Heart/pulse skips

[ott70]

For those of us that have the skips or palpitations or PVC's -- whatever you may call them, when do you get them the most? Any noticeable time or event that they seem to occur?

I can get them at any time, but it seems to occur the most when my pulse is raced or in the morning. I sometimes have bouts where I wake up in the morning and my heart starts racing with movement, and then I'll get the skips. The other most noticeable time for me is eating, but not for every meal. And I know it's not acid reflux.

Are anyone's skips forceful? Occasionally, I get one that jars me a little. I don't faint or get weak, but it's a strong sensation in the chest.

So far my cardiologists, two that I have seen, just say they are PVC's and everyone gets them and my monitors show me to be on the low end of the bell curve for how many PVC's a normal person has a day. Just that I'm more aware of them than most people. I suggested Lyme in my last appointment but I got the typical "chronic Lyme affects joints and causes neurological symptoms".

Oh, for doctors to be more educated on these nasty little pathogens.

[PlateletGal]

In this video (fascinating stuff, btw), Professor Nicolson mentions how his father, who had heart problems, was treated for mycoplasma infection but still had chronic fatigue. This was due to mitrochondrial dysfunction. If I remember right, Dr. Nicolson said that after his father was treated for the mitrochrondrial dysfunction, then his extreme fatigue had improved.

http://www.viddler.com/explore/tamiduncan/videos/15/

I highly recommend this video for EVERYONE here.... Dr. Nicolson discusses lyme and also will show you a chart of the percentage of lyme patients who have co-infections. (mycoplasma)

Treating Mitochondrial Dysfunction (mostly nutritional & supplements):

http://www.immed.org/publications/Nicolson_ElllithorpeJCFS_copy.pdf

and/or

http://books.google.com/books?id=OHradOdFKfUC&pg=PA309&lpg=PA309&dq=artichoke+extract+%2B+Garth+Nicolson&source=bl&ots=KkUcgKRw8z&sig=Uktd4GNSkkqpiwE093yh3xgLuxg&hl=en&ei=xHrKSYa7IYGEsQP--8nTBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result

[ott70]

Still following Dr. J's protocol. I have no intention to change until I go back out to visit him in late April. The supplements are a little spendy due to the rate I'm going through them, but 3/4's of them are Nutri-West and the Hansa Center's prices are comparable to other website for Nutri-West supplements.

I believe my PVC's are attributed to the treatment protocol because that's when they really flared up. But I would like to think it's the treatment working to get the pathogens out from affecting my heart function. I believe my symptoms are better, but I still have some "flare days" like the rest of us.

I have a beta-blocker prescription -- low mg dose -- and I really try to stay off of it. When I'm feeling a little more "skippy" than normal, then I might take one (which my cardiologist said was okay and I sometimes wonder if he's taking a placebo effect approach with me). When things are operating normally for me, my pulse is 60-70 bpm, so I don't like taking the beta-blocker if I can help it. Otherwise, my pulse will sometimes drop down to 50 bpm on the beta-blocker.

[patsy10]

I'd like to know which supplements help with the mitochondrial dysfunction.  D-Ribose is one isn't it.

[PlateletGal]

I used to have PVC's all the time, especially after drinking a cup of coffee. Since treatment (long treatment may I add ?!), the PVC's and tachycardia are both GONE. Very rarely do I have these symptoms.

ott70 --- are you still taking supplements to help with mitochondrial function ?

[ott70]

Yep, definitely an awareness of it. Like Patsy, I can at times feel it in my eyes as well as my lips and fingertips. While it's an unusual feeling, it doesn't concern me too much versus the skipped beats and then the occasional chest pain and shortness of breath.

I'm a pretty easy going person, so I don't think the PVC's are panic-related, although some of my doctors would like to think so. I'm sure some of it has been stress or anxiety at times, but only after I'm starting to feel some symptoms.

I used to exercise strenuously, but I haven't pushed myself in quite awhile. I get too concerned about the PVC's and if pushing myself with exercise is going to exasperate them or cause me to pass out.

[patsy10]

Yes I have the awareness of my heartbeat.  It used to be constant and I could also feel it all over my body as well.  Even in my eyes.  I feel it every day now but not constantly.

[Stephen898]

With what you said your heart is in good shape. The issue you have is with the electrical part of it. A vast majority of people at one time or another experience PVC's. Some feel them some don't. The causes can vary, anxiety, stress, hormonal, allergies, magnesium deficiency etc... You may be experiencing some panic reactions that your not aware of.

A question to you and others. Do you feel a constant awareness of your heartbeat? After 8 mos of ABX's this has disappeared, but I can remember what it felt like.

[ott70]

Echo, twice, clean both times. Stress echo clean, but that was a year ago. Event and holter monitors showed a small amount of PVC's but nothing concerning to the cardiologists. I even had a heart cath last year when they weren't sure what was going on, just to assure me that my heart was fine. That was clean also. In fact, my last cholesterol test was very low, so low that the cardiologist thought it might be an anomaly.

The vagus nerve inflammation thought is interesting and makes sense. I'm also pretty sure my adrenaline gets out of whack since I sometimes have these rushing feelings through my chest at night and towards the morning.

[Stephen898]

I have had PVC's interminably over the years. As you said my doctor told me they are benign. Sometimes one gets my attention but for the most part I don't pay attention to them. When I got Lyme it was different. I had two ER events where I woke up at 3am and had an irregular and racing heartbeat. The other Lyme related heart issue was a delayed beat. I believe it is called heart block which can occur in different degrees. These showed up in my first 3 months of treatment and they were annoying. The difference I felt between PVC's and the delayed beat were, PVC,s feel more like a small adrenaline spike. The delayed beat would settle in for a few days and about every five beats it felt like a delay before the next. These were extremely annoying. They disappeared after 3 months of treatment. They did reappear for two days last month after starting Doxy but not nearly the intensity they were. In general I would consider the delayed beat gone.
Because Lyme affects cranial nerves I am thinking that inflammation of the 5th cranial nerve (which is your vagus nerve that controls heartbeat) influences your heart issues. This also branches off to your stomach. So when your stomach is full it can add pressure to that nerve especially after eating and lying or sitting down. When you get up in the morning your adrenaline level begins to rise and a lot of people who have PVC,s are sensitive to adrenaline changes. Stress,anxiety and caffeine will increase your adrenaline levels. I assume you had an echo to determine that your heart is structurally sound. If not you may want to get one.

[patsy10]

I have lots of PVC's and persistent tachycardia.  Most of the PVC's are present in the morning after I have my coffee.  I assume it's caffeine related.  The tachycardia is present a large percentage of the time.  My pulse is typically > 110 when I am on my feet.  Faster when I am exercising.  I feel every single PVC. It used to scare me but now I am so used to them it just annoys me.