PVCs during and post exercise

[Alfred]

Hi

I get regular bouts of chest pain and PVCs.  I have a had a full cardiac workup including a normal angiogram as well as gastro tests etc over the past 4 years.  I have a great GP (National Health in the UK) who is still trying to figure out why a fit 33 yr old male is suffering from these symptoms.  I am not anxious or depressed but the PVCs and chest pain do make me more anxious.

The questions I have are:

1)  I get PVCs regularly but not always post exercise (e.g after a 1 hour run)- the GP tells me to continue but I read on this site that post exercise pvcs can be dangerous.  In a otherwise structurally normal heart with normal angio - should I be concerned and look for yet further cardio tests?  My cardiologist said "whatever the pain is, it's not your heart".  So is this overkill?

2) In a regular pulse at the wrist and neck I still get flutterings by my heart - can the wrist pulse, neck pulse and heart be different or are they always in sync?

3) How does anxiety related chest pain present itself?  I am exploring this as an option even though I don't feel anxious or stressed.  I get pains with every heartbeat for about ten minutes at 3am.

4) Do you have any further advice about any further discussions/tests I can request from my doctor or do I accept this and get on with life.

Sorry for the ramble but any advice will help.

Regards

Alf

[bono]

hello everyone:
I just found about this forum, and I was reading about PVCs. Actually I went to a cardiologist the first time in my life this year. I have been having many "skipped beat" feelings, and i wanted to see a doctor. I wore a heart monitor for a month, and they found out that it is nothing to worry about, just early heart beat. they also did blood tests. However, I decided to get ready for triathlons and adventure races I have been running much more than I do for the past 6 weeks. now I run 3ml/day for the past week and i have had the worst week ever. there are no triplets or even doubles. I just feel one skipped beat. but today it happened almost 10-15 times. my mom also had them all her life. she is now 55 very healthy. I am 29...
do you think I should call me doctor again? or just forget about it, get some more magnesium and continue with my runs and training? i get worried when it happens while I am running. I don't smoke for the past 5 years, I don't drink coffee, no tea, no meds. I might have some stress though.

thanks for all your support. it is at least comforting to hear that other people also have it.

[jaz5802]

Sorry -- I forgot to mention:

I have low blood pressure.  Had a general doctor's visit due to sinus problems.  BP read 104/60.  The average is 120/70 which is actually "high" for me!

My myoview isotope test was ordered due to my cardiologist thinking I said I got dizzy -- I do, but from my sinuses clogging my ears.  Not all the time. PVCs showed up on EKG and echo, but all was benign.

I don't faint nor do I ever feel like I am.

[jaz5802]

I'm not sure if you're directing your question to me or not, but here's my answer:

I first was seen for palpitations when I was 17.  Back then (I'm 44 now) they didn't say what kind they were and I was to young to know there were "kinds." Doctor's response: normal.

I saw a cardiologist again when I was in my early 30's due to palpitations.  Again, I didn't know what kind they were. Doctor's response: slight reguritation in right tricuspid valve, innocent murmur, irregular heartbeat -- normal.

Saw cardiologist last year for BAD episode of palpitations.  Many thorough tests. Doctor's response: same as previous doctor except I ASKED what type of irregular heartbeat -- PVCs -- diagnosis was normal.

Beth

[valger]

Hi, thanks so much for all the comments and help, I don't know what I would do without you guys!!  Anyway, I did go in yesterday for the nuclear test, and it was not easy, but I did get through it!  Jaz, thanks so much for the extremely helpful letter, I actually kept thinking of your words "be brave" as I was laying there taking pictures, having tons of PVC's, and it really helped!!  Thanks!  Anyway, I did the treadmill ok, I had PVC's during it, but when I had the most PVC's was the first set of pictures.  The second set, after the treadmill, seemed to calm them down a bit.  He injected me with that stuff while I was on the treadmill, and then when I was done, we went back to the table to lay down, and he waited a bit before taking the pictures again, does that sound right to you?  I thought the pictures were supposed to be done right after you got off the treadmill.  He kind of kept talking to me, and we didn't start the picutres for a while.  Anyway, they called today, which made me nervous at first, cause the guy said they wouldn't call unless someting was abnormal, but the nurse said my test was normal, and didn't show any signs of blockages or MI.  I was very happy about that, and you would think, if my PVC's are due to anxiety, that would have helped calm them down, but I've had a really bad day with them today, just nonstop.  I want to lay down all day again cause that's when I feel better.  The only thing that's really left to do is the blood tests, and beyond that, I don't know if I'll ever figure out what's causing these.  One question, do you guys know if there are any negative effects from the isotope (or thallium, whatever it is??)  I was wondering if that could have aggravated the palps, I'm just having such a bad day.  I'm sitting here typing, having tons of them.  Do you ever notice that some days they seem less hard, like today I feel like my heart is really irritable, and the PVC's seem more demanding, and harder, if that makes any sense.  Well, thanks again so much for helping me through the test!!  One more thing out of the way!!  Thanks, Val

[jaz5802]

Hi Val -- glad to hear you survived your test!  Told you!  And you were brave!

To answer your first question: after they inject you, you have you wait awhile before taking pictures.  This waiting period is for the tagging agent (thallium/isotope) to circulate and "tag" areas of your heart.  The imaging unit picks up on these areas. At my cardiologist's office, after the injection, I (and about 10 other people) were seated back in the waiting room for 30-45 minutes.  Then brought back in for pictures.  So what was done to you sounds accurate.

You were lucky you heard back so quickly for your results.  My test was done on a Thursday and I didn't hear back till Tuesday!  Pins and needles the whole weekend.

So you got the big B ("benign").  You now fall into that category like a lot of us including myself.  No reason for PVCs; just there.  We're all on the search for an answer.  Just keep reading everything and trying everything.  I do think you focus a lot on them and I know for me, that will trigger those little buggers!

Deep breaths.  You've been checked out.  Now you face the task of learning to cope.  Yoga, meditation and slow walks calm me down and dancing helps alleviate any extra adrenaline. Good luck! Let me know what works for you.

Beth

[karie]

The test you metioned in the last post , Was this ordered due to your pvc's on a ekg ?
Finding out the cause, location of these pvc's is so important and I too like to know what is going on within my heart and nervous system. When I first started noticing pvc's,pac's over 7 years ago, they were alot less in frequency , Since then other medical issues came into play.
Do you have low b/p, heart murmurs, mvp, cardiogenic syncope ?
At what age did you start seeing a cardiologist ?
Thanks,