pvc's

[anxious john]

I know I have posted once before but i need to ask your opinion. I had a normal echo, x-ray, blood tests, ecg, ekg. I still feel the skips and alot of times is going up stairs or lifting heavy weight during excersize. With all of these tests ok would you be more likely to think It is ok to excersize or should i seek further evaluation. I dont get dizzy or feel faint and have no pain. I am 28, 6ft, 180 lbs and work construction. Thanx. Oh im on 50 mg atenolol

[rambios67]

Hey Anxious, I know what you are going through. Here is my story. Hang in there...get checked out, and if everything is ok, you will do fine.

But here is what I have been through. I call it.."Tormented by PVCs and PACs"

If any doctor could adivse me, I would be grateful!


Hello,
This is my first post to the heart forum. My specs..
I am 37, 5'10, 190, 36 inch waist,  with a BP on average around 120/80. My meds include Ativan: 0.5mg 3xdaily, Avalide:150mg once/day, Toprol XL 12.5mg once/day and Prilosec OTC once/day, a multivitamin, and fish oil tablets twice daily. I am also a strict vegetarian. No meat, fish, or poultry.

I have been a type triple A personality my entire life and I have been married two years to gorgeous woman with heart of gold.

Three years ago before I got married, I ran about 3-5 times per week, averaging about 3-4 miles. Did some weight training.. Drank a lot of beer, never smoked, and had two cups of coffee per day. I took atenolol (25mg once each morning) and my bp was around 140/90. I was in a high stress job. I had a 32 inch waist and weighed 165 pounds.

Two years ago, (one month after my wedding), I had my first panic attack while watching the movie "Matrix". I thought I was going to die! My heart raced, I felt dizzy, my arms went numb, etc.. This happened after a night of alcohol, intense video games, and three cups of strong coffee the morning of the movie.

Since then, my life has been a tailspin of ER visits, Urgent Care, lack of sleep, weight gain, and stress on my marriage.

Well, we ran to the ER after the panic attack and the Docs said I was fine. I had a panic attack in the ER as well. The Doc said I was ok and sent me home. I had one more the following morning, ran back to the ER and doc said I was fine. I then had EchoCardiagram done the following week. All normal. I stopped drinking coffee..permanently.

I had two more panic attacks the summer of 2003. My doc put me on Xanax (0.5 threexdaily) to settle my nerves. It worked..for a bit.

Then the anxiety hit in August of 2003.

More ER visits, a stress test, an event monitor. All normal....BUT...during the fall of 2003...the dreaded PVCs started. This threw me the ultimate curveball. I was depressed and terrified. I saw a new doc who told me to go off the Xanax cold turkey so that I could wear an event monitor. The withdrawal symptoms were nightmarish. I felt spaced all week and like someone had a vice on my head.

Well, we ran to urgent care and the ER and my pulse was down to 35-45 bpm. Every doc at the clinic thought that the Atenolol was the cause of my low heart rate, but I had been on it for 6 years with no issue!!

My new doc prescribed Verapamil. My bp soared to 160/100!

I naturally freaked. My doc then  perscribed Paxil and then Zoloft. No help. Had nightmares and gained 40 pounds. My PVCs never subsided and I was diagnosed with GAD and Gerd and had a brief stint with Diverticulisis. Also I learned I had a fatty liver from the weight gain. I was also told I have depression.

Well, I went back to my old doctor who told me not to worry about PVCs, put me on Troprol.  Blood pressure went down to the 120/80 range.


Changed docs again and he put me on the Avalide as well. It seemed as thought my top number in BP is fine, but they cannot get my bottom number down.  Doc thinks it is stress and anxiety.  Any help here??

I then starting having chest pain...almost every day near the top right of my breast. The pain is always present and it feels like my top left part of my chest is either going to explode or someone is stabbing it with a dull edge.

Scared the hell out of me..more ER vists, two more Stress Tests, a dozen EKGs, a 48 hour monitor, numerous blood tests...all normal with the exception of PVCs.

I had to change jobs, but my new one was even more stressful. More attacks anxiety, more ER visits, more stress tests, more EKGs, more bloodwork, and of course, PVCs.    I am so thankful that my wife is a saint and she has not left me..yet.

So I changed jobs again, less stress, started losing weight, but still had chest pains and the PVCs.

All of a sudden the PVCs subsided a little. And the occurred every other time I ran? Usually at the .5 mile mark. I would stop. Walk, and then start running. No PVCs then.  Weird?

Now to the present. I am now seeing a top cardiologist. His initial diagnosis is that I am fine and I need to start living. But he suggested and event monitor.

My PVCs have triggered again. I am terrified. I am afraid to workout because they occur during a run and scare the hell out of me. I feel like my heart is about to stop. IT ALMOST FEEL LIKE A STAPLE BEING PLACED INTO MY CHEST.  More tests have been done. Even a CT scan. 0% score. Excellent. My bp is down to 120/80. I have a low salt diet, no caffeine, hardly any alcohol. Maybe one glass of wine per week.

I am getting another 48 monitor tomorrow. I just came off an event monitor that broke my chest into puss filled sores. But it revealed both PVCs and PACs.  Nurse tells me they are normal

[Cleveland Clinic]

john,

thanks for the post.

You are young with a normal cardiac workup. As long as the rest of you is normal there shouldnt be any issure with exercise. I would check with your primary care physician for a routine history and physical and then hit the bricks.

good luck