Loping Heartbeat

[Willard]

I am 45 male..with pvc's...been through most tests, echo holter monitors ekg's etc everything checks out okay! I along with many here live with an irregular heart beat at times. I am on Atenolol 50 mg's daily for high blood pressure and the arythmia but occassionally seems more like 1-2 times a week I will get a heart beat that goes thump thump pause thump thump pause and when this is going on I get a feeling like someone is pushing a finger into my neck by my adams apple or a little lower I also get a tingling in my arms and sometimes my stomach starts making noise like indigestion or like I may need to go to the bathroom. Sometimes these episodes last for hours. I get a little shaky wondering what is up any ideas?? It usually prevents me from sleeping because of the feeling. It seems like if I get enough sleep my arythmia problems diminish almost completely...but when they come back they usually come back with a vengence..Any thoughts on this?? Thanks...

[DebDeb]

Don, I also suffer from panic attacks and arrhythmias, a bad combination (mentally).  It was also suggested to me to use Tambocor.  I was VERY tempted because the PACs, PVCs, etc. were extremely disconcerting and were very much restricting my daily life.  But, I read up about Tamobor and decided not to take it.  I know the literature said it can be dangerous for people who have had a heart attack or have other heart problems, and should be O.K. for the rest of us, but I decided not to go on it and to try to cope with the arrhythmias without it (a challenge every day).  Sorry I don't have any specific advise.  Just wanted to commiserate with someone who has PVCs and panic attacks.  Good luck to you.

[DSteinitz]

My name is Don Steinitz. I have enjoyed reading all the earlier posts which does afford some comfort knowing other people are in the same boat. This is my story: I have a history of panic attacks. A also had complained of PVC's as a bi-product of being nervous. My internest put me on Toprol which was given to me to calm my nerves and reduce the PVC's. It worked for several years. After awhile I noticed I was getting bad anxiety and thought it could be from the Toprol. I later saw cardiologist and he put a holter monitor on me a confirmed the PVC's. He put me on TAMBOCOR. It workeed GREAT for 6 years until I read HORRROR stories about TAMBOCOR. I saw another cardiologist for a swecond opinion and he said get off it now (It's toxic) and rarely used unless for serious heart problems with no serios hear disease. He said don't worry about the benign PVC's. The problem is that TAMBOCOR helps me with PVC's and calms me down so I don't become prone to anxiety attacks.
  What should I do folks. Now my cardiologists won't talk to me for seeking a second opinion. Is there something out there that will prevent PVC's and calm a person down. I have asthma and I believe Beta Blockers are out. I am taking Klonopin & Celexa which is not the best choice. Bottom line...........IS TAMBOCOR REALLY DANGEROUS?????????
Don

[jan]

Often I am unaware of my heart rhythm disturbances, such as tachy. This has been proven by ekg's, holters, and other monitoring. At times I feel that pressure in the throat, but have never mentioned it to anyone, because I thought it was stress even when I didn't feel stressed. Now, I wonder if it has to do with PAC/PVC's or some other rhythm disturbance. Hmmmmm

[JR]

Sounds like PVC's to me....kind of a textbook list of symptoms actually. look up PVC's or Premature Ventricular Contractions.

[CCF-M.D.-CRC]

Dear fletcher,
Of course the only way to know for sure is with an electrical recording of the heart beat but what I suspect is going on is what is called bigeminy.  This is a common rhythm where there is one PVC or PAC for each sinus or regular beat.  It could also be "trigeminy" where there are two abnormal beats for every reqular beat.  Stress certainly plays a role in PVCs and if you are not sleeping properly this may increase the frequency. Bigeminy and trigeminy are treated in the same way as single PVCs and PACs and are not any more dangerous than single beats.