can pvc's cause harmful arrythmia?

[dreamboat]

Hello
I was told by a friend that her cardiologist told her if pvc's get bad they can possibly lead to a fatal arythmia,is this true?Also how common is it for pvc's to lead to cardiomyopathy?I have them alot meaning at times several a minute.I quit having them for 3 years then they started again in August of 2004. I had an echo 7 years ago,they said it was normal, should I have another one?Thank you so much,these things have crippled my life because of this fear.
Dreama

[Emmaj]

My cardio says that measuring EF by echo is not as accurate as by MUGA scan... and it seems to me I've read that here in the forum too. I'm not sure if the variability in EF measures by echo might be part of why echos aren't "the gold standard"... Once in the emergency room, during serious episode of a fib or flutter, my ef was 25 by echo... a few days later, thanks to meds (no more arrhythmia), it was up to 40 by echo. Don't know where it is now... hope higher! :)

[dreamboat]

I assure you this is the first time I have asked a question.If you think this isn't a real problem for some then you have never lived with them.

[Momto3]

WOW! I can see why you want to talk to your doctor next go round.  It will be interesting to see what he/she has to say.  Did you ever have any outward indication of a drop in EF?  Although 51% could be absolutely normal, it seems odd to have changed so drastically.  Defintely worth asking about, if for nothing but curiosity.

TEE November 2000 - normal EF 55 +/- 5%

Stress echo December 2002:  "Heart rate response to stress was normal, Max HR 97%, 8.5 METS.  Transient episodes of ventricular bigeminy in early exercise. At the level of stress achieved, echocardiographic imaging showed evidence of a ccardiomyopathic process in the entire left ventricle.  Baseline left ventricular ejectio fraction was 40%. Stress ejection fraction increased.  The stress testing information is consistent with cardiomyopathy."  Funny, for about a year prior to this result, I had noticed significant SOB and fatigue and for a few months prior to the test I had been feeling so much better. I guess it goes to show how you don't always have outward signs of what's going on inside.

Echo February 2004:  LVIDd 4.69 cm, Sys Dimension 3.48; FS 26%,normal LV and LA size, normal EF 55 +/- 5%.  Report said, "LV function appears modestly greater, compared with a prior LVEF of 45% +/- 5% (Dr. said closer to 40%)

Echo stress November 2004 - LV 5.3 cm, LVIDd 3.5 cm, FS 30%, LVEF 55 +/- 5%, Normal LV and LA size.  10 METS on the Bruce Protocol (others were Cornell).  Maybe some of these numbers make sense to you : ) Dr. always says she is careful to take everything into consideration before making dx.  Overall, feeling much better these days.

Have a great day!
Connie

[Jeff67]

What are the other diagnostic parameters for your CM? LVWD? IVS?

[Markymark]

Ok, I understand peoples frustrations when they are not able to post about their problems, and see all these PVC questions pop up. But having those dreadfull PVC's myself I know how concerned they can get you, and you just start looking for reassurance. I think this board is a great source of information. For everyone, not only for PVC-people ! Guess wehn evrybody just keeps to the maximum amount of questions it's ok. Maybe the amount of PVC questions is related to the amount of sufferers ? It's annoying having something they say it's benign but it can ruin your life. The advice of the doc to not let it alter your life is true but difficult. I was a very active sporter and wnated to get in the army, I started exercising again with my frequent pvc's but it's hard sometimes to believe it's benign when you wake up having bigeminy, and still feel safe running or biking. And I'm not sure I'm going to be accepted medically with this in the army, so it will alter my life anyway. And that sucks bigtime.

[Jeff67]

My situation was a little strange.  10 years ago I had an echo and it showed LVPW = 11mm, IVS = 11mm, EFc = 80% and my cardio said that the walls of my heart had thickened due to high BP. I was not expecting this.  My resting BP is normally 110/70, but it does go up when I see the doctor.  I had a stress test done after the echo and achieved 14 METS, but this did not change my cardios diagnosis.  My regular doctor told me that I do not have high BP and took me off the meds that my cardio had put me on after we confirmed this with 2 weeks of BP easurements. This got me wondering why I had thickening and if it was not LVH I started to worry it was CM.  I worried for about 5 years and then had another echo and stress test.  This echo showed LVWD = 9.5mm, IVS = 8.8mm, EF = 51% and FS = 26%.  In the stress test I achieved 13 METS as I mentioned to you before. Not only had my wall thicknesses returned to the middle of the normal range, but my EF had dropped substantially, yet I still did 13 METS! I am a bit confused by it all but my last cardio said all is normal.  I never though the EF would fluctuate this much from test to test without it signifying something.