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Change in Palpitation Frequency
I am a 40 year old female, generally healthy and have bicuspid aortic valve. My last echo, 2 yrs ago noted stage 1 regurgitation.
For the last week, I have had an increase in palpitations. I have them all day long and they are especially bad at night. The exact minute I lay flat they start going crazy. I don't think it's a case of noticing them more because it's quiet, etc. They are really more frequent and stronger. I have to sit up in order to slow them down and still then they keep on coming.
I have noticed that I have a lot more heartburn lately. I have been taking Nexium 40 mg twice daily for about 4 years and somedays I still have heartburn. I am being very careful of what I eat. I haven't had caffeine in about 5 years. I don't exercise because these palpitations scare the stuff out of me and I can't make myself go to the gym. I was told to do cardio and only very light weights if I was going to do any weights at all.
I had a bad bout of palps around Christmas and went to the ER they ran an EKG and I had LOTS of PAC's and only about 4 PVC's. The palpitations that week kind of settled down to a bearable amount and then last week, that was it. It started all over again. It's like a big vibration and then a thump.
I don't know what to do.
Is there something new going on? Is there a special test I should get? I don't want to go on a beta blocker because my BP is low and my heartrate during palps is around 64.
What do I do next? I am so scared.
For the last week, I have had an increase in palpitations. I have them all day long and they are especially bad at night. The exact minute I lay flat they start going crazy. I don't think it's a case of noticing them more because it's quiet, etc. They are really more frequent and stronger. I have to sit up in order to slow them down and still then they keep on coming.
I have noticed that I have a lot more heartburn lately. I have been taking Nexium 40 mg twice daily for about 4 years and somedays I still have heartburn. I am being very careful of what I eat. I haven't had caffeine in about 5 years. I don't exercise because these palpitations scare the stuff out of me and I can't make myself go to the gym. I was told to do cardio and only very light weights if I was going to do any weights at all.
I had a bad bout of palps around Christmas and went to the ER they ran an EKG and I had LOTS of PAC's and only about 4 PVC's. The palpitations that week kind of settled down to a bearable amount and then last week, that was it. It started all over again. It's like a big vibration and then a thump.
I don't know what to do.
Is there something new going on? Is there a special test I should get? I don't want to go on a beta blocker because my BP is low and my heartrate during palps is around 64.
What do I do next? I am so scared.
Hello,
I am post surgery ASD repair of 12 years. I had the surgery when I was 30 years old. At that time I took Lanoxin (for about one year) and it increased the PVC's I was having so it was stopped. I had not taken any heart medications since then. Around nine months ago, I experienced an increase in palpitations and tachycardia. I also had more palpitations when laying flat. After 2 month of little abatement, I contacted my cardiologist. An echo found moderately severe tricuspid regurgitation. I was put on Atenolol 50 mg daily. I was concerned that it would lower my already good blood pressure (usually 100/70) but it has not affected it at all. The palpitations have decreased significantly as well as the tachycardia. If I were you, I would talk to your cardiologist about giving medications a try. Good luck.
I am post surgery ASD repair of 12 years. I had the surgery when I was 30 years old. At that time I took Lanoxin (for about one year) and it increased the PVC's I was having so it was stopped. I had not taken any heart medications since then. Around nine months ago, I experienced an increase in palpitations and tachycardia. I also had more palpitations when laying flat. After 2 month of little abatement, I contacted my cardiologist. An echo found moderately severe tricuspid regurgitation. I was put on Atenolol 50 mg daily. I was concerned that it would lower my already good blood pressure (usually 100/70) but it has not affected it at all. The palpitations have decreased significantly as well as the tachycardia. If I were you, I would talk to your cardiologist about giving medications a try. Good luck.
I had asd repair 1989 and am still to this day petrafied by pacs and one episode of a-flutter, palps seem to be getting worse. I am about to go crazy. can anyone help on toprol 50mg have about 4000-8000 pac 24hrs. can anyone relate ?I would love to seen how to not let these affect my life anymore!!!! Please help
Hello Jazzy, just wanted to let you know that I have 20,000+pvcs/day, and I take toperol XL, infrequently, about 12.5mg once or twice a day, but not every day (it just seems to put me on my backside if I take it for more than three days in a row.
For me, the toperol doesn't seem to decrease the high frequency, but it does lessen the sensation of the pvcs. Although, if I took more, I might find a reduction in PVCs. It did stop a constant bigeminy and runs of nsvt that occurred in the summer. But it hasn't done anything for the constant trigeminy I'm now in (just the sensation).
Hope you find some relief with the toperol, but like other posters on here, you might have to (with your doctor) experiment on other beta-blockers to find which one works best for you. Atenolol and Inderol are two that are commonly mentioned here that seem to work for other folks.
For me, the toperol doesn't seem to decrease the high frequency, but it does lessen the sensation of the pvcs. Although, if I took more, I might find a reduction in PVCs. It did stop a constant bigeminy and runs of nsvt that occurred in the summer. But it hasn't done anything for the constant trigeminy I'm now in (just the sensation).
Hope you find some relief with the toperol, but like other posters on here, you might have to (with your doctor) experiment on other beta-blockers to find which one works best for you. Atenolol and Inderol are two that are commonly mentioned here that seem to work for other folks.
You seem so calm with all those extra beats. If you are not mortified why and how did you become not scared. I have had pac's and pvc's for years and am constantly in mental anguish. Having so many for how long of a time period? I really could use some help in overcoming my anxitey, I live life in a box because of them any help would really be very appresiated from you and anyone else who has managed to overcome these and still live with them. They impact my life very very much.
It helps, jazzy, to concentrate and be aware of the fact that you can walk around, cook, shop, and so on--and you're not dead! In other words, the skipped beats do not usually interfere with your ordinary life--until you start focussing on them. However, I know from experience that being aware of that fact is not enough when you're feeling panicky or anxious.
If you have been extensively tested and told repeatedly that your heart is OK, then you are probably suffering from clinical anxiety, and that should be dealt with by a psychiatrist. I do not mean to be insulting: Anxiety and panic are illnesses as much as any sprained ankle or gut problem, and since that is the case, it's a good idea to go looking for a the proper doc, in this case, a good shrink. I have found the right antidepressant to be a tremendous relief.
If you have been extensively tested and told repeatedly that your heart is OK, then you are probably suffering from clinical anxiety, and that should be dealt with by a psychiatrist. I do not mean to be insulting: Anxiety and panic are illnesses as much as any sprained ankle or gut problem, and since that is the case, it's a good idea to go looking for a the proper doc, in this case, a good shrink. I have found the right antidepressant to be a tremendous relief.
jimmyb, you say you have BAV too. You also said you exercise 6 days a week. When starting your exercise routine, how did you start? Did you do weights, were they light at first, how much cardio and for how long? I am afraid to exercise because walking up hill or in the wind or wiping snow off my car causes my heart to race and I get tons of PAC's. So, I am so scared to exercise. I don't know where to start.
Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences.
Connie
Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences.
Connie
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