Pvc questions

[winter_tears82]

Im a daily pvc sufferer for 6 months, 24yo female, non smoker and drinker
Everytime I get a pvc I get a weird feeling in my belly like Im going down a hill in a roller coaster. It feels like my stomach drops. As soon as it happens its gone in an instant. Is that related to my pvc's and what causes it exactly?

Im on anxiety medicine for pvc control..which is not working..so I think Ill just be a lifetime sufferer. How do I know if my magnesium levels are low? My doc tested me for things and I imagine he tested my magnesium too so Im not sure if taking magnesium pills will help fix my pvc's?

[winter_tears82]

wunabnorm- wow 20,000 a day! I get abotu 5ish a day that I actually feel, and thats a bad day! Some days I dont get any that i really feel or I only feel them in my tummy?

KLB32- I agree stree can cause them...they bring me stress and they cause stress..win win situation I tell ya! LoL Im trying to not do searching all over the internet too..I used to do that and it freaked me out even more..thnk you for your advice!

You are all right, searching google doesnt do alot of help. I read lots of articles on ways to cope with the pvc's..Im glad there are people out there who totally understand where Im coming from because my hubby sure doesnt

[winter_tears82]

wunabnorm- wow 20,000 a day! I get abotu 5ish a day that I actually feel, and thats a bad day! Some days I dont get any that i really feel or I only feel them in my tummy?

KLB32- I agree stree can cause them...they bring me stress and they cause stress..win win situation I tell ya! LoL Im trying to not do searching all over the internet too..I used to do that and it freaked me out even more..thnk you for your advice!

You are all right, searching google doesnt do alot of help. I read lots of articles on ways to cope with the pvc's..Im glad there are people out there who totally understand where Im coming from because my hubby sure doesnt

[Ihatepalps2]

I too have had to stop myself from researching online. SO much information--so negative and SO scary!! I have counted as high as 64 a MINUTE for me in the last week, so those of you having a handful, dont despair. Whether having a few or a LOT, the number doesnt matter, even one is more than we should have to deal with! I sit here right now, and my heart it just banging away. I also think to myself, HOW can that happen, to MY HEART, and NOT have it do something bad???
Yet, Ive lived through every palpitation so far---I get mad though, when the Doctors keep telling me to " just ignore them" ..or..."maybe you are extra sensitive" ... Its hard NOT to be "sensitive" when my heart is pausing and thumping!!

[KLB32]

I tried to post a reply last night but for some reason it did not go through.

I don't always get them daily but some days I can get 4 or 5 and other days, I feel dozens all day long.  I have noticed since I started Co-enzyme Q10 and Magnesium that they have gotten a little better.

[fearfactor]

Palpitations are one of the worst things you can experience as an "annoyance" - I am convinced of that.  I would rather have a bad headache every day of my life than palpitations.  But, you do just have to find a way to deal cause chances are they aren't going away!  I have been through a very good therapy program and have read all the books, even tried beta blockers which seemed to make things worse at higher doses (lower HRs can cause more palps).  It's like one day I woke up and said "screw it!  I am tired of living in fear and if I'm going to die then I can't stop it anyway."  I then started feeling gradually better.  I just got to the point where I was sick of being debilitated and thinking about this stuff.  I am not perfect with this by a long shot - yes, they do still scare me when I get one I just say a prayer and everything seems to be OK!

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

you can go get good books and work books ,they help you to understand whats going on in your body, i red hope and help for the nerves by claire weeks its good, than i have others tell about the work book anxiety and phobia by edmond j bourne, am sure there are lots others that are good and will help. just try and see if they will help yes you have to try and break the cycle or it will keep happening. you have had them 20 years so you know they are not going to kill you its just so scarey that we cant get it in our heads that we are going to be ok. i wish you luck.

[Carrie41]

I hope to be like that soon.  I want this effexor to kick in so I don't care when they happen.  I just can't get it thru my head that I am not going to drop dead.  I hate these things so much.  I think about them 24/7.  I used to be this social person that loved going out and now I can't even go out to lunch because I am in constant fear of them.  I panic at every little thing I feel.  I just want them to go away but I have had them for 20 years and I am worse now worrying about them than ever.  I just don't understand why I can't get over them and just say whatever.  I have been told by doctor after doctor and cardio and EP doc don't worry I have a normal heart.  I just don't know why I can't get over it.  It is like I am in a circle.  I have anxiety over my heart which in turn gives my palpitations.  I have palpitations which in turn gives me anxiety.  I wish I could break out of it.

[fearfactor]

I have been where you are...at one point, I thought about PACs and PVCs 24/7 just about.  I nearly failed out of law school and drove my entire family nuts.  PLEASE don't let 10-15 palps a day ruin your life.  Yes, that is how many I have usually.  Sometimes more and most days none or just a few (up to 5).  I see I wasted so much time, energy and effort I could've been devoting to other stuff.  I know it's hard to believe someone when they tell you nothing's wrong but yet in your own body, you feel something is definitely wrong.  I am a very skeptical person and should have been from Missouri I guess because my motto is "show me" don't tell me.  But, after 3 years I have finally realized these things won't ever go totally away but thankfully they don't seem to be getting worse and are even getting better the less I think about them.  If you find triggers you know set them off by all means avoid those things but try hard to live your life.  Yes, I do still freak when I have frequent palps or runs, but thank God those are rare for me now.  You are NOT alone!

[Carrie41]

I agree.  I think I have made myself 10 times worse researching PVC's.  That is all I think about.  I never believe the doctor's or cardio's when they tell me nothing is wrong.  I have diagnosed myself with numerous conditions via the internet.  I have been told blank straight as well "YOU DO NOT have cornary artery disease" and I still don't believe it.  I keep on telling them there has to be SOMETHING wrong in there.  Normal hearts do not do this!!!!  I have now been put on EFFEXOR XR for my damn anxiety about this.  I can't get it out of my head.  I am the same as you, I have been imaged to death and I STILL think they are missing something.  KLB32 can I ask you do you get palpitations daily?  I get around 10 - 15 flutters or skips or hard bangs and that is more than enough to send me over the edge.  I always want to know if others freak at that amount as well?

[fearfactor]

I agree with KLB32.  Don't research heart issues because I went through doing that and it will only make you miserable.  I know my palps are not anxiety-related because really the anxiety is caused by them for me and not the other way around.  I do have a history of anxiety but this is something entirely separate and different from that.  Don't let this obsess you and try to trust what your doctor is saying to you.  I have been through obsessing over this thing and it doesn't make anything better, only worse.  

[KLB32]

I wanted to add one more thing.

Please, please do yourself a favor and do NOT research PVC's and heart issues all over the internet.  It's one thing to be informed but looking stuff up constantly can just add fuel to the fire.  Trust me.   I think part of my rough patch this year was brought on by spending way too much time researching various heart disorders that I was convinced I had.  Even multiple doctors and negative test results was not enough to satisfy me.  I went back and forth from thinking I had various lethal arrythmias to coronary artery disease.  I had a cardiologist once look me right in the eye as he was examining me and said, "You DO NOT have coronary artery disease!"  Just last week I had another Dr. tell me to quit worrying about my heart because it has been "imaged to death" and nothing is wrong with it.  I finally decided to stop worrying about it!

[KLB32]

I have been having them nearly every day for three years.  They started when my daughter was around 3 so I am not sure if in my case it had anything to do with the birth.

I think the underlying factor is stress and what mom is not stressed out? :-)  Stress then begins to take on a physical form and often that is in the form of PVCs, breathlessness, lightheadedness, etc. that was mentioned above (great post, btw).

I have been having an awful time this year with not only PVC's, but being out of breath all the time, feeling exhausted, dizzy and an "out of it" feeling.  I have been through many medical tests and they can't find anything wrong with me.  I was diagnosedin 2004 with GAD, Panic Disorder and OCD so it is entirely possible this is all anxiety.  

I went through a rough patch in 2004 right before my PVC's began.  I lost a childhood friend to an eating disorder and started having alot of anxiety after attending her funeral.  A week after that occured, I lost my job.  It took me 3 months to find a new one and it can be stressful at times.  A child in my family suddenly died in January and wouldn't you know, my symptoms became almost unbearable about a week after his funeral and haven't really let up much since.  

I think the best thing you can do is try to get help for your anxiety.  Believe me, wishing it away will not work.  It will only get worse if you don't try to take some control now.

Good luck!

[wunabnorm]

I am a 24 yr old with 2 boys, and I started out having just anxiety symptoms. After I had my 2nd child, about a year later, I developed pvc's. From there, they just kept getting worse! I have over 20,000 a day. I am currently taking toprol for them, but the dr. is switching me to a calcium channel blocker, because the toprol has stopped working. I think I may also be experiencing tachycardia at night time. Just a couple of times this has happened though. Just please know you are not alone. And YES... I would say it has something to do with child birth. My theory is though that our bodies don't deal with stress that well, and so we have an over sympathetic nervous system. How many pvc's do you usually have and how often?

[fearfactor]

Hi, I am a native Texan and have been to Killeen many times!  I noticed my palps got really bad after my last daughter was born.  Don't think you are a life-long sufferer just because your palps are bad now.  I've found they come and go and you may have flare-ups and they could get better for a long time.  I'm on a "good" cycle right now and have just a few a day so hang in there!

[Momto3]

finetil3, thanks for reposted SkippyHeart's list!  Skippy is a friend of mine and I think he nailed this one on the head...LOL

Winter, babies are awesome, but they sometimes arrive with some extra thumps and bumps for us moms.  Probably those dang horomones again!  Take care and enjoy the little one!  

Connie

[nikgirl28]

I'm in the same boat as you three... I have two boys and palps happened after my first baby...about a month after and now after my second baby - he is almost 9 months now...my palps seem to be worse with the second...maybe cause i started focusing on them more...they got bad around 6 months postpardum also...i also get brief episodes of svt...have been getting them since early twenties and got worse after the births...u know what i think it is hormones - yes...but something going on with our colons...like the hormones are affecting our bowel changes and giving us more palps...my stools are so weird after the birth like constipation, diarrhea, etc...sorry to speak of this but i think it's contributes to the palps...i seem to burp more also and i get really bad palps with burps also...anyway, something to do with our small or large colon...our digestive tract...
probably if our digestive tracts were completely healthy our palps would go away....i also breastfeed too...

[winter_tears82]

Thank you for that post, sounds very similar! I too bfed for awhile..well I still am actually. Weve cut down to 2 times a day and my son is 13 months. I wish they would go away when I stop bfing but I dont think thats going to happen:) I try not to worry about my heart but sometimes it does scare the daylights out of me. Not as bad as when it first started to happen though lol...Many times I thought i was taking my last breath. I still wonder if theres something more wrong with my heart. I cant even walk across the room without my heart shooting up to 120-130...talk about out of breath!! That really scares me..Some days are better than others. Im sure I need to exercise but Im kinda scared to do that even..expecially with my heart jumping so high, so easily. When I was getting my echo stress test done I about fell out on the treadmill immediatly. The doc even had me wait in his office for 20min trying to get my heart down to a reasonable level before letting me go home. When I left the Vascular center my heart rate was still 110...Ya..I really think theres something wrong. Doc told me structurely my heart is fine so theres nothing to worry about. I guess its time to just live with it :)
Thank you for your works of comfort..its certainly nice to not feel alone, although i wouldnt wish this on anyone!

[Horsegal]

I have been experiencing what you are having for a long time. Its scares me to death. I stay at home with my two children and like you I have been given anxiety medication.  Mine feels like my heart is dropping and for a second its hard to take a breath.  I get so upset that I have actually been to several doctors and have had nuclear tests done.  I'm so afraid of dying and what will happen to my children. My husband is away a lot and that scares me even more because I'm thinking something will happen to me while hes gone. Its consumed my life. I go through phases of thinking just any day not I'm going to drop over. Its not fun but I've been going to church and learned to get over the fear of death. When its your time to go your going to go regardless of what any Dr. does. and until its your time nothing is going to happen. Good Luck

[finetilthree]

Don't know what exactly to call this - will take suggestions :)
Here are (in my experience), the phases you go through dealing with PVCs. From the responses on the forum, they seem to be a fairly common experience:

1) You are sure you are going to die, and every beat brings about other symptoms like light-headedness, breathlessness, high-blood pressure (all anxiety related).
2) You go to the ER a few times. They bring you in right away, then send you home telling you there's nothing wrong (they're right)
3) You go to a cardio, get a full workup (and pass with flying colors)
4) You don't believe the doctors, keep having anxiety attacks, read everything about PVCs on the internet everyday, become agoraphobic, and try to isolate every trigger (there is no one trigger except anxiety)
5) You try to will them away (you can't cause you're still thinking about them)
6) You become anxious thinking your PVCs are going to get worse (and they do, since anxiety is the one common denominator)
7) One day you get pissed off, and go about your life regardless of the PVCs, figuring who cares if they kill you since you're at your wit's end anyway (you live)
8) You start to realize nothing bad ever actually happens to you while having pvcs, start going about your normal life, and start ignoring them and forgetting about them (they don't go away yet)
9) You start really forgetting about them (they never go away completely, but occur much less often, and you don't care about them anyway)
10) You troll the forums to help other people :)

*A GREAT POST COURTESY OF SKIPPY HEART*

[finetilthree]

I am certain that birth contributes to the problem.  Not sure why.  I also think that breastfeeding doesn't help.  I nursed my first for 18 months, my second one for 23 months, and my third for 4 months b/c I got the palps after I had him.  Docs thought that if I gave up nursing, maybe my hormones would chill out and my heart would go back to normal.  Not quite!! Plus I was having alot of testing done on my heart, some with dye and I had to pump and dump anyway.  Awww, your son is sleeping on you...how sweet.  I hope you are enjoying it and not worrying about your skippy heart.   Oh, speaking of skippy heart, I think there is a poster on this forum who wrote a list for dealing with palps.  I'll go find it and post it for ya.  Take care!!

[finetilthree]

Couldn't help but notice you have a little one in your pic with you.  Did your problems start after having babies?  Mine did...big time.  And there are several other moms on here too who will ring in and give you some coping advice (Anacyde/Fear Factor/Momto3).  My son is 15 months old now and I have only recently gotten a reprieve from palps and fear.  I have heard that exact sensation describe many times on this board, however, mine tend to feel differently.  I think the sensation you describe is caused by the beat follow the premature beat... it is a stronger, more forceful beat, due to the heart having a longer time to fill with blood and then...BOOM... a stronger beat and a flush feeling.  Do you have alot every day?  Try not to be too stressed about it...there are lots of us in the same boat (and surviving)!!!

[winter_tears82]

I have many everyday and yes I get them about when my son turned 6 months old and since then ive been dealing with them ..i hate them really lol...Some days i dont have them and i think ww they went away..then bam there they are again! When i get the feeling in my tummy its usually when the easier, more manageable pvc's happen? It doesnt really happen when i get the pounding beat. Im sorry im rambluing and cant type  much ..my son is sleeping on me right now :) i wonder if birth did contribute to our pvc's tho??