when do we beleive that we wont die of this stuff

[aylish28]

i have a question..i have had several doctors and a cardiogist tell me my pac/pvc are benign and will get worse with age--sigh-- i have had all the tests except the stress test and one more ecg to check for where they are orinateing on the 22nd-- but no mattter what they tell me,i get scared every time i feel them or get weird chest/heart sensations,,example--trying to relax laying down and suddenly sitting right up with a gasp due to a feeling like an adrenaline surge or like my heart stopped or something,or momentary dizziness or  when my heart seems a little fast for what i am doing physically--when and how do i beleive that they are not deadly and they havent missed anything.....any feedback apreciated--thanks

[Barbarella]

I've been having PVC's off and on for 50 yrs, sometimes severe, and am still alive.  They will NOT kill you.  Uncomfortable yes, scary at times yes.  I don't take anything for them.  A cardiologist told me that meds could make them worse, that is all I needed to hear.

[aylish28]

yes --this issue very much *****!! you must be very nervous liveing in an isolated area it is hard to ignore these things--sometimes i do better than others--at least you can use internet to reach out for reassurance thats good!!! good luck with the doctor appts keep us posted!!

[shavedsporty]

howdoo, I am 39 and have lived with pvt's since I was 20. Well i write this in a bad place at the moment. I am seeing the cardiologist next week and have had very bad bouts of palpitations and racing heart. This is my 3rd time at the cardiologists over the last 10 years and I am still scared to death. My problem is I cant seem to do any physical stuff without feeling crap after and  without waking up that night with my heart racing and me feeling like Im going to die. I live on my own and am miles away from family it is very scary. I am trying not to cry as I write this, as being alone in the middle of the night is terrifying and no one to hold your hand and tell you it is fine. I am very scared at the moment as I have been on beta blockers 9 years and have recently found out that they may cause heart failure when used long term, so as you can expect that is all I thinking about. I am horrified my previous dr has never said anything and it is only now that my new dr has questioned it!  

[aylish28]

thank you for the insights--i agree there are things i can control and need to--such as loseing weight,getting excercise--(i stopped even going for walks for fear i would have a heart attack)and not staying at home --in case something bad happens--missing out on doing fun things --because--something bad might happen-and i need to not look for reassurance from someone that has no clue what i am going through,,,he just doesnt -get it-- thinks that ok docs say your fine--your fine-- end of it-- wish it were that easy!!!
the last 2 nights i got no sleep untill about 4 am when i gave in and took a 1 mg ativan as i kept waking up to fast heart rate--at least it felt faster than it should be for laying there sleeping..so then that caused it to race more--anxiety--almost wanted to call in to work today and go to doc and say--look fast heart rate at night scareing me now-- but he will just say i am fine or it is anxiety i am sure--and if ativan stops it i guess it is anxiety--i am also weaning self of antidepressants after 20 yrs that i was put on to control panic attacks that were triggered by--guess what--palpitations!!!so maybe thats affecting me--down to 25 mg every 2 days at this point--i took them for the palps but i now see they can cause palps,,and they cant stop the pvcs so why  take an ssri that could make them worse--i have also had tons of stress in last year--became a victim of workplace bullying ,had to go on stress leave for that(4 months),ended up giveing my notice after being a supervisor at starbucks for over 3 years,,got a new job at thrifty foods deli--there 2 months before switching to shoppers drug mart where i am now as it was better pay,,and dealing with 2 teenagers --one went through the drugs and drink phase  but pulled herself out of it thank God,,now son is in the thick of it and is just horrible to be around,drugs,drink,skipping school and has 23 credits and needs 80 to grad THIS year,,eeeeekk and he is a slob and nasty around the house,,,o make matters worse hubby laid of for first time in years as cabinet business hit a slump in our small town and so ya---stress----i guess the past year explains the development of symptoms i never had prior-such as burning tummy pain,constant chest tightness dizzy spells and so forth,,also the pvc--runs--thats new for me in last 2 months,,just not sure where to start to regain control of --me--taking fish oil and vitc,vit b complex,co q 10 magnesium and vit d,,eat low sodium as salt makes my pvc  s worse..i eat low or sugar free,,but i dont get exercise,,i am 5'10 and 235 lbs--big boned but still could for sure stand to lose 50 lbs,,anywayyyyyyyyy sorry for the rant--just very tired of it all,,i took my pulse so often last night i left a small bruise-- how sad is that---

[itdood]

I get benign PVCs, have had episodes of ~4,000 per day lasting for months.  I had many many tests done and a set of second opinions.  I was given an all clear but found no solace.  What I did find was much doubt.

I buried myself in research, reading support posts, and helping answer questions. At first I thought this was making matters worse.  At first it certainly did.  Sometimes I'd read about symptoms or disease and think I had them.  It was sort of an "intensive exposure" therapy for me.  I learned this from doing cognitive behavior therapy for something else.

I got used to it and could separate myself from from it.  'It" being any sort of arrhythmia condition I read about.  One of the things I learned is that the symptoms a doctor would be worried about I don't get.  Also, the heart has a lot of backup capabilities.   I've seen video of how my heart muscles contract, and video of hypertrophic heart muscles contracting.  It made me grateful for what I have.

I still find PVCs uncomfortable as all heck, but I'm not thinking death when they happen.  I'm hoping I don't end up with another long episode of swarms because that will keep me up all night just a like a twitchy leg muscle would.  Yes, that bothers me.

"They get worse with age" is something I wouldn't listen to or accept.  Benign-type arrhythmias I would argue do not get worse.  I've read many posts from folks that talk about how they lessened when they got into their 50s.  I feel that for both men and women, sexual hormones play a role.   As we age hormone levels change.  This rate of change doesn't seem to matter >50 because there's not too much left :-).

Another thing I did was lifestyle changes that I feel make a world of difference.  I feel better, look better, feel better about myself, happier in general....pvcs are less...   I've taken control of something I have control over.  this gives me hope that I will control this destiny, not the PVCs.

[Mom2four85]

I have said this so many times I can't remember - unless someone experiences pvc's like we do, they have no way of knowing how we feel; I've had dr's/nurses ask me if I "feel" mine - how could you not? Although, I did read the other day someone said we don't actually "feel" pvc's and my question was - have you ever suffered them?

Anyone who experiences these dreaded things knows what I'm talking about - whether it's 10 or 10,000; 50,000.... they're still scarey, make our day miserable and make us feel like we're dying...I can't stand mine and I was so hopeful that an ablation was my cure, but it wasn't...I'm just glad I have an ICD now in case I do have another one of those times that my heart really acts up.

I really try to remember I can either let them rule my life and take over or I can learn a different way to cope and ignore them, stressing over them and what's wrong with my heart only causes more harm.

[aylish28]

thank you all so much i dont know what i would do without this place and support and knowing others really understand--my family are fed up with me--the other night i woke with flip flops it triggered a panic attack-- as soon as i turned on my lamp and said my heart was scareing me my husband  instantly got mad and grabbed his pillow and a blanket and went to sleep on the couch--i was sooo hurt---and then more scared ,,,sighhhh
my cardiologist said to begin fish oil at 10000 mg a day so i bought some ,,luckily i now work at a shopper drug mart and get a discount--yey--it is so hard to be ringing through an order and get flip flops and try to remain calm ,,,i am also finding my middle upper back and chest area in general constantly tight and sore,,i guess from being tense all the time over this  do any of you get tight sore chests ???
your all awesome and i wish we all lived close together and could go have coffee !!!!

[cindy707]

I agree with both of the other posts...but bear in mind that the doc hasn't completed the testing yet or offered you a plan of attack to deal with this.  There are plenty of meds out there that lessen the symtoms tremendously that they can give you.  No they are not a death sentence in any stretch of the imagination...its takes ALOT to stop the heart believe me and this isn't one of those things trust me.  When any of us began this journey we all went thru the same thing....some fared better than others in dealing with it.  We all thought about dying, every time we felt something was wrong we ran to the E,R., we modified our lives until we figured out not to let it take over our lives.....there is no way that anyone can predict the eventual outcome aylish....not if they get progressive, etc.  Our bodies have their own way of dealing with themselves.  Until the final diagnosis comes in try to remember the main word your doctor gave you ,,,,,, benign.....and then fully understand what that means....ask your doc how he/she plans to fix this or can they refer you out to a second doc?  We have all been there and as time moves on and you get more info trust me you will feel better about this....and no you won't die from it....altho i know it feels sometimes like you will......try to relax and don't put anything at all into your body unless your heart doc has given you the okay to....none of us know your full diagnosis and we aren't doctors.....good luck aylish and i hope you find a safe place in your mind and heart with this.....you'll know more after your next appt......until then time to girl up on this one.....

[ireneo]

aylish - I think only time will convince you that you're going to be OK. Some people adjust rapidly with a good word from their doctor, some take a few years to adjust to weird feelings and some just fight it every step of the way and hate it. I've mentioned before to others that I feel like the lucky one because I've had them all my life so it seems normal to me. If my heart was quiet, I'd be worried. But mine skips and surges and races and slows way down. It can be a real circus in there. At least I know it's beating even if it is noisy at times.

I hope you can get used to the power surges your heart gives you. Kind of like a carnival ride - whoosh!  

[Skippi]

well, have a look on my profile, I've posted a list there (where my pic is), which I have found on this forum from another member. It's a beautiful list, and oh-so-true! I have been suffering from pvc's for the past 16 years (and yes, am still alive ;). It's the most scariest thing I've ever experienced in my life and I do wish I didn't have to live with it. I am now at a good place in my life, for the past 2 years I have been taking fish oil and magnesium, and the fish oil has changed my life. I still have pvc's, but never that much as I used to. I can live with that. I appreciate every day in my life and can tell you, it will get better (doctors do not know everything!). I wish you all the best and hang in there, I know how scary it is, and how miserable it makes us feel. I have found a way to live with it, with appropriate diet (as reflux causes pvc's in my case) and my wonder drug: fish oil. I love love love it.