v-tach

[Cindy]

What a wonderful forum!!!!

I am a 40 year old female with a history of PVC's, PAC's and short runs of non-sustained v-tach (which was documented on a holter monitor 8 years ago).  

I have since had every cardiac workup imaginable including an EP study which they could not make my heart go into any funky rhythm.

After my most recent visit to the EP doctor, he told me that since I have a normal heart that it is no big deal to have short runs of PVC's together and what was abnormal was my reaction to these.  (I have read enough things in medical books and looked at a lot of things on the internet to know that v-tach is a big deal though).  I am terrified!!!!!  He also stated that if they were to put holters on everyone out there that 10% of these people would return their monitors with short runs of v-tach, but most people would not even feel it????  I find that hard to believe.

1.  Is it possible that when the short run of v-tach was caught on my holter that it could have been something else (maybe atrial fib or something - since they have not caught anything else except a short run of 4 PVC's on a previous king of hearts monitor)?  How bad are runs of 4 PVC's????

2.  Is this true that short runs of PVC's are not dangerous in a normal heart?  

3.  I have suffered from anxiety for years because of this diagnose of v-tach and I am so scared everytime I feel my heart skip that it is going to stop.  What sort of med would your recommend for a person that is completely obsessed with these things now?  I have tried beta blockers but I do not do well on them.  Should I be on anxiety meds instead?  As I say, this is ALL I think about now (my heart).

5.  I have read that 300,000 Americans die each year from some form of irregular heart beat.  Do these people suffer from arrythmia or some form of heart disease?

I really appreciate your forum.  Any light you could shed on this issue for me would be very much appreciated.

Thanks!!!!

[Julie]

Hi Dee - sorry to read your story and hope that you are doing OK.  Just a question - what is TPA?
I notice the cardiologist has not answered the original question yet - (I'm very interested to read his/her response).
Best Wishes
Julie

[Ben, Ohio]

I had the Ross Procedure on 8-8-00 and I too had a short bout of v-tach. I had five beats that were caught on a monitor about four weeks post-op and, guess what, it was serious enough for me to be back in the hospital for a lomger stay than the one I had for the surgery itself.
I had the EP study and the whole nine yards. They found nothing and told me not to worry. And you know, I am not worrying. I believe that if there was a problem of v-tach they would have found it. The just decided my meds weren't right and they said five beats of PVC's are way different than v-tach, even thogh they look the same basically on the monitor.
Hope this helps.

God Bless,

ben

[Jodie]

Last night I counted six hard beats in a row, then 4 then 2.    It happens when I lie on my back and take a deep breath. ( I can actually make it happen when I breath in if I'm on my back) It isn't the normal sinus rhythm, it is 5-6 early heard beats in a row.  I've been checked out and see a cardiologist yearly for treadmills and echo's.  He says not to worry.  I try not to.  I'm sure it is probably that V-tach.  I feel absolutely normal when it happens, it just scares me!

Does anyone notice more when they are on their back?

[stevebu]

I have unsustained vtach caught on monitor as well (5 beats) along with a little atrial fib PVC's and PAC's.  All the tests have shown my heart is fine.  I use to be totally focused on them until one day I said is it really worth it?  What good is life if you are always worried about your heart's little abnormalities? If I drop dead, so be it. I run many miles every week and I am still with the living.  What I don't want is clogged arteries, and that is probably more likely to kill me than skip beats.

Good luck to you all

Steve

[Valerie]

Hi Cindy...I know how you feel!!  I was diagnosed last year with having panic disorder!!  More than likely a chemical inbalance!!  I worry so much about my heart too...I'm 30 yrs old!!  I really think stress has a lot to do with it!!  As far as the pvc's..I've only had it once and that was about 3 weeks ago...freaked me out!!  And of course I went straight to the ER!!  Everything was ok!!  I think my was triggered by what I had eaten that nite!! (Burger King's mozzeralla chesse sticks and jalapeno poppers)!!  LOL  Needless to say I haven't eaten them since, & I haven't expericened them since either!!  I've cut back on my caffine though & am trying to quit smoking~!!  Before I got on meds and started seeing a theraphist, every little pain in my chest would send me into a panic attack!!  I thought I was having a heart attack!!  I've taken paxil and zoloft, both have worked well for me, but everyone is different, the xanax would just knock me out and then I would feel weak for a couple of days!!  But I'm now med free and theraphist free!!  I've learned how to control the panic attacks, which is a big key is recovering from panic disorder!!  Anyways I'm rambling now, just wanted to let you now, I know how u feel!!  Hang in there!!  BTW...what is v-tach???  Thanks...smiles to ya!  

Valerie  

[patrica]

Busy board today!!!  I have been having these darn things since my early 20's.  I hate them.  I have all different feelings as well.  I sometimes get the big thuds every couple of beats and get a lot of just singular big skips as well.  I also get fast hard heart rates for no reason and sometimes just a fluttery feeling.  Docs say I am super senstive (yeah right!).  Who wouldn't be with a funny beat like this.