Pvc's or what?

[Mis]

I've posted here before about getting this weird flutter feeling in my throat and sometimes in my chest and people responded by saying sounds like pvc's. Had ekg and holter doctor found nothing. Anyhow I am now 8 months pregnant and it seems since I've been pregnant I havent had this feeling at all. I know some say with pregnancy pvc's worsen. I also have really bad acid reflux with this pregnancy. my questions is, could this be pvc's or does it sound like somthing else I should or should not be concerned with? Thanks

[Robert]

Hi I have passed out a couple of times and just ignored it. Thinking that i stood up too quick or brought it on myself. Well this last time I passed out I hit my head and it upset my wife so she made me go to the Dr. She sent me to a cardio doc. Who said that I have an irregular heart beat and maybe PVC. He gave me a prescription for a beta blocker, which I have not taken and set up an appointment with an EP dr. I do not drink or smoke and work out at least 4 times a week. I did not notice the irregularity even when the nurse was taking the EKG even though she asked repeatedly "if I felt that".I told her no i thought that the feeling she was describing was normal. Now my family is all worried and I refuse to take a drug for something I feel is nothing to worry about. I hardly ever notice it and dont feel I should start taking a medicine for the rest of my life. So what your verdict am i being stubborn or should I take the med?

Mule headed in Texas

[Richard]

i have been diagnosed with bigemini after having heart surgery 18 months ago. my cardiologist says they are benign but they are very difficult to live with-i feel every one & thats 5k per day.
have been prescribed amiodorone & quinidine but didnt want to take either! any suggestions?

[Jason]

I am a 32 yr. old man with PVC's. They started about two ago
and I thought I was going to die. I went to my dr. and he ordered
all of the usual test and told me I had PVC's and they were
completly benign. Boy that didn't help, I started having anxiety
attacks and they finally put me on Paxil which saved my life.
I started taking 1000mg of calcium and 500mg of magnesium, my
PVC's have nearly stopped. I feel them occasionly and sometimes
they act up for a couple of days then thy go away. I thank GOD
every day for giving the drs. the knowlege to help me get over
this problem. I was on Paxil for a year, I have been off for
three months now, and I have noticed no change.
   Good luck to everyone with PVC's. Go to your dr. and try
not to worry about it. Ask GOD for hlep though prayer and you
will be O.K.

   My e-mail address is ***@****
if anyone wants to talk abouy PVC's.

                                            Good luck
                                               Jason

[Amy]

I started having PVC's last April. My heart doc said it was stress and that my heart should calm down after my wedding. Well, I was married in June and couldn't be happier. Except, those PVC's. I was born with Wolff-Parkinson-White and had an ablation and ended up with a pacemaker in 1996. Since then I haven

[pacingamy]

My correct e-mail address is angelfish_ak***@****

[Richard]

I recently have been diagnosed with PVCs after wearing a "King of Hearts" event monitor for a month. I am 47, non-smoker, not overweight, I excercise regularly and do not drink.  The PVCs started out of the blue about 2 1/2 months ago.  I must say that I love to drink good coffee and have cut way back even though I only drank 2 cups a day.  The doctor said caffeine will trigger the PVCs.  I have been prescribed Toprol XL 50mg once a day, but have cut that to 25mg.  I also take magnesium, potassium, vit-c and try to get calcium through foods and milk.  Now, my PVCs were fairly mild compared to what I read in this forum, but they have stopped since I started the drug/mineral regimen.  The stress that PVCs cause is worse than the "skipped beats".  I want to get off the drug altogether and I think this a realistic goal.  I cannot stand the thought of being on a beta-blocker long-term.  A good site to check out is drrath.com where you can find specific mineral/vitamin mixes for heart conditions.  I also pray about my problem and have asked others to pray for me.  I thank God for the knowledge that He has blessed the doctors with and for the therapies that we have today.  

Some people think that some PVCs are related the vagus or vagal nerve.  There is a lot info related to that theory on the net.  Use google.com and search for - heartbeat vagal.

[angie]

Will, thanks for the info.  I am glad there are so many suggestions for help of these pvc's and panic.  I have a doc appt this week so I will suggest Paxil to help control my anxiety.  They did have me on Xanax but that is so addicting and I can't take them every day. Thanks.

[Andy]

Fellow PVC Sufferers:

I am attaching a link to a site where a group of us share our stories, provide support and discuss treatments, etc.  Come join us as our family expands.  The best way to deal with PVCs is to realize YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

http://network54.com/Forum/58855

Regards,

Andy

[Patti]

It really is nice to see that i am not the only one having these problems.  I am not sure what is causing them either.  I take Celexa (kinda like Paxil) and they seemed to start about a month after i started the medication and each month they got a little worse.  One doctor said they could cause it and one said probably not since it didn't immediately start after taking the medication.  Who knows.  All i know is it is scary.  Not sure whether to keep off the medication or not cause it does help the depression and anxiety, but never was that depressed so if it is causing the pvc's then would gladly stop.  At first i thought maybe i was going to die or something.  Thanks.  You can write me at ***@****.  Would love some reassurance.  THANKS>

[will]

Angie:

I had panic attacks as well.  Go to the biofeedback - I did, it worked well for me.

Also, talk to your doctor about the panic attacks.  I found that when I had skips, I became very panicky - heart pounding fast, shallow breaths - the whole nine yards.  He put me on Paxil. It changed my life.  I still have skips but no panic.

Visit http://www.paxil.com

You will find much information about it there. It's not just for depression.  It has it's side effects, the worst being some interference with sexual function. I have no intention to sound crude here so please don't be offended. I think most folks are probably the most concerned with the sexual side effects of Paxil. I call it the depression of the emotion of orgasm. My personal experience has been that it prolongs the coming of orgasm but I think my wife probably appreciates that. I don't know what effect it has on women but one I know told me that it also has a depressive effect on her being able to achieve orgasm.  Even so, I have found this drug to be very, very helpful to me.

Good luck to you.

[Susan]

I have had PVCs since the birth of my first child 20 months ago. For me, I am convinced it was being on my follow-up birth control, first depo-provera then Micronor. Both of these are progesterone-only. The PVCs started about 2 weeks after I started the Depo and continued as I went on Micronor. I had the holter, blood tests and 30-day event monitor, but all came back normal. I asked about the BC pills, but my doctor said they wouldn't cause the palps. However, I decided to go off birth control about 4 months ago and I haven't had any palps since. I have heard that PVCs can be related to hormones, so my self-diagnose is that the birth-control was the cause. Has anyone else noticed a relationship between the two?

[will]

Hello Fellow PVC Sufferers:

My story:  I've had them for 27 years. After countless tests, I have finally figured out why the cardio has had me do the holter or King of Hearts every time I come in... His nurse enjoys shaving my chest and he enjoys seeing me suffer with unbearable itching when the hair grows back!  He's finally gotten through to me... no more tests, I hope. (Just had a skip). I'm tired, up too late last night and up too early this morning.  

I have found that fatigue and stress are my number 1 and 2, and not necessarily in that order, causes of PVCs.  I don't drink any caffiene and I don't smoke. I don't use drugs of any kind, including cold remedies.  I do take 20 mg of Paxil and 50 mg of Atenelol along with a multi-vitamin every day.

Lately, I've been having an increase in skips. I had had a pretty good year then all of a sudden! Wham. (Just had another skip).

We deserve having somebody do some research to figure out a way to fix those of us who are overly sensitive to them.  They do make life difficult.  It's hard to concentrate on my putting when I'm having skips - it costs me money.

If any of you ever want to write me, feel free to do so. I answer all my emails.  I'm a 47 year old lawyer. Married with two sons.  ***@****

Later.

[angie]

I am relieved to find out that there are so many people out there who have experienced these terrible PVC's and who can know what I go through.  I am a 26 year old who started having PVC's (trigeminy) about 2 yrs ago.  At first they occured about every 3 months in short runs and I only had them if I had drunk alcohol the night before.  Know they are occuring pretty much on a daily basis.  I have been to several doctors, had Holter, Event monitoring, a Stress test etc... to determine what was going on and of course all my doc's like yours said that they are nothing to worry about.  They are a problem and they have decreased my quality of life tremendously.  I have severe anxiety attacks when they are bad because they scare me so much.  It is very hard for my family to understand why I have such a hard time dealing with them.  There theory is to just ignore them.  It is not that easy to do.  I think I will try the Magnesium.  I am taking 25mg of Atenonlol.  That doesnt help at all.  I have noticed that there is a GI link to these.  When I have them bad I also bulch alot and tend to have urgent diarrhea.  Not sure what that has to do with them.  My doctor has suggested also that I go to Biofeedback training with a psychologist to learn to control my reactions to them.  Hopefully I can find something to control them or to help me deal with them. I just know that I feel like a mental patient and get so upset when I have them.  I get more depressed by the day.  If anyone has any suggestions please let me know. Thanks for everyone who contributes here.  Finding this website was such a relief to me.

Angie

[Kelley-September 29th,2000]

Thank you so much for this site and the info on magnesium!  My heart started jumping alot about 2 months ago.....getting a good night sleep was impossible....jumping every 8 to 11 seconds one night...thought I was going to lose my mind.........went to doctor......nurse said....oh, everyone's heart jumps, you must just be more sensitive...(I wish this person one night of it-she'd never say it again)...Doctor said it could be acid reflex and put me on prilosec....which has now cut them down appx 50%...but also makes me very tired and blah.

I saw cardiologist, wore holter monitor for 30 days.....diagnosed as PVC's.........cardiologist said he's never heard of connection between acid reflex and pvc's but must be if prilosec helps... I've seen 3 other notes from people with acid reflex and PVC's wondering if connection-medical community doesn't seem to have much on it.....but there must be some connection.....when mine is jumping I also feel like burping and sometimes heartburn with as well  

I can't imagine always having a jumping heart/little sleep or having to take prilosec (which isn't good long term). Now with the magnesium info it give me some hope for another route....there's enough to do in life without all this!!   Take Care!

[sally]

I read on this very informative (and comforting) message board about taking magnesium as a possible help with irregular heatbeats.  I have had this problem for about six week (yes, visits to Drs. and my heart is "fine") and I have been taking a calcium channel blocker.  However, it still wasn't great and decided to try the magnesium.  I have been taking about 400 mg. per day (one 250 tablet and the rest in my multiple vitamin) and I have definitely felt better in only one week.  I don't get it, but I am going to keep this up until it doesn't work anymore. Thanks to whoever suggested this about 7-10 days ago!!!

[Lenore]

Hi Barbara,

I am taking 250 mg of magnesium and 99 mg of potassium. Sometimes when I am feeling over anxious I take an extra dose later in the day. I usally take them in the morning. Also what I feel is a key issue is that I am making sure I am including these minerals more in my regular diet. For example, I am eating more bananas, nuts, tofu or soy products, drinking extra milk so I also get calcium and vitamin D, and buying bottled water made for infants because it contains more minerals than regular bottled water. Also Ovaltine has minerals which includes magnesium. For me it has been my miracle and I will continue this regimine for the rest of my life!

Lenore

[Lenore Carfora]

Hi everyone. Thanks to this website, I found out what was causing my arrhythmia and have since gotten it under control. It seems I was difficient in magnesium and possibly potassium. I have begun taking supplements about a month ago. Within a few days, I noticed a dramatic decrease in episodes of pvc's. Now I barely notice them at all. Once in a while I feel a little something but before I started the supplements, I was feeling them every few minutes all through the day. I cannot tell you how much of a relief this is. I have been doing much research since on the benefits and necessity of magnesium in the body and it all makes so much sense. I urge you all with pvc and abnormal rhythms to discuss this with your doctors and see if you can give it a try. It seems to me that maybe the reason Darlene has not felt the effects much since her pregnancy is because she is probably taking mega prenatal vitamins which probably includes magesium. Please Darlene, check it out. I would be curious myself to see if this may be the reason. I feel the strong desire to spread the word about this because if it helped me, who knows how many others it may help. If I can help anyone get over this nightmare, it will make me very happy! Good Luck to you all!

Lenore

[yellowrose]

that sounds great but how much do you take and is there a time of day it should be took, ive had them since i was 23 and still have them but worse at times so please tell me what your taking and how much thank -you

[arthur]

That weird fluttery feeling is likely not an arrhythmia (pvc, apc, pac or any other)...as most of these usually feel like a sudden bump in the chest.  If you are feeling a motor-like constant flutter, which may vary in intensity or frequency, then it may be you have something that no cardiologist I have yet encountered can diagnose.  Assuming that you don't have periodic atrial fibrillation, (which really doesn't seem to be what you are describing), then youv'e got yourself a mystery buzz.  I have such a "vibration" in the chest, and all docs to-date simply shrug it off as inconsequential (I suspect that being difficult to diagnose and pinpoint generally relegates a symptom to "inconsequential").  My best guess after a huge amount of discussion with docs and may searches of the medical literature (not just the internet), is that such a condition emanates from a small chunk of excited neuromuscular tissue located somewhere near the heart.  There are many suspects here which would include portions of the esophageal tract, the pulmonary veins and their muscular attachment to the heart, and the diaphragm (or any subpart of the phrenic cerve system running from the base of your brain along the throat, the pulmonary veins, heart and the diaphragm itself.  Hopefully, in your case, the irritated nerve represents a temporary condition...in my case, it may have been caused by a virus, and may last a long time.  Hope this helps...bring it up with your doctor and see if you get that war fuzzy feeling when it's dismissed.

[CCF CARDIO MD - DLB]

If you had this fluttering feeling while wearing the Holter monitor and there were no PVCs, then you do not have PVCs. If you did not have this fluttering feeling while wearing the Holter, then it may be PVCs and wearing a Holter monitor for a long enough period while you have your symptoms would allow a diagnosis to be made. You should bring these symptoms to the attention of your doctor.

[beverly]

Darlene, I have had PVC's for about 8 years, sometimes mildly annoying, other times very persistent (every 3rd beat) and fatiquing.  The one good thing I've experienced is that they have gone away during my 3 pregnancies.  My cardiologist said that was expected during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters because your blood volume increases so much and the heart pumps very efficiently.  That has certainly been my experience.  If your symptoms are from PVC's, the encouraging news is that they are usually annoying, but benign.  You might ask your doctor about dysautonomia which is associated with mitral valve prolapse and PVC's.  There is a very good book on this subject by a nurse named Lyn Frederickson.  (I hope I spelled her last name correctly for you.)  

As for the acid reflux, I'm not a doctor, but I'd guess it's  from your pregnancy alone.  My heartburn was the worst this last pregnancy, and I didn't gain a ton of weight (25 lbs.)  My doctor had me take Zantac the last two weeks of my pregnancy for nausea and reflux even though I hate taking any medication when I'm pregnant.  The Zantac helped a lot.  My baby is 5 weeks old and she was 9 lbs. 6.5 oz.  No one I had reflux!  It always felt like she had one foot in my ribs.
Good luck to you and your baby.