Don't know what to believe

[EPC29]

I am 30 yrs old and have suffered from anxiety and skipped,extra heartbeats for 7 yrs now. I was told I have very mild mitral valve prolapse.So mild infact my cardiologist says my heart is concidered structurally normal. My irregular beats and the anxiety they cause me has greatly increased but my cardiologist is not concerned and he even said not to bother doing a holter monitor because in a healthy heart my off beats are not to be worried about. I have had numerous tests done in the past and all was fine, but my question is now that my beats seem to be more frequent and occur 10 in a row sometimes should I worry? They have been like this for about a year now and I had my last echo 8 months ago.Dr said(very mild mvp, beningn palpitations.) Could he be missing something?

[EPC29]

Thanks again for answering back. My concern about the beta blockers are the fact that they tend to lower blood pressure and heart rate. My blood pressure is already on the lower normal side and Ive never had a problem with my heart racing. Have your pvcs gotten worse for you and have they caused further heart problems for you? Do you only have pvcs or do you have a variety of different feeling beats like me?

[Momto3]

My earlier recollection of the PVCs is from my late teens, so that would be about 30 years.  After taking beta blockers for many years, I finally tried them on an as-needed basis, and they worked.  Maybe that would work for you...??  

However, if you're not bothered by the PVCs, it's best to try and work at accepting them. It can be so difficult to try and figure out what brings them on, and makes them go away.  So, with a structurally normal heart, learning to live with them is a great idea.

[EPC29]

Thanks for your reply. I've been offered beta blocker but I dont really want to start taking meds unless it is medically needed. I  keep hoping I will be able to overcome most of my anxiety with reassurance.How long have you been having your pvcs? epc29

[Momto3]

Hi EPC29,

I've heard the same thing about mild MVP, so try not to focus on the words, but the fact that it is almost an incidental finding.  I had a similar incident a few months back...Long story, but I ended up with an MRI (head) and there were a couple of "findings." Although I was somewhat concerned, the doctor felt that the findings were not a problem.  The actual report mentioned followup, but the neuro said it wasn't necessary, so I'm going with that.

It's always possible that something has changed, but I tend to think your doctor is right on the mark with this one.  Has he/she suggested a beta blocker to relieve some of the symptoms?  I used to have thousands of pvcs/day, and I could not imagine that was OK, doctor still said "benign."  Try not to worry, but talk with the doc about possible relief for the symptoms.

Take care.