very strong pvcs

[Domswan]

So I have had pvcs for a few years now I am 22 and had them for about 4 years and they are horrible! My question is I can sort of deal with the little flutters here and there but today I had this extremely huge one just sitting at my desk, i have had big ones before but this was horrible it was a huge thump and then my heart went weird for the next few beats and then returned to normal. Also I have been recently having bad bouts of pvcs mostly with a lot of burping too does anyone know why this is?

But lost does anyone else get a really really strong pvc every now and again?

[achillea]

Here's what happens with PVCs and why you feel the Giant Thump:

The 'Pacemaker' in the upper right atrium normally sets the heart rate, but it's important to know that *every* cardiac cell in the heart is naturally contractile.  That is, they are capable of contracting whenever they want, but happily, they generally sort of agree to abide by the timing of the pacemaker.  Still, every now and then, there's a rebel or a cluster of rebels somewhere.  If you have been diagnosed with PVCs, your rebels are in one of your ventricles.

When you have a PVC, the rebels cause the ventricle to contract earlier than usual.  Because of the way the heart fills, this means the ventricle has not had the opportunity to get as full as usual, and as a result, this particular contraction is tiny, so tiny that people don't usually feel it at all.

However, there are concerning the next scheduled beat in a normal heart:  It cannot contract until certain electrical things happen (called repolarization), so there's a delay.  That's the pause you feel.  Since the chambers of the heart are elastic, this delay gives the ventricle a chance to fill a bit fuller than normal.  Now, the 'Law of the heart' is that it is obliged to try to pump out all the blood that enters it with each cycle, and to do that, the slightly fuller ventricle has to give a big push on this contraction. THAT is the big thump you (we) feel.

Interestingly, everyone gets PVCs.  Also interestingly, not everyone feels them, even the BIG ones.  Those of us who have a more sensitive car alarm, so to speak, really pick up on them, though.

It's important to know that in otherwise healthy people,  under 10,000 PVCs per day are considered insignificant by doctors.  The awareness of these beats is annoying and worrisome, of course, but the heart is so adaptable and flexible that it (and the circulatory system) compensate beautifully and seamlessly for the odd timing.

The problem is really only the fear that more sensitive patients feel.  Education and therapy can help a lot with that.