PVC's and VT

[kalric]

Hello and thanks for taking my question.

Recently I have developed PVC's and or Ventricular Tachycardia (sp) which came out of no where.  I've had every test imaginable, ekgs, echos, nuclear stress test (2 in the last year), angiograms...everything.  It all turns up ok.  BP and cholesterol is great, don't drink, smoke, drugs, gave up coffee/soda etc.

My cardiologist is really trying to find the cause because he said the pvc's are coming from the lower chamber of my heart.  After the stress test yesterday, he has ordered some sort of sleep study for tonight.  My pvc's are getting less and less, but now I'm getting worried after the comment about the lower chamber causing them.

My questions are:

1.)  Are there different types of PVC's and does it matter where they originate?

2.)  If every test that I have had comes back a-ok, can irregular sleep patterns, (remembering dreams or not completing REM sleep) have anything to do with these starting up?

3.)  Can dieting - not eating right cause PVC's...skipping meals.  Blood tests show everything but potassium was ok...potassium was high.

4.)  Since my cardiologist is putting me through all these tests...is he looking for something and not telling me, or just being thorough?  I'm mid 30's with no other health problems.

5.)  What steps can I take to get rid of these?  I'm not worrying about them anymore, but their presence is still there.

Thanks for taking the time to answer these!

[cuaco]

Hi, my story is that from the age of 26 [now42] I have had pvcs, my doc told they were ok and not to worry, which I didn't- I never had an examination for them at that time.  About 3 yrs ago I happened to read 2 articles in close proximity that implied that pvcs were serious and indicative of a risk of sudden death (they are not!)following this everytime I felt a thump I would get a rush of adremaline, after a couple of months, with all this stimulation I was in a constant state of high nervous arousal and my pvcs shot up from 2-3 per day to 4000!!!   I then had all the tests etc but no reassurance was enough!  I was obsessed, had all sorts of nasty symptoms, odd vision, trembles, witches, shakes, chest pain the lot- all self inflicted. I tried homeopathy, meditation, counselling, nothing worked, finally after reading this website everyday it sunk in that these things were normal and I had to change my focus and the way I thought! I decided to devote the energy and obsession I put into fearing these things into a hobby, every time the old feelings arose i would say to myself 'stop!'and consiously divert my phsical attention to my hobby or if that was not possible then just my thoughts.  This was not easy by any means but with determination it worked, along with some bisoprolol from my doc to take the edge off my nervous system's response it worked, as soon as I stopped thinking about the pvcs, I started to mind them less, the less I minded them the less I got!!  It has taken me at least a year to start to feel normal again and totally disregard the odd thump I get now and then.  I am not totally cured because I am still reading this site!  but i feel normal now with no nervous symptoms.  Hope that helps.

[karen23]

I can relate to how  you feel about pregancy and PVCs.  I think if you have PVCs, you are right that in the postpartum stage, they often increase.  I am six months postpartum with my 2nd, and they are just starting to ease up now.  Not that I get as many as a lot of people on this board, but sleep deprivation and the added stress of a new baby certainly are triggers.  As for why you get them when you are nervous, your anxiety would cause an increase in adrenalin which would affect your PVCs.  The obvious thing to do is not let them bother you, but I know that's easier said than done. I am just at the point now where I can have PVCs and just let them happen, instead of getting into a panic about them.  I figure nothing has happened to me yet!  Good Luck with your pregnancy and delivery.

[tickertock]

PVCs are not extra beats, even though in medical literature they are referred to extrasystoles, nor are they skip beats they are premature beats meaning that they occur before the next heartbeat is expected. In the case of PVCs because the ventricle contract first , not much blood is pumped with a PVC, the hard thump you feel is usually the normal beat filled with an extra volume of blood to make up for the little pumped by the PVC, that is what is perceived as a thump.

Long runs of PVCs could make one feel lightheaded because of the low blood volume pumped , though usually this is nothing to be alarmed about once all your tests checks out fine.

Remember no matter how bad PVCs make you feel, you are usually in no danger once your heart is working fine otherwise.

If fainting and lose of consciousness occurs then that is another cause for concern as you might have a more serious arrhythmia occuring , usually the lightheadedness from PVCs is usually the result of anxiety and hyperventilation that accompanies them, at least this what many cardiologists has explained to me. In the end follow your feeling and if in doubt get a second or even a third opinion for reassurance.

[GingerG]

I read all the time here that PVC's won't kill you.  Ok, so it's true, but I would like to know this, when I get several PVC's in a row, why do I get light headed, my vision almost blacks out like I'm not getting enough oxygen to live.  

If it's an extra heartbeat, isn't extra blood being pumped through?  So why the feeling that my oxygen is low and I can't focus or breath well?  

I'm trying so hard to understand this since I just found out what these scary things are.

[megz21]

I was just wondering, what helped you through those anxious times and helped to alleviate those symptoms? For example, what sort of relaxation techniques did you try to help stop these awful symptoms?

Thanks!!!

[PikaPika88]

Hi,
Can anyone tell me do I got PVC or what else I get?  My pulse is always at 70 - 80.  I complaint have the vibration on my chest. It looks like palpitation but everyone said my pulse is OK. 70 - 80 can't feel palpitation at all. Dr prescribe me Digoxin and Flecainide to take.  Dr did said that "my heart muscle is getting old" & the last visit he said my upper chamber did not work probably. I ask my local Dr. what else I get? He asks me talk to my Cardiologist. At the moment I do not feel like to visit my Cardiologist anymore.  He's changed my pacemaker program to make me very sick and unwell.  
I do feel very unwell when the strong beats are chasing the  light beats. It makes me vomit or nausea, dizzy, SOB and chest pain.  I have pins and needles on my hands and legs. Recently, my chest is very stiff (back) when I woke up in the morning. Is that PVC will cause all these problems to you people? Echo show I've a slightly enlarge left ventricle.  I really wish to know what else I got?  Could some one tell me the syndromes of PVC feel like?
Thank a lots
Pika.