Normal PVC's and PAC's in normal heart?

[Carrie41]

Can you please tell me what a "normal" amount of PVC's and PAC's a person would have in a day?  I am a 49 year old female and have these things since the age of 29 and have had an EP study, stress test, echo, numerous holters etc.  They cannot find anything wrong with me other than some irregular beats, PVC's and PAC's, a few salvos etc on my holters.  My EP doc told me that it is my reaction to these things that is not normal and that everyone get them.  I can live with one a day or so but there are times where I feel my heart doing weird things every minute for hours on end.  It feels like it gets some sort of rush and then a big THUMP.  

My question is if you were holter 100 people who many irregular beats etc would you actually see on their holter for that 24 hour period?  I have scoured the entire internet and it always says that rare PVC's and PAC's are normal.  What is considered rare though?  Is one a week week or is one a minute rare?  These things have really taken over my life and I just want to not worry about every skip and flip.

I also take Prozac 40 mg because of my anxiety over these and it was working for quite a while and I wasn't worrying but I have been under stress lately and they seem to be coming a lot more.  What in the heck does a person do when they can't find anything wrong but these are controlling them????  I have asked tons of people if they feel their heart skipping or anything and they say no.  

I was reading about heartbeat awareness but why don't other people feel these?  I find it very hard to believe that others get these and don't even care or feel them?  Is that relaly possible??

[Carrie41]

I'm with ya Patty.  I just don't get it while some feel these horrid things and some don't blink at an eye when they get them.  I hate them so much.  I am always on guard with them.  Just waiting for the next one.  I find it hard to believe that 5% of our beats would be ectopics as well.  I have a ton of friends I have asked about them and they say they feel NOTHING!  Believe me 10 a day is way too much for me!  I go in to panic mode with every single one of them.  I just wish I could find someway to cope!

[FLIPPINPATTY]

So our DR. is saying that if we took people with normal, healthy hearts and put a 24 hr. monitor on them 5% of their heart beats would be PVC/PAC's.  A person that averages 75 beats per min. has 108,000  beats in 24hrs. ( 5,400 would be 5%).  A person with a average of 55 beats per min. has 79,200 beats in 24 hrs. and( 3,960 would be 5 %). That would make my 320 ectopic beats I had be below average. Why is it that some of us feel all these beats and it causes us so much anxiety, and others have no idea? What is the best thing we can do to cope with this?

[Cleveland Clinic]

PACs and PVCs are normal.  On average about 5% of our beats are these ectopic beats.  We don't  get concerned with them unless they total greater than 15% of beats per a 24 hour period.  In those cases they can lead to the develpment of abnormal heart function.  Most of us don't feel these beats but there are some that do.  When medications such as beta blockers or calcium channel blockers don't work, we recommend an ablation, but only if the PVC's/PACs are frequent enough because we have to see them during the procedure in order to ablate them.  

[FLIPPINPATTY]

I too had the holter monitor and all the other tests recently.  I had 300 PVC's 15 couplets, and 19 PAC's. The cardiologist told me my heart looks great....Everyone gets these and they are harmless in a healthy heart. That they will not cause a fatal rhythm. He did give me a rx for metoprolol xl 25mg ( 1/2) 2 X day, but I'm not sure it helps.  It slows down my pulse to the 40's at times, and I believe that may cause more skipping. It does seem to make my heart beat not as easy to feel though. Anxiety or worry about them definetly makes them worse. I know I am not as outgoing as I use to be because of these stupid beats. They are scary especially when your by yourself in public, and you start having alot of them. I think exercising helps get rid of excess adrenaline, and that seems to be my best bet. I really try to ignore them...I know it's hard. They are so annoying, but remember....harmless.

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

hi wanted to add i have wore the heart event monitor and they catch over 3000 a day so they tell me its ok no worry, so i go with the flow and dont worry about them, yes i feel them all and i have learn to live with them when they come to visit.

[tickertock]

Carrie if its any comfort I know how you feel but I rarely have them anymore, I take lexapro 5mg daily with clonazepam .5mg 2 times daily when needed it has greatly reduced my PVCs , not to mention panic/anxiety disorder. I also take take flaxseed oil 2000mg daily total which I find helpful, plus I'm on other medications such as atenolol , cozaar , hctz , metformin, and tricor, though BP is very controlled average like 110/70, blood sugar moderately controlled, recently my cholestrol  was off the charts. By the way I'm greatly aware of my heartbeat whether fast, slow, regular or irregular just part of my makeup I am told. AS for the normal amount of PVCs or Pacs , I understand only when PVCs reach between 15-20% of your total heartbeats then doctors become concerned because of the possibility PVC induced cardiomyopathy, I can't remember the exact numbers but I think 1- 999 PVCs in 24 hours would be considered low, 1000-5000 moderate, over 5000-10000 frequent based on 100,000 heartbeats in 24 hours, of course some have 20, 000PVcs in 24 hours and are not aware while 5-10 in 24 hours make some jump out of their , whether you feel them or not 1 or 10000, the prognosis is virtually the same within an otherwise normal cardiac setting. Try to relax and remember that after all these years nothing bad has happened because of them and probably never will, don't let them rob you of the enjoyments in life, Its not worth it, life is too short even if you live to be 90 so enjoy it to the fullest!