makes sense, because none of this occurred UNTIL the anxiety got a hold of me.

If I had pvcs, I never noticed them. That's the way I want things to go back to being.

Everyone is so pessimistic when it comes to pvcs or anxiety. =/  

[Dahrol]

Actually, from what I've read, it sounds more like ectopic beats than pvcs.

Are they the same?

What's the difference?

[Janpes]

If you think it could be the vagus nerve, then invest in some muscle relaxant meds, I myself sometimes use them as my neck gets so tight. Then book a time for a massage a professional one, especially for the neck and shoulders. This will help loosen up the muscles and free the nerve.
Incidently if they are coming about 30 minutes after you eat you could also try taking a PPI to reduce the acid in the stomach. I use pantoprozal as the stomach acid also irritated the nerve, which in turn gave me paps.

[is_something_wrong]

Hi Jondsam, long time, everything OK? :)
That quote was a good one :) The more you're trying to avoid them, the more scared you'll get which increases PVCs and PACs.

Dahrol:
Ectopic beats are beats that origin somewhere else than the sinus node. In other words. PVCs and PACs. Some young people with anxiety often have more PACs than PVCs, but it doesn't really matter. In healthy hearts, they both are benign.

[Dahrol]

Seems like just like before, they're slowly going away. I went from the uber strong ones like one every 20 minutes, to a pvc like every hour or few hours. Most of them aren't even strong.

Looks like it was the anxiety, and I hope they'll be totally gone like they were before, or at least so minimal that I don't even feel them.

[rilesnic]

I had to pipe in here just to give you a little hope from my own personal experiences. It's my life story so here it goes :)  I have had every heart test, a 21-day monitor being the most recent ending 3 weeks ago. They found PAC's (which have been caught for the past 12 years on 24 hour holters), PVC's (which were never caught in the past by a doctor), and tachycardia (which has been caught in my sleep at 160+, and during the day in the 120's). My resting HR is around 80-84 with a beta blocker. I do have a very slight fault in the mitral valve, but was assured my ticker would outlive me. I am VERY type-A,suffer from asthma (since I was 12), GERD (since the birth of my 2nd child), GAD, since I was 22 (which is when the heart palps first began), and panic attacks, including nocturnal panic attacks, (one being just 2 nights ago when my husband had to wake me again). I have a nursing background (a little knowledge in my case is a bad thing), and I'm also a teacher. I lost the 5 women I was closest to within 6 years of each other, my grandmothers, my aunts, and then my mom. I have always had an extreme fear of dying (not death). After 2 years of hardly being able to even ride in a car, especially on Interstates (away from where help may be), my cardio told me I had to start living my life again. I asked, does the anxiety cause the palps or do the palps cause the anxiety. He told me both. It is a vicious cycle and I am very in-tune to my body. I can freak out when I feel palps and throw myself into a full blown panic attack. These attacks don't last a few minutes, they last for hours and I am quite certain when they are happening that I am going to die. Is-something-wrong and yarrow helped me through a terrible night where my heart woke me up flip-flopping in my chest. It seems easier for some to accept their palps than others. I think it's the way some of us are wired. Yes, EVERYONE has PAC's, PVC's and even tachycardia at times, but no matter what anyone says, it is not "normal" to "feel" your heart. It is quite scary and they (the palps) can be very unforgiving. I tell you all this because, we are all everyday, normal people, with professional careers, children, families, hobbies, etc. Our health issues are real, as are our fears. In the 16 years I've dealt with them (I'm now 38), there are times when they diminish and times they come on with a vengence. I find I sleep better on my back too (with the palps issue). I absolutely cannot sleep on my left side. I feel my pulse all over my body and can see my hair moving with each beat. I avoid MSG, caffeine, alcohol, fried foods, fast food, sugars, and carbs. I try to drink a lot of water, and eat small meals at a time. I make sure I let my dr know if something new comes up, and I keep my annual dr visits. I look to this forum for encouragement and to know that I'm not alone. I believe there are events in our lives that make us more aware of our own mortality, and events that cause us great stress which can cause physical symptoms to manifest. I personally believe a lot of the excitement I used to have when I was younger has now turned into anxiety. I have to figure out how to turn that anxiety back into the excitement of life I once I had. I am happy to hear that your palps are settling down some. Take those days when you can. My hope for you is that they stay away this time. Hang in there, you are not alone. I wish you the very best!

[Dahrol]

I've noticed that must of the pvc sufferers who say "They never go away" are the ones who are awoken from a sleep by them, or have them when they first wake up.

With me, they have yet to wake me up, as bad as they have been, and they seem dormant in the first hour after I'm awoken. Then they sorta start off slow, and work their way to full blown.

I have noticed them slowly going down in strength. They're not so bad now, and it seems like they occur less and less everyday. I feel as if they should be gone soon.

Funny thing is, I've been afraid of them this whole time, and they've still gone down in strength. They seem to be brought on by panic attacks and panic attacks only. As long as I don't have a panic attack, they start to dissapear. Then, when I have a panic attack, they're back in full force.

Interesting...

[jpek]

Neck position, chest position, anxiety, swallowing, can all be related to the esophogus.  have you ever been scoped for hiatus hernia ?  It can affect the vagus nerve, which in turn can cause all kinds of issues including palps, anxiety, etc.  Your symptoms are alot like mine.  I was just diagnosed a couple of weeks ago.  Knowing the issue caused a massive drop in anxiety.

Best of Luck.

[Dahrol]

I can't believe how minimal they've gotten over time. I almost forget about them they happen so rarely now, and they're not even strong anymore.

THANK YOU GOD!!!! =D

[Dahrol]

damn

[jabbademutt]

New to the board but not to PVC's and PAC's.
I know how you feel,  believe me.  I had my first PVC in 1965 at work.
Guess what,  I'm still here.  I've had them all of my adult life.  
Out of the 80,000 or so heart beats in a day,  sometimes I'd have as many as 10, 000.  I had a halter monitor study done in 2003 and sure enough,  they came in waves.  
Oh,  one extra reason to be anxious for me is that I had a 5 way bypass 10 years ago.  Never had the heart attack but came close so, I'm a bit on the paranoid side anyway.
Now,  to answer your question about how to get rid of them.

You can't.  
You can reduce them and I will share what I have done over the last 50 years that I find helpful.

First and foremost.  Lose weight.
Second,  eliminate not reduce caffeine.  That means chocolate, pop and any product that contains it.  That includes most teas and it also includes
decaf coffee.  Yes,  there's still some caffeine in decaf.

Third,  get on a daily exercise program with half hour of tread mill (arobic level) and 20 minutes of bicycle time.
Have a blood test done.
I am on a diuretic medication and it really screws up your electrolyte balance.  My doctor just put me on it and when I brought it to his attention he told me to eat some bananas.
He told me that my potassium was a bit low.
Well,  one banana is about 13 percent of your daily requirement of potassium meaning you'd have to eat around 8 to get the requirement.
That's in a normal person.  What about a person taking a diuretic?
What about a person taking a diuretic and drinking pop or coffee?
Seems like they are a diuretic as well.
In other words,  do a bit a research.   You'll never get the upper hand on PVC's if you don't have a clue what your consuming.

Turns out my increase in PVC's came with muscle aches and a few other symptoms.  After downloading a copy of my blood tests for the last 6 years it appears that my potassium level has been slowly going down the tube and in January measured 3.6 which is the low low end of normal.

I'm not telling you to run out and get a bunch of potassium pills OTC but
I did to fortify a measured deficiency.
Find out what's going on inside your body before you start taking anti depressants.  
Do your research and then bring it to your Doctor.  Develop a game plan and possibly a diet that favors a reduction in these little horrors we experience.
I am currently starting my rebuild of my Potassium levels by taking about 3000 mg per day over the entire day and will go back in next month to see if it's helping.  I'm also taking some magnesium which was also low.
I've gone from around 10000 PVC's per day to about 50 and I'm starting to feel like a person again.
I'm trying to mentally treat them like I would a sneeze.   Nobody seems to get to excited about them but, then again,  It's not your heart.

Understanding what I do,  I pray for peace and calm in your life and understand there are many of us that share this with you.....

[Iatrogenic]

I wish I had not read the generalized belief that the PVCs and PACs do not go away.  Because mine have.

They began two weeks ago.  They were documented.  I could not accept that the idea that they were either "normal," and/or "would not stop," so I decided to take 2 calcium magnesium zinc and D capsules I had around the house and they stopped.  It's been 48 hours now, and nothing.  I took another dose of 2 tablets today.

Now, the "nothing," i unnerving because they were so severe, and I was sent to the ER because of them.  And they have stopped.  I do so wish people would no be so "accepting," and globalizing of something that can, in fact, stop.