PVC

[Wayne Monaghan]

I'm a white 40 yr. old male. About 25 pounds overweight. I lift weights and work full time. I walk,I hunt.
    Here is my problem. I have a rather large number of PVC's every day. 15-20 a day is not unusual. Some are just the quick slight flutter and some down right hard and hurt somewhat. During several stress test's that I have taken I do fine for about the first 5 minutes. Then I begin to throw a hard PVC about every 10 seconds. Heart rate around 110. Which even hours after the test, while resting my heart rate will still be around 90 and having PVC's every 15 mins. or so. I can bend over sometimes to pick up a simple item and when I stand back up I can have a PVC. This doesn't happen all the time maybe 40%. I've also noted when I feel a bowel movement comming I can have a PVC. I have them when sleeping. Or reading a book with my heart rate around 62. I have a history of high blood pressure and take 50mg. of Tenormin twice a day. Blood pressure checks are always in 120 over 70 range. My cardiologist has also prescribed 300mg of Rythmol twice a day. It has somewhat decreased my PVC's. But does nothing when I exercise harder than usual.
         These PVC's worry me alot. My cardiologist also said I had multi focal PVC's. I have no clue what that is. Is ablation an option for me?
     I have also spent the night in the hospital 4 times with an arryrthymia. Heart rate around 180 kind of a gallup. They seem to think it's harmless. I was sent home once with my heart doing this for 4 days and it finally settled back down to a normal heart rate on it's own.
There has got to be something I can do. It has gotten to the point where I schdule my daily events around what I think my heart can handle. It's that bad.
Any help at all would be great.

                                   Thankyou
                                 Wayne Monaghan

[chocolate lover]

15 To 20 pvcs a day are not very many. Try having thousands a day

[Wayne Monaghan]

Yes I did go to the ER with this problem. They gave me Lorazepam under my tongue.....then sent me home. They said I was in no danger and my chest didn't hurt. I didn't have a ny bad cardiac enzymes. I think in the long run this may have caused some damage to my heart. Don't get me wrong about the PVC when I put my heart under stress. I have had them totally relax and a Heart rate of 56-59. From time to time it still tries to gallup on me.And this may sound silly but alot of times during sex I notice an increase of PVC's. Is it my excitement (So to speak) or adrenaline?

[stevebu]

Wayne

I don't think the amount of PVC's you have decribed is that many, but it is still annoying no doubt about it.  After heavy exercise, heart rate 160 for an hour, I will get 30 an hour for 4 hours.

The thing you should get checked out is the fast rate you had for 4 days!!!!!  That is a long time, why didn't you go to the hospital?  You may have SVT or V tach, you should get it checked out.  I had SVT, and ablation fixed my problem.

[Michael Brewer]

Just in case this might be of interest to you . . .

+++++

From: Mike Brewer  70403.***@****

19 January 2001

Dear All

PVC

[old pro at pvc's]

Lynn, you're not alone. There are so many of us with pvc's on a daily basis. I get bigeminal pvc's , which is a pvc with every other heartbeat for hours and days at a time. We're talking 20 or 30 pvc's a minute. I've been to counselling for a couple of years to help me cope with the anxiety and discouragement that these things can cause. I've been taking a beta-blocker called Toprol XL and haven't had any bigeminal pvc's for six months now. I do get occasional ones, several a day. Don't ever doubt yourself or feel inadequite because of your fears. And please don't ever think you are alone. Many of us understand exactly how you feel. Even when told these things are benign, they are very hard to deal with on a daily basis. Give the medications some time to work. I myself found no relief from anti-anxiety medications, especially when having bigeminal pvc's. But everyone is different and hopefully they will help you. "old pro".

[Lynn]

Wayne - sounds like my life to a T!  I also suffer greatly with these horrible things.  Same thing - around 15 - 20 a day and sometimes I will wake up at night with them every 3rd beat or so.  Very unnerving to say to least.

I have let these things totally take over my life.  I am 40 as well.  I have just started to see a physciatrist to try help my overcome my anxiety about these things.  I have told her that I thought I was the only one in the world suffering like this.  She has prescribed me Celexa, which is an anti-depressant/anxiety med.  I have only been on it three days and don't feel any different, but I am praying with the help of her and these meds I will overcome this fear.

Good luck.

Lynn

[ccf - cardio md - dlb]

If you have multifocal PVCs, ablation does not sound like it would be an option for you. The heart rate of 180 for four days is very unusual and would usually require treatment. I would suggest seeing a cardiologist who specializes in cardiac electrophysiology.