Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

pvcs at wits end!!

I am 44 and I think Im going insane...I was diagnosed with PVC's 8 years ago...I had ultrasound doc said everything looks good...I take atenonlol...everything is managable for months at a time then all of the sudden my heart is skipping, flip-flopping, beating fast, beating slow, cant sleep on my right side, cant sleep on my left side, maybe its gas, no maybe its because its the week before my period, no more wine, maybe I need more wine, lose weight, take yoga, dont stress...aaaarrrrrggghhhh!!!!! I cant stand this, I feel like I'm going to die everytime I have a PVC!!! How do I make this stop?????  Can you tell I'm in the middle of a week long episode of 500 PVCs a day....Please someone tell me how to deal with this.....
58 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
"My question is, has anybody ever actually been able to not feel weird with that bigeminy beat?"

The answer is yes. What you are experiencing is anxiety or possibly even panic as a result of strange physical sensations.

Since your ectopic beats are not dangerous--and you know that on some level, because you can go about your 'normal' activities to make yourself feel normal, and you understand that you are not going to die when you try this, right?--the solution is address the anxiety.  Not the symptoms, but the anxiety about them.

On December 27, make an appointment with a psychiatrist who specializes in treating anxiety.  If he/she suggests psychoactive meds for a while to get you over the hump, take them--unless you want to continue wasting years like this.

In short, put yourself in the hands of the right professional.  With correct treatment, you WILL become much less aware of these sensations, and in fact they may actually diminish in frequency.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Know how you feel, tag. Pretty amazing to find this place and know how many people are going through this. I'm 55 and for much of my adult life have had occasional heart rhythm issues, and even went through a bout of arrythmia about 18 years ago. But it was only this summer I started getting these PVCs on a regular basis. I went to the emergency room after about a week of mental anguish and it was the same like everybody else. After a battery of tests (including a stress test during which it DISAPPEARED temporarily) indicated that my heart was in good shape, the doctors diagnosed it as bigeminy right away. They tried to assure me that it was harmless, and also told me that it would come and go. It did go away the next day, and it stayed gone for about two months, but then returned again in September, went away, came back in early November, went away, and now it's been back again for about week, just in time for Christmas! Yes! Each time I worry that it won't go away at all, and I'm just praying that this episode ends sometime soon. I'm lucky, I guess, that I can bring myself some "normal" feeling by walking or exercising, but that doesn't do me any good when I'm lying in bed or even sitting and watching TV. I try to convince myself to smile and block out that thud from the second quick beat, but it isn't easy. I just feel like there's something not right with me, and it leaves me with a feeling of despair and depression. My question is, has anybody ever actually been able to not feel weird with that bigeminy beat? I tell myself, hey, at least it feels like it's beating slow. When I was young, my problem was too fast of a heartbeat. That's a lot more frightening, I guess.
Helpful - 0
967168 tn?1477584489
just a quick thought...maybe a med change is in order so talk to your dr - metoprolol makes my bp tank big time but I found Inderal extended release works well for my arrhythmia's and not as many breaththroughs with pvc's/vt runs

I don't have an AV block but have gone through quite a bit where I had to have a PM/ICD implanted after my ablation.

1.3 mil in 6 months comes out roughly to about 7200 daily if my math is right this early in the am =) my last ICD check I'm about 10,000 pvc's daily and 1,000 pac's and NSVT runs at least once a day with high HR's

definitely worth checking out with your dr to make sure a new pathway hasn't formed or something else isn't going on
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hello everyone.
I am laying her awake because PVC's will not let me sleep. I can see I am not alone with the disruptiveness of these things. I have 3rd degree AV block and a dual pacemaker after suffering a sudden idiopathic cardiac arrest in August of 2008. I have had two instances of pericarditis and a problem with PVC'S since then. My perception has been that they are getting worse. My last pacemaker interrogation revealed 1,300,000 PVC's and about 60 runs of multiples which are very unpleasant to say the least in the period since the previous check (6 months). I recently made a cardiologist's appt. ( for January) due to episodes of feeling as though I'm blacking out while standing. My Bp is low normal even on metorprol twice a day. The metorprolol used to control them better than it does now. I have gained weight on this stuff and hate it. I also have SLE (lupus) and am on immune suppressants. When in long runs of PVC's I find a shot or rarely two of nitro sl smartens them up although that in itself can drop the bp so I rarely take that route unless I'm home and sitting and my pulse feels strong and within normal range. My pulse can be erratic as my heart attempts to initiate a beat and pacing takes place 65% of the time in the atria and 100% of the time in the ventricles. (then the PVC'S get in the act. Does anyone here also have 3rd degree AV block, a pacemaker and had an ablation? I feel this may be Russian roulette in my circumstances but these PVC's are driving me crazy. They don't like when I lay down, bend over, get angry, or my breath changes.....I am not an anxious person but have a pretty high stress level due to lfe circumstances.... comments welcomed..please  esp. respond if you have a pacemaker and similiar situation. I am 53 and female.. thank you!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I haven't actually been to a heart doctor yet but I've experienced like my heart skips a beat and it happens over and over and it sounds like PVC's but how does one deal with these?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
This is an incredibly encouraging site.  I have frequent PVC's and PSVT's.  Much of the time I'm fine, but when it's bad, I freak out.  I know I should ignore it, but it's hard when it's happening.  It makes me feel better to come and read about everyone else who is doing ok and living with it.

Thanks for the encouragement!!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hey everyone, just looking up my heart problem and found yawl all, wow what a mirracle to be able to read what's been going on in your own life from another, and be ablie to share it gosh it's just neat is all. I'd give my cell number to anyone who just needed to talk about it, (PVC'S) I have a DR. in the family so it help's some to hear,,your not going to die from it,,,but nothing like another who has the same thing. I do know this I was 13 when I first had the problem, I can remember going to my Mother and saying, mom my Hearts trying to quit, she listened to it and said it's beating fine go and play so I did, and as I've got older it's got worse it seem's. But I also know myself I smoke (dumb) I know and use to drink up too a fifth when I use to rodeo, haven't drank in about eight years now but I made them worse at times and have my life style to blame at first,,rest and try and not stress and NO soda's seem to really help and I also have faith in God to heal anything, so I just wanted to say thanks for the site and if anyone ever need's to just talk email me at ***@****, I'll give out my number,,God bless you all, and stay strong and never give up!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am assuming your PVCs are benign and presumabaly originating from the right outflow tract.

While they are indeed disconcerting 500 a day is not  alot of PVCs, particularly when you think that the heart beats over 100,000 time a day.

That is the good news, if you were having more than 4,000 a day, then I would consider ablation. I had an ablation for PVCs in excess of 16,000 a day and have never looked back. It changes your whole quality and perspective of life.

PVCs have a hbit of waxing and wanaing and it seems unfair that some people actually feel the PVC while the vast majority of people do not.  At any rate, they will not kill you.  

Have you tried magnesium and taurine as an adjunct therapy. It works for some people.

You will probably find that with exercise the PVCs diminish which is a perfectly natural thing to occur as the natural pacemaker of the heart takes over.

Jonesy
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
My wife read some of these tonight and she has a much better understanding of the situation and that maybe I'm not going crazy!

Thanks for sharing your story.  The last 4 days have been terrible and Ive gone from thinking about the emr to just giving up completely.  Your comments have helped a lot.

Thanks and God Bless
Helpful - 0
503607 tn?1275671579
I have been were you are, not wanting to do anything,  before I started Atenlol I felt the same way I had papitation 24/7 every minute of the day.   I had an ablation for Afiv and SVT but they could not get the pvc's.  The Atenolol has made a huge difference, I now get pvcs occasionally.  I just lowered my dose to 12.5mg and still good.   Good Luck, you will find a med that hopefully works for you
Helpful - 0
1313927 tn?1273859162
I have been reading everyone's post, and believe me, Im feeling much better.  I had my daughter 3 1/2 years ago and right away suffered from post-partum pre- eclampsia.  I was hospitalized for about 5 days with high blood pressure and an extremely low heart rate ( low 30's). After I was stablalized and "fixed", I was just sent home on blood pressure meds.  All was well for a few months when I began developing PVC's.  They became more and more frequent coming about 1 every few min lasting a few days.  I was put on Verapamil and nothing more until Feb of this year.  Once again Ive done all the testing only to be told nothing was wrong.   They are much more frequent this time coming every 3 or 4 beats.  I ended up in the hosp for a couple days about 3 weeks ago, where my cardi could actually watch them happening.  Finally, he sees what Ive been fussing about.  These lasted about 4 days and were coming every 3rd beat or so.  Nothing makes you want to give up like these damn things do.  Ultimatley, I was put on Nadolol and until today, I didnt have any.  After seeing my cardio yesterday, Im being switched to Acebutolol due to headaches and nadolol making my H.R. too low.  Has anyone had any experience with either of these meds?  Im starting to wonder now if it has anything to do with my period.  I read a lot about them being related, and after looking at my log of episodes, they have been coming about a week before my period each time.  Uuuuggghhhh!  I hate this!  Its hard for me to even function as a mother or a wife anymore.  I just want to curl up and stay away from everyone.  No one around me understands the intensity of these things.  Thanks for the lending ear.  Its important to know you are not alone and Im working hard on not letting them stress me out and taking over my life.  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
It is 5:30 AM, and I still haven't slept!  PVC have been keeping me awake, and it is driving me insane.  I am 5 months pregnant, and they have been torturing me for the last 2 months.  I am taking metoprolol, which  seems to do nothing to help.  One thing that often helps me is magnesium.  My cardiologist said that it helps the electrical functions of the heart to work better.  There is a particular brand called Calm, which is in a powder form.  You mix it with hot water and drink it like tea.  It usually works wonders for me.....just not tonight!  Try it - I hope it helps!  Co-Q 10 is also helpful.  Good luck!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am sitting here after an ER visit yesterday "you are fine" was what they said.  I am an RN and I thought it was allergy medication I has recently started , so I stopped it and my heart kept jumping all over the place.  PVC's like 2-3/minute and way worse at night....I haven't slept.  I am so tired and so scared....I know that they are normal for everyone, but just a minor few feel them....I am 27 and this has NEVER happened to me before.  I had a very mild heart murmur when I was young, but other than that nothing it resolved on it's own.  How do you get to sleep??????  They wake me up and I feel like I am going to die.  
Helpful - 0
995271 tn?1463924259
Hi ROger, thanks for a great post :-)

My understanding of PVCs is that the signal originates in the ventricles.  The ventricles are so important to life that nature gave them backup pacer cells in case they don't get the signal from the SA node.  

Another way to think of how important the ventricles are, people can live a long time with the atriums in a-fib.  ventricular-fib, it's lights out before you hit the floor.

Consider this, if the ventricular pacer cells don't get an SA sginal for a long enough period of time, they will fire an "escpae beat" to keep at least most of the heart working.

Pretty neat!  I'm an IT guy myself, and I like to have backups for my backups for my backups.

But when these pacer cells act up when not required, you get the premature ventricular contraction, which in the presence of a normal sinus rythym is going to give you a good thump and pause.  How they feel dpends on the timing of the firing during normal sinus rythym.  early in the  NSR phase will feel much differently than late in the NSR phase and we're talking maybe 360 millisecond window.

There's a bunch of reasons that can make ventricular pacers act up when they shouldn't.  Chemical sensitivity, a decrease in oxygen levels being supplied to the heart, sympathetic nervous system acting up, stess-anxiety, I think depression and it's physiological effects can also perk them up.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am 75 years old, I have PVC's, sometimes bad (every other beat) but mostly every 4 or 5 beats, sometimes last for several days.

I have had 2 heart attacks, one massive (damaged 75% of the muscle on the left side of my heart.  !!PVC's DID NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH ME HAVING THE HEART ATTACK!!!

First of all before I give you some fatherly advice let me say this:  I have no medical training, and what I say is based on my experience ONLY.

Again, the first thing you MUST do is get a "Holter Monitor" test to confirm your PVC's are benign.

The next thing you must understand is that PVC's feed off of anxiety, in otherwords the more PVC's you have,the more depressed you get, and the more depressed you get the more PVC's.. .get the point.

To better undrstand what "I" think PVC's are, I will ask you a question.

Have you ever talked on a cell phone and got an echo.
(I am qualified to tell you this, I taught communications electronics for many years).  The echo is the same signal traveling two different paths,  one path being greater in distance than the other.  This also holds true if you yell inside a large empty building, the sound is reflected back from multiple places(different distances).

Do you think this might be true?  The Sinus Node of the heart sends it's signal out to the various parts of the heart with a chemical/electrical impulse through tissue and over time, a second path is developed, maybe conductive enough to carry the signal sometimes, and at a different distance, and enough out of phase for one to cancel the other???  From an electronics standpoint it sounds reasonable.

Bottom Line.

If you have PVC's, and they have been confirmed with the Holter Monitor, just put them out of your mind, they are not going to hurt you.. .the more you dwell on them the worse they will get.  At night Tylenol helps me do this.
If they are really bad, sleep in your recliner setting upright, this also seems to help me.

Last comment.  I expect to die in the next 20 years, but I do not expect to die of PVC's.

Sleep tight; roger-***@****

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Can anyone please help me out on this... I think I'm starting to get PVC ... Like every 10 min my heart start to jump.. Is very depressing... First I get dizzy and then comes the PVC... I went to the ER but they said is nothing.. I just started to get HBP... Maybe is that..??
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Two days ago I had he surgery for SVT.  My experience was very positive.  I had the twilight med, but was asked frequently how I was and if I was having pain.  No problem while the instrument was being positioned, but I asked for additonal med at the time of the actual ablation.  You shouldn't have to experience pain.  Recovery seems to be going extremely well for me.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Just returned from the ER with my daughter who is an RN.  Decided it was time to put me on the heart monitor and see these "PVC's" herself!  Not a real bad night tonight but I was having about 3-4 a minute.  A lot less than last night.  Just wondering if they make any of you tired?  I feel like I just want to lay down and sleep all the time!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I don't run nearly as much as you guys so I'm probably not a good judge.  I do 2.5 miles about 5 times a week...

I would say that if I get skips during my run, it is in the early stages of my run..Starting off by walking DEFINETLEY HELPS...and then I can build up and enjoy the run...

I don't really get too many symptoms after, and I usually feel good afterwards...sometimes they will even "prevent" my PVCs for a few hours.

Your right they are life altering and they can get me depredsed...especially on those 5,000 days.  

But my short runs always give me a brighter outlook.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
To those of you who have kept running with your arrhythmias, have you experienced light headedness and dizziness?  I used to run about 40 miles a week and had to stop the last little while because the Cardizem (calcium channel blocker) stopped working.  Anytime I run I get this awful lumpy feeling in my throat and become very breathless - it is very difficult to run with any kind of intensity.  When I stop, I need something to hold onto in case I pass out.  I can do lighter workouts at the gym but it's definitely not the same and I am missing my "addiction" very, very much.  At rest, my heart is all over the place but at least I'm not feeling like I'll faint.

Runtilidrop, a friend of mine sent me an article from the British Journal of Medicine that stated athletic males are 5.5 more likely to develop arrhythmias than the general population.  The study wasn't done on females but I assume it's the same for us.  The EP guy I saw last week told me they see a lot of runners and arent' sure why but it's speculated to be due to our low heart rate.  Did I read it right that you are having your 6th ablation?  You must be multifocal (as I am).  I'm scheduled to have my first and was told I had an 80% chance of a cure.  I sure hope so because it will feel great to get my life back.

Anybody who doesn't go through this has no idea how life altering it can be.
Helpful - 0
21064 tn?1309308733
Congrats on the marathon!!  You might want to try adding a bit of potassium (not too much) to your daily diet.  If MAY help calm the pvcs.  My doctor suggested bananas and cantelope when my K was off.

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Well, I'm back from the marathon....very few pvcs while running, but that's pretty normal for me....however, since the marathon have had many.....that's common for me as well....think it's a combination of extensive exercise followed by extreme tiredness, dehydration and my entire body getting back to normal....are the pvcs bothering me mentally - of course and i TRY very hard to ignore them, but as you all can relate, that's not easy.....have been drinking water and gatorade constantly to see if everything calms down.......i try and tell myself after each marathon or just a daily run that i'm still here so they can't be so bad......hope all of you had a good weekend.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
has anyone had cryoablation for there atrial fibrillation ?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I'm with runman all the way...although I am MUCH lower on distance than he...runiing will make you feel alive and it is a good way to shove it down the PVC's throat...

Just get a physical first and start SLOW...always walk and warm up before a run...and ENJOY!!
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Heart Rhythm Community

Top Arrhythmias Answerers
1807132 tn?1318743597
Chicago, IL
1423357 tn?1511085442
Central, MA
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Are there grounds to recommend coffee consumption? Recent studies perk interest.
Salt in food can hurt your heart.
Get answers to your top questions about this common — but scary — symptom
How to know when chest pain may be a sign of something else
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.