sleeping on left-hand side

hi
i have just noticed rencently that everytime i try to sleep on my left side my heart really plays up and goes all humpy bumpy ,and then a load of pvcs and sometimes a little run of the svt .its the same if i am leaning to my left when sittng
is that strange or just somthing unique to me.
i said it to my doc who made nothing of it --but i dont know could there be something pushing on my heart

[dolfnlvr]

This is a very common issue for PVC sufferers.  It's not that laying on your left side is CAUSING PVC's or runs of PVC's, but you notice them more when you are on your left side.  

Let me explain.  A majority of the human population experience PVC's daily and have no idea they are occurring.  For some reason, some people are very sensitive to them, and others are oblivious.  The reasons for this are not well studied and therefore no definitive reasoning has been put forth.  However, since they are benign, whether felt or not felt, doctors often "make nothing of them" as you said.  

The heart is positioned in a small sac in your left chest area.  Normally it beats away in this sac without "leaning" on anything or in any way touching any of its surroundings.  It's like it is in this little spot just for it and it doesn't bother its neighbors.  However, when you lay or lean on your left side, it causes your body to "give" a bit, and parts squish into other parts.  This squeezes (minimally and not at all unnaturally) your heart's sac a bit and makes any sensation that much more noticeable.  If you are having PVC's and lay on your left side, you will feel twice as many as you would if you were standing normally.  It's not that you are having more PVC's, you are FEELING more PVC's because your heart is scrunched up next to a bunch of other muscles and sensory nerves.

So, the answer is yes....something IS pushing on your heart.  BUT...no it is not causing any damage and it is not causing your PVC's to be worse.

Hope this helps put your mind at ease.

April

[Sammie4258]

I have to concur with dolfnlvr. This is exactly correct.  I have the same problem and was told the same thing by doctor. You really should not worry about this. Best wishes

[lagoya]

aaaaaaaaaah
ok thats makes a lot of sence --now why coundn't my doc have explained it like that
thanks for the re-assurance

[isukathis]

I get the exact same thing but its lying on my right side where I feel more skips and bumps...

I too told my cardiologist and he didn't really give an explanation... Thanks to dolfnlvr I understand why...

Also, my SVT episodes have almost always stated by either bending over or suddenly starting to run/walk... Anyone with the same?

Thanks...

[dolfnlvr]

SVT has many triggers. Bending over, or standing from a squating position tends to be one that you hear about often.  It is likely that the cause of this trigger is the dramatic bhange in BP caused from these rapid positional changes.  The sudden increase or decrease in BP causes your heart to "adjust" its rhythm to accomodate the increased or decreased blood volume.  If you have a set of cells in your natural pacer that trigger SVT, then the natural adrenaline rush that your brain pushes to adjust heart rate can cause these cells to fire, causing SVT symptoms.

Same with exercise.  

Low oxygen availability, caffeine, drugs, alcohol are all triggers for SVT.  You have a bundle of supersensitive cells in your natural pacemaker.  Anything that may agitate them can set off an episode. Rapid changes in environmental conditions will often cause the cells to "act up."

If it weren't for the fact that these things scare the dickens out of me....I'd think this stuff was pretty cool.

April

[isukathis]

I know what you mean...

The last time I was in the ER my heart rate was 240 and it did indeed scare the dickens out of me... It took 2 shots of Adenosine to revert, my nerves were shot...

I haven't had an ablation yet and hoping quitting the caffeine helps... July 3rd is my 1 year anniversary with no full-blown SVT... Just a couple of blips and blurps :)

Thanks for your knowledgeable responses, much appreciated.

[lagoya]

scare the dickens does not even come near it for me --pure terror
when mine hits that fast i go numb to  the bone

we will have a virtual party on the 3rd for your anniversary but rem at
this party we cant run-squat-bendover-drink caffine-acohol-do drugs-fall asleep on the left side -or we will all be heading to the er to get our nerves shot lol
it must feel great to be symptom free more or less for that long
i hope it stays that way

[joggerbabe42]

this is normal i think. Everyone i know even me when they lay on their left side will experience the same thing. Nice discovery though.

[dolfnlvr]

Yeah...a heart rhythm forum party.  I love it....

We'll all stand straigh as arrows, drink water, use those plastic picker upper things to get stuff off the floor, keep the conversation boring (so as not to laugh too hard), rest only by sitting stiffly, and go to bed on our right sides after taking our beta blockers.

Sounds like fun....I'm in :-)  LOL


(Oh yeah....No microwaves...in case any of us have pace makers).

I'm sorry...it's not funny....well, yeah it is.  If you can't beat it........LAUGH AT IT.  Thanks for the smile of the day!!!!!!

[lagoya]

lol a fit of laughter and pvcs go well together
the thought of a big hall filled with the heart forum
bring on the base drum {oh my]
i know its not funny
its good to have a laugh