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Palpitations pvc's
Well I'm 6'1 212lbs 28 years old. I think I have felt these skipped beats for a long period of time but just never noticed them. It almost feels like a pause followed by a double beat. Doing alot of research online I found out that these were caled pvc's. I started really feeling them around march of this year. They came and went for the most part but idid have a few episodes where they lasted all day. I do have alot of stess and have sufferd with panic atacks and anxiety for a long time just as a side note, and I do admit that at one time I over drank for many years.I'd say about 7 or 8. These episodes seem to come and go, I mean I will go a month and a half or weeks or maybe even 2 months with out them and then they will show back up. I do have to say I think that when they show back in full force that I had usually been drinking more then I should have. For example I can drink tonight and the night after tomorrow night and not have a problem but if I continue to do it over and over to consecutively then all of the sudden I will feel it flare up and it will last on and off for a week maybe even more, then they will just dissapear again. I do get them sometimes while lifting weights and running as well but I also read that pvcs are associated with adrenaline and that exercise can cause them. I havent been to a dr as i have no medical insurance and I'm not sure what to do because I read alot of research that says they are harmless. My blood pressure is pretty normal and my heart rate at rest is normal as well. An Md on another web site told me that because of those factors it was most likely nothing serious. Any thoughts on this guys would really help. I just want to be able to live my life and keep exercising and lifting weights and stop worrying.
Yeah your right. I was thinking on the flip side maybe these things saved my life because i was drinking pretty heavily at one point and now that I get them I'm starting to get that under control. I guess I would rather have harmless pvc's then end up with cerosis of the liver one day or something else do to over using alcohol. I dont know if I'm having pvc's or pac's. In any event I read they are both harmless unless a person has heart disease or something like that, in which case it isnt the pvc's that are a problem it's the heart disease.
I've read all your posts here, and it seems you might be a person a bit given to overindulgence--comfort via too much of the sauce, too much of the chocolate (which, yes, can increase PVCs in those prone to them, as I know to my regret). So you have to quit the 'too much' of anything and think 'reasonable.' Find comfort somewhere else, maybe in taking a deliberate and determinedly healthful approach to life, though I admit that's difficult if you're fighting anxiety as well.
But the second thing is this: Stuff happens. When people come down with diabetes, they have to readjust their sights. If people get Parkinson's, they have to adjust. Same with people who have lethal allergies to peanuts. It's frustrating to think that so-and-so can eat this, drink that, do this or that, and I can't. But it doesn't change the reality.
You have PVCs--apparently in very small numbers compared to me, with my 4800 in 24 hours--and other people don't. Life isn't fair, but like anyone with a medical condition, you have to learn to adjust to the realities. Probably these erratic heartbeats are something you will now have a tendency towards for the rest of your life (and equally probably IMHO due to genetics), and you have to learn (a) to adjust to the fact that they are not going to kill you, and (b) you must learn to avoid excesses that may make them worse.
But the second thing is this: Stuff happens. When people come down with diabetes, they have to readjust their sights. If people get Parkinson's, they have to adjust. Same with people who have lethal allergies to peanuts. It's frustrating to think that so-and-so can eat this, drink that, do this or that, and I can't. But it doesn't change the reality.
You have PVCs--apparently in very small numbers compared to me, with my 4800 in 24 hours--and other people don't. Life isn't fair, but like anyone with a medical condition, you have to learn to adjust to the realities. Probably these erratic heartbeats are something you will now have a tendency towards for the rest of your life (and equally probably IMHO due to genetics), and you have to learn (a) to adjust to the fact that they are not going to kill you, and (b) you must learn to avoid excesses that may make them worse.
So I had one pvc last nite I think maybe the 1st in four days and then today at work after eating 8 pieces of chocolate left over from our Halloween stash and to top it off I was just pissed the whole day the pvcs started again and came an went for a few hours. I came home and had 3 beers one over the limit but not bad. and now they are gone. What is this all about???? and why do some people never get them at all??/ I know other men my age who are stone cold over weight fat *** fried food eating binge drinking cigarette smoking dumb ***** and they never have complained about any unusual feelings in their hearts. I just don't get it...
".....One thing Id add to the above comments... is cut out all caffine......."
Yup, this made a huge difference for me. I miss all that stuff very much, but the results were startling. I miss that Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi, and I have to watch my wife work on a tall glass of iced tea with a slice of lemon while I drink water. I'll sometimes grab it and take a sip like an ex-smoker would take a long drag on someone's cigarette. I never cared for alcohol or coffee, but decaffeinated tea isn't even close to the real thing. and that goes for the colas too. We'd buy a half dozen 2l bottles at a time, and drank this stuff like bottled water; just the two of us. I decided to go cold turkey on the strong advice of my cardiologist. After about 2 weeks of constant headaches, I started to feel better, and the PVC clusters started to subside. I'm now down to a handful per day, and my last SVT event was 12 days ago. Try it. You're going to feel some withdrawal, but I think the results are worth it. Also worth mentioning is the reduction on the intake of aspartame in doing so. Who knows what that'll do to you!
Yup, this made a huge difference for me. I miss all that stuff very much, but the results were startling. I miss that Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi, and I have to watch my wife work on a tall glass of iced tea with a slice of lemon while I drink water. I'll sometimes grab it and take a sip like an ex-smoker would take a long drag on someone's cigarette. I never cared for alcohol or coffee, but decaffeinated tea isn't even close to the real thing. and that goes for the colas too. We'd buy a half dozen 2l bottles at a time, and drank this stuff like bottled water; just the two of us. I decided to go cold turkey on the strong advice of my cardiologist. After about 2 weeks of constant headaches, I started to feel better, and the PVC clusters started to subside. I'm now down to a handful per day, and my last SVT event was 12 days ago. Try it. You're going to feel some withdrawal, but I think the results are worth it. Also worth mentioning is the reduction on the intake of aspartame in doing so. Who knows what that'll do to you!
Thanks a lot Claytex, all positive feedback and information is welcome. I am happy to say that no I don't Drink energy drinks or smoke cigarettes, I agree with you 100% that energy drinks can cause cardiovascular problems. I am definitely changing my diet and my lifestyle for the better. I do sometimes drink a dr pepper but I can go without it and yes exercise feels great, Today I went to the gym and lifted some weights and went for a jog on the treadmill ate a salad a piece of 9 grain wheat toast and some lean skinless fatless meat that I got from the market and cooked up at home so the change has begun. I wish you the best to and thanks again for your advice. God bless and take care.
Dear J: One thing Id add to the above comments... is cut out all caffine... that is coffee, chocolate... only drink caffine free cold drinks... such as A& W root beer, sprite or 7up... if you drink sodas...Im right at 70 and had heart rhythm issues for the last 12-15 years.. pvcs... afib .. However i have been able to get my afib... fixed it with a heart ablation.. I didnt see if you smoke but if you smoke or use tobacco you should cut it out too.. ohhh one other thing DO NOT drink any of those energy drinks they are loaded with caffine.. in my opinion those things ( energy drinks) can really cause you some cardio vascular problems. its easy to say what one should have done or should do when your 70 like me.. but I can tell ya you need to make some lifestyle changes...eat healthy lots of veggies, no tobacco, no alcohol, no caffine... and personally id take up walking daily also... it does so much for the stress and mental attitude... If you can do these things I can promise you ...you will enjoy life much more later on....and now to as far as that goes.. it will make you really feel good about your self if you will make the healthy changes... I wish you the very best .. claytex
Well, let's see: Alcohol reduces your body's production of antidiuretic hormone, which is why you pee a lot while drinking. During a nice episode of taking in the booze, you'd pee away about a ton of your electrolytes, things like sodium and potassium in your blood. When these get unbalanced, the heart and most other organs in the body become quite irritable, and would remain so until the deficit was corrected. This is the hangover, and the actual effects of the hangover are discussed here:
http://www.annals.org/content/132/11/897.full
If you're eating normally, this kind of thing usually corrects itself pretty quickly, but the truth is that you (and other people who have PVCs) have easily-irritated tickers. It doesn't take much to make 'em cranky.
As a taxpayer, I would be OK with it if the next time you have a bad episode of PVCs you go to the ER and get checked out. If the docs there tell you that you're OK and it's probably anxiety, try to believe them, but ask for a referral to someone who treats anxiety, maybe even a low-cost type of clinic.
Then I'd recommend you simply set good health as your next goal. Eat well, drink wisely, and work out regularly to enjoy the long life that should be yours.
http://www.annals.org/content/132/11/897.full
If you're eating normally, this kind of thing usually corrects itself pretty quickly, but the truth is that you (and other people who have PVCs) have easily-irritated tickers. It doesn't take much to make 'em cranky.
As a taxpayer, I would be OK with it if the next time you have a bad episode of PVCs you go to the ER and get checked out. If the docs there tell you that you're OK and it's probably anxiety, try to believe them, but ask for a referral to someone who treats anxiety, maybe even a low-cost type of clinic.
Then I'd recommend you simply set good health as your next goal. Eat well, drink wisely, and work out regularly to enjoy the long life that should be yours.
Thanks Yarrow, I really appreciate your input. I am defenitely going to cut down on the drinking. I always used to say I was going to and never did but now I think it's time to start taking it a little more seriously. I did some research on alcohol and it can cause a number of health problems that young guys like myself overlook or think is no big deal because we are young and it cant happen to us. As far as the ekg is concernd yeah if I went and got one of those it would really help to ease my mind. I was actually thinking about just saying screw it the next time an episode flared up and going to the emergency room because there they would take an abundant of test. I'd probably be billed up the you know what for it but peace of mind is priceless. Do you know if pvcs can last days after a person has drank to much?
It's unfortunate that you, like so many people these days, have no health insurance. I'm not a doctor, but I do have years of experience with PVCs in a pretty normal heart, and from what you have described, it does sound as though you are having them, too, but I have to emphasize that only an EKG would tell the real story.
However, everyone--and that means everyone--has PVCs now and then, although most people are not aware of them. Often, those who do feel them have had some problems with panic and anxiety (that's certainly true for me).
That said, you're young and generally healthy, you don't describe any problems exercising (shortness of breath, fainting, nausea, sweating, chest or arm pain, all the bad things), so it seems that your odd heartbeats do not cause physical difficulty. These three factors, plus the frequency of benign PVCs in the general population, point to a harmless condition.
However, as I'm sure you know, 'drinking,' which often means more than an ordinary person really needs, can cause these things and make them worse. Google 'holiday heart' for more info on that.
So, given that you're OK now, I'd make a few suggestions:
1. If you can possibly afford it, buy at least minimal insurance. Young people often think it's too expensive and they can skip it (my adult son feels this way). Wrong.
2. Cut back on the alcohol. The current recommendations for a healthy man in the US are these (and you probably already know them): no more than two drinks per day. A standard drink is defined as 12 ounces of regular beer (one bottle); a 5 ounce glass of wine; or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits. For guys, darn it, cutting back on booze easily causes them to lose acouple of pounds, and the heart and circulatory system are always grateful for a small reduction in their load.
If you need the alcohol to deal with nerves, anxiety, etc., there are healthier ways to approach this sort of thing. Just one visit with a doc on the subject of anxiety would help a lot.
However, everyone--and that means everyone--has PVCs now and then, although most people are not aware of them. Often, those who do feel them have had some problems with panic and anxiety (that's certainly true for me).
That said, you're young and generally healthy, you don't describe any problems exercising (shortness of breath, fainting, nausea, sweating, chest or arm pain, all the bad things), so it seems that your odd heartbeats do not cause physical difficulty. These three factors, plus the frequency of benign PVCs in the general population, point to a harmless condition.
However, as I'm sure you know, 'drinking,' which often means more than an ordinary person really needs, can cause these things and make them worse. Google 'holiday heart' for more info on that.
So, given that you're OK now, I'd make a few suggestions:
1. If you can possibly afford it, buy at least minimal insurance. Young people often think it's too expensive and they can skip it (my adult son feels this way). Wrong.
2. Cut back on the alcohol. The current recommendations for a healthy man in the US are these (and you probably already know them): no more than two drinks per day. A standard drink is defined as 12 ounces of regular beer (one bottle); a 5 ounce glass of wine; or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits. For guys, darn it, cutting back on booze easily causes them to lose acouple of pounds, and the heart and circulatory system are always grateful for a small reduction in their load.
If you need the alcohol to deal with nerves, anxiety, etc., there are healthier ways to approach this sort of thing. Just one visit with a doc on the subject of anxiety would help a lot.
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