more questions

[caleycan]

i'm 26, male, normal ekg,ecg,stress test, x-ray and blood work, bp and holter monitor.i am wondering some things since reading more about pvcs and pacs and i have these questions:

1 what prevents a pvc from becoming v-tach in myself at any given time?
2 i had a weird chest sensation on the stress test, but my heart reading was normal, it was a STRANGE GROSS feeling, does that still make my heart ok?
3 i have pacs too, what is preventling me from going into a=fib?
4 is it normal to have pvcs with hiccups? i know that sounds werid. i do. every hiccup a skipped beat...I HATE HICCUPS NOW!
5 on the stress test i had no pvc's nothing, but when i exercise at home i get them alot, becuase i didn't have them on my test, would that alter the results? or am i ok regardless becaue of the test results and i should ignor the ones i get at home?
6 is it true that more then 6 pvcs in a min can be fatal? i have 5 in a min before.
7 a person on this forum had 100% good results yet ended up in a-fib and now she/he has nsv-tach. i worry this could be me? why should i not worry about this? my results were the same.
8 i will be moving away from my home town soon and feel scared about my heart "problem". i would appreciate answers to my questions in hope that it will help me understand whats going on with my heart. i want to figure this out to collect my nerves again and live. i appreciate your time doctor and your patience. this has well disrupted my life and i need informative answers that won't leave me doubting or wondering more afterwards. thanks and i look forward to your answers

[CollegeGirl143]

ive been suffering from pvc's and pac's forever. i dont really remember a time when i didnt feel skipped beats, but the didnt bother me before nearly as much as they do now. i found out when i was 18 (im 22 now) that i also had svt.. i had an ablation back in april and am doind good now :) only thing that really bothers me are the occasional pvc/pac's and i still get sinus tach, but we're working on it.. things are much better than before. i totally understand about the isolation thing. when i first found out i had svt i was so symptomatic, ide get svt attacks 4/5 times a day for at least 20 mins, sometimes hours before it would stop. i was in and out of the hospital CONSTANTLY. very few people understood.Some people actually accused me of just being neurotic and i didnt actually have a heart problem.  since i was so young doctors where slow to help me. i got svt alot after i ate, so i just stopped, and lost 20 lbs (i got down to 95 lbs, and im fairly tall.. it was gross) then someone referred me to an EP doc who fixed me in a week and a half, after suffering for years, so i totally understand.

[yoshi74]

There are many times when they make me feel sick, but like someone mentioned before, I think it is because of the adrenaline and fear that rushes through our body once they start. I have a few here and there that also seem to take the breath out of me...I agree with you about feeling isolated from people sometimes because of this. I totally feel that way most of the time. And then, that makes me feel like something is REALLY wrong with me and my anxiety starts to kick in and I feel sickly! That is when this forum comes in handy. It really nice to know you are not the only one with these problems. Hang in there and come back as often as you need. My palps have been kicking in hardcore lately so I am here quite often!

[caleycan]

thanks collegegirl143...you sound pretty right in what your saying. i appreciate your sharing your similar experience with me, it helps me get my head around the fact that though my pvc's feel frightening and like i'm sick, that others in my situation feel the same was as well, i'm not alone in this. this condition i have makes me feel isolated from others, but this site has made me feel less like this. how old are you and how long have you had pvc's for, you can opt to answer only the last quesiton :) thanks again collegegirl143, i hope others will write their similar stories as well.

[CollegeGirl143]

some of the pvc's i get hit so hard they make me gasp for breath and grip something, like someone knocked the wind outta me.. its a knee jerk reaction i guess.. others i can feel but not so hard, but i do feel dizzy/sick with them just from the huge adrenaline rush i get. When you get really scared really quick all that adrenaline in ur system so fast can acutally make you physically ill or even faint sometimes.. it sounds to me like its more of an anxiety induced reaction to your pvc's and pac's. i think pvc's can make you feel more symtomatic than pac's because the lower part of your heart where the pvc's come from is bigger. Honestly tho if i where you i wouldnt worry, but if you still do no one can give u better advice than ur own doc.. dont be scared to ask questions.. thats what he gets paid big bucks for :)  ask him about medication to reduce the feelings you get from your pvc's and pac's

[CollegeGirl143]

It seems like the dr's words helped you :) thats wonderful.. Yes i sometimes get those thunderous pvc's, but they havent taken me out yet and ive learned that they arent going to.. we're always gonna have pvc's and pac's, the trick is learning to cope, and if you're having a hard time, talk to your doc about beta blockers which can be helpful

wmac.. i get what you're saying about pvc's and nsvt, what i meant to convey and maybe didnt was that nsvt in a structurally normal heart wont turn into vt..( 2006 arrhythmia Q & A in the archives Titled "NSVT Questions"

Ide also just like to clear up that afib in itself is not a life threatining arrhythmia... The complications of a fib (such as clots, or complications due to coronary artery disease) can make the afib rhythem much harder if not impossible for a heart to maintain, ( As in all svt's with maybe the exception of WPW which is known to be more dangerous, mainly due to its location) but with a normal cardiac workup and use of blood thinners/aspring for afib, there is no reason to fear heart attack/scd  (heres a good website to check out if anyone is confused!)

http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/Internet/afibcenter/whatis_afib.cfm

I hope this helps some of the people out there wondering! and best of luck in ur recovery calycan, ur on the right path!

[caleycan]

collegegirl143 thanks for the info. so others out there do get the same scary and omenous feeling thuds??? why is it that each one is terrifing? well, some actually feel fine, while i get ones like i had all day today that i feel sick when i get them and a little taken back like short of breath and dizzy. does anyone else get these ones? are they the same as the others i experience i wonder, i mean are they all pacs or pvcs? who knows i guess. i am starting to understand it all now, just wondering if you can still really feel sick with them at times and still be ok...or does that warrent something worse? anyone and everyone who feels any similar sensations plz come on and talk about it, i would love to hear about it, it is a healing thing for me, like therapy. thanks again all.

[Fran71]

I've had 2 holters a few years apart, and only single PVCs were documented, not even couplets. However last night I had the weirdest sensation. I was at rest, suddenly I felt like my heart was racing, but with the additional feeling of my heart being stucked, like a broken record that won't play. I think it lasted about 10 seconds. I felt my pulse but it didn't seem too fast, maybe around 110 or so. It was regular. I also felt dizzy but I'm almost certain it was because of the fear. Could that be NSVT? Does it feel like that? Or can also sinus tachycardia come in short bouts like that? I do suffer from sinus tach but it never comes and goes so quickly.

Thanks everyone

Fran

[caleycan]

thanks for your patience and kind answers, i am realizing now that everyone has PVC's and i just feel them, so my risks of v-tach and such are really the same as everyone else, if not acually LESS since my tests all came back good. :) Thanks, and i will try my best not to educate myself into panic haha it's SO TRUE

good quote.

[megz22]

I feel like I have tried atenolol for the PVCs and it hasn't really worked at all. I've tried loads of meditation techniques which also haven't helped a great deal. I was just wondering if anyone out there can think of any other meds I should consider trying? It would be nice to have a break from the PVCs. Thankyou. And indeed a thoughful quote from the Doctor I agree!

[mrbh]

I agree with LukeL. In my opinion, Dr MJM is very sharp and has a great ability to discuss these difficult subjects. I can only wish that my own cardiologist had the same gift of intelligence, wisdom, and outstanding communication.

[LukeL]

I just have to say to the doctor, that is a wonderful quote and is sound advice for many people (including me) on this forum.

[tickertock]

Atenolol has worked wonders for my PVCs also, I take 100mg daily in divided doses, also I take Cozaar 25mg 2 times daily. I take this mainly for mild hypertension , PVCs & sinus tach.

I have no known heart disease or structural defects, only mild hypertrophy of the interventricular septum which I have been assured is no cause for concern, just to keep the B/P as low as possible. I have no family history of CAD, at least in the immediate family.

Been following your troubles Al, hope you continue to feel better and have a long and joyful life. Take care.

[wmac]

Tickertock is right many pvcs in a row slower than 120 bpm is considered AIVR accelerated idioventricular rhythm I also know that cause I have that also. But keep in mind when I do have my nsvt im tellin ya it feels real slow when actually its going fast. The reason I know its fast is cause of the monitors I have had also had loop recorder implanted so they all got recorded. When I had my episode of aivr my hr was 80 bpm with four in a row.
wmac

[tickertock]

From what I gather 3 or more PVCs in a row that is under 110 bpm is usually referred to as accelerated idioventricular rhythm (AIVR) or slow vt as far as I'm made to understand. It's is usually a benign rhythm and is seen some that is recovering from an MI. This is my understanding only, I am not a doctor.

[DebHasPVCs]

Regarding a number of PVCs in a row being Ventricular Tachycardia... I have gotten up to 9 PVCs in a row, but my heart is not beating over 100 bpm.  Isn't VT and NSVT when your heart beats really fast?  My PVCs just go along, one right after another, in between a normal heart beat, usually not exceeding about 80 bpm.

I'm confused...

[wmac]

oh ya that also does not include the ones I have had that have not been recorded.
wmac

[wmac]

I have had several runs of nsvt that has been documented. I have had a three, five, ten, six, seven and the longest being 26beat run which was terrible. with the fastest rate being 187 bpm. They say the 26beat run lasted for 8 seconds but it felt like eternity.
wmac

[LukeL]

I have heard the doctors say the vast majority of people who have NSVT only have around 6 beats so that is probably about 2-3 seconds long. I know a lot of us assume NSVT would be your heart racing away for 15 seconds or so but this apparently rarely happens in a normal heart.

[wmac]

I beg to differ on the fact that pvcs and nsvt or vt are unrelated. Three pvcs in a row is nsvt! I know this from my own experience. Having many pvcs in a row is nsvt and if it last longer than 30seconds it is considered VT! Less than 30 seconds is nonsustained ventricular tachycardia.
wmac

[caleycan]

you sound well informed on all of this. how did you learn so much? so you get them sneezing and hiccuping? that is just so messed up to me. and it happened for the first time a week or so ago. it scared me. do your palps still feel scary to you? and you just train your mind outta being frigtened? or do u just not get really hard thumpers like me?

if you have any more suggestions for me about coping and what not or any useful info your electrophysiologist told you, plz drop it so i can learn more. thanks for your time.

[CollegeGirl143]

caleycan:

pvc's and vtach are completely unrelated.. everyone gets pvc's. just others are more sensative to them than some.
if they really bother you that much ask your doctor about beta blockers which can reduce the sensation.

If you had an odd sensation during a stress test, and nothing was picked up, i think that speaks for itself. i
know its hard to believe you're ok when these things feel so bad, but trust in your doctors. they arent going to
lie to you and tell you that your pvc's are harmless if they werent.

i think pac's can only push you into svt is if you already have the re-entry circuit present, if you've already had
all the nesseccary testing and nothing has come up, you need to make peace with this and let yourself move on.

i get pvc's with hiccups, sneezing. i just saw my ep yesterday and he told me this is a completely normal response.

you are ok reguardless.. pvc's in themselves are not dangerous whatsoever.

as for more than 6 pvc's in a minute being fatal, ive never heard anything like that before. some people on this
forum have more than 30000 pvc's in a single day and are still alive and well. try and put this into perspective
concerning your own symptoms.

Try not to compare yourself to the other people on this forum too much. everyone is different and every case is
different.yes you can show up normal on all tests and still have an arrhythmia because they can only be diagnosed while
you're in an episode. if you have never had an episode why are you under the impression that you can be pushed
into vt or afib or svt? pvc's and pac's are not in themselves indications of underlying arrhythmia. have you ever
had an episode before? or just the pvc's and pac's. and either way afib and nsvt are not considered life threatening
arrhythmia's. you seem very anxious about these pvc's and pac's, and anxiety tends to make them worse. by not
letting yourself move on from it, you're really hurting yourself more :(. if you need more reassurance there are
plenty of posts in the archives reguarding pvc's and pac's. i hope the doctors response and everyones support in this forum helps




wildcat: if your nsvt is electrical and your doctor does recomend ablation, i can tell you from personal experience
, its the best thing i ever did for myself. goodluck and keep us posted

[wildcat27]

I have many of the same questions caleycan has...but have not been able to get my question posted.

I am a 29 year old male, I have gone back through all the archived posts from this board on NSVT. Seems like several possibilities...

1. If EP finds that there is no underlying heart disease than I don't need further treatment?

2. If EP can find the electrical impulse trigger, they will likely recommend and ablation?

3. If not electrically induced they will look for congential heart defect?

I have been through the gamut of tests at this point (EKG, echo, stress echo, stress EKG) and they have not found any underlying heart disease. My last EF was 55% and I am exercising regularly without incident. I see my EP at KU Medical Center next Thurs...any comments about this center? I generally hear good things but don't know much about them being from Philadelphia.

Like calycan...I fear Vtach leading to SCD. But again, the 48 monitor last weekend showed only one episode of NSVT and my PVCs don't seem to be all that frequent at times. My doctors seem to be telling me that there is no risl for that at this point, but I still worry. Any answers would be appreciated.

[CCF-M.D.-MJM]

Hi,

The best advice I can give is don't try to educate yourself into a panic.

1 what prevents a pvc from becoming v-tach in myself at any given time?

The truth I can't promise you it won't -- but, you might have better luck buying a powerball ticket.  EVERYONE HAS PVCS.  Your risk is exceedingly small.

2 i had a weird chest sensation on the stress test, but my heart reading was normal, it was a STRANGE GROSS feeling, does that still make my heart ok?

yes.

3 i have pacs too, what is preventling me from going into a=fib?

I can't really answer that.  What I would ask you in return though is why worry about something that hasn't happened.  If you had afib in the past you would be higher risk, but you haven't even had that yet.  Do you best not to worry about this -- your risk is still very low.

4 is it normal to have pvcs with hiccups? i know that sounds werid. i do. every hiccup a skipped beat...I HATE HICCUPS NOW!

I have never heard that concern before and I am not sure what to think about it.

5 on the stress test i had no pvc's nothing, but when i exercise at home i get them alot, becuase i didn't have them on my test, would that alter the results? or am i ok regardless becaue of the test results and i should ignor the ones i get at home?

That should not alter your restult.

6 is it true that more then 6 pvcs in a min can be fatal? i have 5 in a min before.

Never hear that one before.  It is not true.

7 a person on this forum had 100% good results yet ended up in a-fib and now she/he has nsv-tach. i worry this could be me? why should i not worry about this? my results were the same.

It could be me, you or anyone else on this forum.  Again, I have to ask this question -- why worry so much abut something that hasn't happened?  you tests are all very good.

8 i will be moving away from my home town soon and feel scared about my heart "problem"

I don't think you should worry.  There is nothing that you reported that concerns me.  

Remember the wisdom of Wiston Churchill