skipped heart beats

[emanuel603]

40yrs old.20mlg crestor .124/77 blood pressure. i think ive allways this notice them a lot more lately.my heart skips beats. not allways but for a few hrs a day. sometimes one per minute and sometimes one every fourth beats.worst when im tired or looking for them.have no symptoms.very slight feeling in throat when they happen.had many ecg.one holter.doctor says they are pacs.i asked for low dose beta blocker he says he would not treat as it is a benign c
ondition.
1-whats diff in feeling between pac and pvc?
2why not beta blocker?
3diff between dangerous ones and benign ones?
4what are chances they turn into bad rhythm?
5are they really harmless or is it that nothing can be done about them.
6do beta blockers stop them or make one less aware of them?

[Momto3]

1-whats diff in feeling between pac and pvc? - Most people are not able to tell the difference. I know what a PVC feels like, but I'm not sure I could tell if I had PACs also...

2why not beta blocker?  - The doctor has weighed the benefits and risks of prescribing a beta blocker and given the benign ectopics, he/she feels this is the best option. Many doctors are adverse to prescribing medications for a benign condition.  If you insist, and I'm not sure you should, you might be able to convince him/her to prescribe a BB.

3diff between dangerous ones and benign ones? - Generally, in someone with a structurally normal heart, PVCs and PACs are benign.  If you were to develop a more significant arrythmia like VT, the doctor would likely be more assertive with treatment options.

4what are chances they turn into bad rhythm? - Check with the doctor for your particular situation. You might want to try searching the Expert Heart Rhythm forum for more information.

5are they really harmless or is it that nothing can be done about them. - They are considered benign in persons with a structurally normal heart.

6do beta blockers stop them or make one less aware of them?  Depends on the patient....varies from one end of the spectrum to the other.

[cjwfit]

I am 32 and was diagnosed with PACs last year.  The first cardiologist, apparently one of the best in the business, said they were benign but insisted on a low-dose beta blocker.  At the time I thought, why would I take a drug if the condition was benign?  I asked for another referral.  The second cardiologist said he'd do an ablation before he'd put me on a beta-blocker, but assured me that the condition was benign.  The point: I received the opinion of a few different, trusted doctors.  I found a few whom I asked all the questions you now ask (I even continue to go back when I doubt them!).  Be very proactive with your doctor and if you don't like him/her, do as the person above suggested and find another one.  That's what I did!

[janetls]

I'm 50 with high cholesterol and high blood pressure.  I think I've had PVC's all my life too, but they come and go.  Sometimes I go months without having them.   Everytime they come back, they seem worse.  I've been having a particularly bad time of it lately for the past 2 months.  I'm guessing right now I have at least 10,000 PVC's or PAC's per day.  For me PAC's and PVC's feel the same, but it's probably different for everyone.  Some people have frequent PVC's but don't feel them at all.  I'm on a beta blocker, Inderal, which I started taking 9 years ago for a rapid pulse.  I continue taking it for high blood pressure which developed about 4 years ago.  It helps keep my blood pressure down but doesn't seem to make a difference with the PVC's, at least for me.  If your palpitations are bothering you, I don't see the danger in trying a low-dose beta blocker.    Some people complain that beta blockers make them tired, but I've never noticed any side effects.   People use them for a variety of reasons including headaches; they are relatively safe but no drug is totally free from all side effects.  As far as your other questions, I had frequent PVC's and PAC's, bigeminy, and 1 couplet on my last Holter monitor 2 years ago, and my cardiologist wasn't concerned.  He said he has more PVC's than I do.  I figure with all the time I spend worrying about my heart, I'll probably die from something else.

[chilli13]

I'd suggest goin back to doctor and asking those questions to them that way you'll feel more confident that you are alright, asking someone in one of these forums isn't the best way to get accurate or reliable information.  On the otherhand if your doctor didnt discuss these things with you then maybe you should find a better doctor.