PVC's are now constant

[RNRita]

I have had PVCs, PATs,and Vtach leading to SVT since I was 20. I have been to several cardiologist with the same results. Benign. Lately, I had an attack of a few PVC's in a row followed by a tachy rate that I could not count. It lasted for about 5 minutes.  It happened again right before a trip to DisneyWorld. It ruined my trip). Again, EKG showed nothing.  I do try to eat pretty well, and take supplements.  Now I started a new job that I love, but I am TOTALLY exhausted all the time.  Plus my PVCs have started coming constantly, probably thousands a day, with couplets, FELT:(kick in chest, sharp pain, tightness for seconds, breathlessness at time of palp). No ignoring these. I had a holtor and an event monitor before the symptoms got too bad and of course only light PVCs showed on the test. My doctor told me everything is benign with a normal heart and that I don't have heart disease. How does he know?  My chol. is 240, my LDLs are 138 and my HDL's are low.  I have had no stress test or any other.  My mother has extensive cardiac disease.
I take 50 mg of atenelol, and .25 of Xanax daily.  It is like telling me to ignore a sharp pain. I have high anxiety.  Who wouldn't?  But I am really tired of being told that it is causing it. I had PVC's first. I wonder why money is spent fixing men who have problems with their sex lives, but I see no one trying to come up with any help for those of us who suffer with this.  Any help would be appreciated.

[RNRita]

First, PennyGirl, there are people that get woken up by PVC's.  I don't.  As for getting woken up by racing heart?  Well, that is another story.  I don't know ANYONE who has never had that experience.  Even my hubby, who is only 35 and extremely healthy, does that once in a while.  I don't know what sets that off.  Sometimes it seems like a nightmare, but I'd be willing to bet the racing heart CAUSES the nightmare.  Usually, this does not bother me, as I know it will settle down and I just try to go back to sleep.

AnthonEE, you seem just like me.  Wanting an answer that the medical profession just cannot give.  Telling us the things are benign and not to worry doesn't do a whole lot of good.  They feel terrible.  I am a person who is no stranger to pain.  I've had 9 surgeries and I have tons of those painful, NON-TERMINAL (so don't worry) problems. I have worked all my life, and have rarely missed work.  I have a college degree, and rarely missed that, so I do NOT want to be patrinized.  Unfortunately, that is all they have to give us.  Maybe one day, someone will think of something.  It is the way they make me feel.  Nauseous, tired....I just don't feel like doing anything when they are going crazy.  I'm all out of fear. I just get tired of them.  When I have good days, I feel like my old self and do as much as I can.  

I agree about caffeine, etc.  I gave up caffeine, chocolate, smoking, and every other thing they have told me.  I took every supplement, and went on an exercise program.  Nothing really changed.  I truly believe if I lose some weight they will lessen. I recently gained about 10 pounds and my body does NOT like it.  Well, I see an "aging healthy" doc on Tuesday.  Maybe HE has something.  I'll let you guys know.

[PennyGirl2]

I am curious about this statement that you made...

"because I am one of the lucky ones that do not get woken up by them, and can escape.

For about a year now, I am awaken by my heart pounding, racing and like I need to catch my breath.  What do you know about symptons of people being woken up by them and is there anyone in here that experiences that.  What is it like?   It doesn't happen every night or even every week but when it does happen, I panic and am afraid to try and go back to sleep, sometimes staying up till I'm so exhausted I have no choice but sleep.  I have had PAC's for about 13 years but I never knew that they could cause a person to suddenly wake from sleep like that until I started experiencing it.  I still question if this is what it is or if there is something else going on.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can give me some info on this.

[AnthonEE]

Hello. I'm new to this forum, but wanted to say how interested I am to read the experiences of others, and how much I appreciate all the effort that's gone into this thread.

I'm interested to know how symptoms have progressed for others over time, and also any ideas others have found to reduce symptoms.

I first experienced PVC in my twenties after long strenuous bike rides. They were isolated events, but extremely frightening... and almost always after winding down for the day, mostly after dinner. I went to a family practice doctor and got diagnosis of benign Wenckebach AV block. I was told not to worry about it. Then in mid thirties I started getting episodes that would last for 20-30min at a time. Very scary. 24hr holter study from a doctor I know and trust shows multiple PVCs, again benign. More recently, within the last 2-3yrs I've gotten these events almost continually throughout the day, sometimes to the point of causing headache from all the erratic pounding. Repeat holter again shows many PVC events, but again not to worry. Today I am forty and get these all day, every day. Symptoms seem to wax and wane as the months go by, but never really go away. Mostly just constant fluttering feelings, accentuated by the big ones every hour or so. I am the engineering type, so I've done nearly everything one could imagine to understand what triggers this. I've even read EKG books, and have learned a few things about how the heart works. But I have found no silver bullet. I'm not overly anxious about it, just concerned about the long term trajectory of this as I get older.

Here are some of my observations: (1) caffeine and stress certainly do not help, but do not cure either, at least not in the short term (2) after meals is usually the worst time (3) symptoms somewhat depend on how I am positioned (4) green tea and coffee (both caf/decaf) are a definite problem for me (5) cal/mag supplements don't seem to help, but believe it or not, following mag citrate prep for colonoscopy (sorry!) I had greatly reduced frequency of PVC that day and next, I know magnesium may play a role (6) exercise seems to lessen symptoms, but maybe just makes me feel less aware (7) atenolol helps push them into the background a bit, but is no sure fix.

Anyway, best luck to all. And again, reading your posts makes me that much more comfortable to know I have plenty of company. Very much looking forward to your response, especially some pointers to reduce symptoms, hopefully drug free. And how others tend to progress over the years, either for better or worse. Thanks!

[pdorr]

I was just diagnosed with PVCs in the emergency room yesterday.  I was taking my pulse and discovered my heart was skipping beats.  I'm skipping a couple of beats every three or four minutes.  Does this continue for the rest of my life -- the PVCs?I   have had a-fib before because of low potassium/magnesuim levels, but we have that all sorted out.  Now this!  I am a nervous wreck!  My heart doctor will see me in August (obviously not terribly concerned like me); my regular doctor -- today, but that doesn't help my anxiety and I'm nervous anyway.  It  reallly helps reading what all of you have to say.  I'd just like to be able to stop the feeling that at any minute my heart is just going to stop altogther!

[RNRita]

When I first got PVC's over 30 years ago, I did think my heart would stop one day.  Well, it is 30 years later and I have had some horrible sensations with them, but my heart keeps on beating.  

Also, to the person who was kind enough to post his thoughts two threads back ( forgot the name, sorry), I think you have hit a lot of the causes on the head.  I don't even care anymore what causes them.  I don't want to feel them.  I can't have an alcoholic drink anymore because it causes them, I can't take cold medications nor allergies meds, because they cause them.  I will tolerate almost anything else.  What can we do?  Wait until someone really wants to get rich and FINDS US SOME RELIEF!  

Until then, I take my good days and run with them.  I am at least having a few good ones now and then.  My job is going much better, too.  I am fairly happy again.

I'll still keep trying to find the answer.

[bill_chatfield]

I'm 38 and I have lived with PVC or other irregular beats for 18 years. There have been times when was in good physical condition that I wouldn't have them for months. Other times I would have them many times a day. At times I have them regularly every few seconds for hours at a time.

Sometimes they are not painful. I just feel my heart mis-beating. I can feel it every time. Sometimes it feels like a strong man is punching me from inside my chest and it is very painful, a feeling like bending your fingernail backwards only several times worse. Often a chill or tingling runs down my arms immediately afterward. Of all the things in the world I've experienced, I hate these the most.

I am not a doctor, but based on my experience, this is what I believe:

1. Irregular beats are related to my allergies (mold, trees, grass). Allergies cause histamine, histamine causes all kinds of terrible things to happen in my body: extreme tiredness, muscle tension, constipation, PVCs. The relationships between these may be direct or indirect. I don't know.

2. Irregular beats are related to sleep. Sleep deprivation causes them to happen more often.

3. They are related to the condition of my digestive system (directly or indirectly). PVCs are more likely when I have stomach pain because of something I've eaten. Certain foods for me have triggered them: beef, chocolate. Of course caffeine and sugar, which I rarely use, can trigger them.

4. I think taking Carlson's chelated magnesium (no other type did help) helps, but it is hard to be sure.

5. Regular exercise helps.

6. I don't believe PVCs are necessarily caused by the heart itself. My heart is normal. I believe there is some other condition in the body which results in your body or your brain sending confusing or overloading signals to your heart, like adrenaline or possibly the presence of histamine. I know that in an anaphylactic allergic (shock) reaction, your heart is effected.

7. The PVCs cause stress, anxiety and depression. It may work the other way also, but PVCs are a cause of these things. If I didn't have PVCs or oppressive allergies, I wouldn't have anxiety or depression.

8. Doctors don't know what to do about it. The research that might find the answers is not being done.

9. Jesus is often my only comfort. Some of you may not believe in God. But, I'm going to be dead some day and I might as well reach for whatever comfort I can find, whether the existence of God is provable or not. It helps me to believe. Although the Pope says I'm not a real Christian because I'm not Catholic. What a compassionate and understand man he is to those of us that can't accept in good conscience every one of the endless rules, regulations and decrees the Church has added to Christ's teachings.


My heart and my love are with every one of you who suffer with irregular heart beats every day. I know how you feel. I pray that you find comfort and peace.