Heart attck and anxiety

[Nurse2b1982]

I know this is gonna sound nuts but I suffer from heart skips or PVCs, well they say that stress/anxiety is the cause. So I was wondering if anxiety can cause PVCs and my other physical symptoms does that mean it can cause a heart attack or arrythmia?
Also one more thing, I take a beta blocker....can I still take an Ativan? Is that safe?

Thanks!

[Nurse2b1982]

thank you all for your replies!!! They have given me a piece of mind! I know that I need to gain control of the "what if" thought, I am just having a hard time excepting that something that feels so bad could be"normal"(e.g. the PVCs)
I thank you all for the support and advice, it really helps!

[nursegirl6572]

First of all, yes those two meds are safe together.

PVC's and palpitatipns are completelybenign symptoms and while they FEEL scary, they will not harm you in any way.  A heart attack is a completely different event caused by totally different issues.

I get PVC's quite frequently myself so I know what you're dealing with, and they are quite bothersome.  I know that feeling...as if your heart is just foing to STOP.  It isnt.  Plus, you've had a thorough work-up which only further proves that your heart is just fine.

[RubyWitch]

Toots, absolutely NOTHING sounds "nuts" to us.............

The overwhelming majority of us with anxiety/panic issues "suffer" with palps and anxiety is without a doubt, one of the primary causes.

Anxiety CANNOT cause you to have a heart attack. Anxiety can make you believe, with your heart (no pun intended) and soul that you ARE having a heart attack. But you are not! Anxiety can cause incredible chest pains, as well as pain in just about any part of your body you can imagine. It can cause your heart to act like a fish out of water. The symptoms of anxiety are as varied as the millions of people who have this amusing disorder.
You absolutely need to double check my information on the arrhythmias........(calling nursegirl!) but while anxiety CAN cause our hearts to palpitate, it is my understanding that anxiety CANNOT cause arrhythmias. Heart palps, I believe, ARE at the root of most arrhythmias, but they were NOT caused by anxiety.
As to your question regarding taking Ativan while on a beta blocker, the only things contraindicated with Ativan are:
Pregnancy
hypersensitivity to benzodiazepams
narrow-angle glaucoma
psychosis
lactation
COPD
history of drug abuse
Bottom line...........it's OK. If you need further reassurance, call your local pharmacist.
Peace
Greenlydia  

[rilesnic]

There was a very helpful comment posted today from is-something-wrong about PVC's and PAC's...they really went into to detail about how PVC's and PAC's are actually a defense mechanism of the heart and although we feel them and they are scary and uncomfortable, they seem to be a good thing for us to have to prevent our heart from going into a dangerous arrythmia and allows our heart to sustain itself should we need medical treatment...you should go check it out, it made me feel A LOT better.  I take a beta-blocker and xanax as needed.  Since Ativan is also a tranquilizer like xanax, I would think it would be safe...You can always call a pharmacist just to be sure, but if the same doctor prescribed both, it would be fine.