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!!!!

[patrica]

Hi Dave.  Thanks for your reply.  

I also tried Buspar but I got such bad headaches that I went off it.  I think it also made my palpitations worse!!  I really hate being on any meds but if I could find something that would help me I would try it.  

I also take Ativan at bedtime (.05 mg) - a very low dose (is that the same as Xanax?), to help me sleep, because I sometimes wake up at night and my heart is skipping and I really panic and cannot go back to sleep.  It is a vicious cycle!!!!

[Julie]

Cindy - you sound just like me.  I too have pvcs and runs of vent. tachacardia - scares me stupid.  From readings on a monitor (although I didn't manage to catch any of the big stuff) my cardiologist has diagnosed that I (possibly) have "right ventricular outflow focus" - haven't a clue what this is and he says that "he is not worried about me".  Needless to say - I am very worried and living a life of fear.
I find that stress and food can be a trigger - I have a hiatus hernia and so when my gullet gets inflamed then palpitations quickly follow.
I will be very interested to read the answer to your question from the cardiologists.
This is a great service and I have learned so much from it ........(maybe too much.......).
Best Wishes
Julie

p.s.  I have been having these irregularities since being a teenager and I am now 44.  My attacks are often very different - are yours?

[David M.]

Hi Cindy,

I also have anxiety and high blood pressure.  I'm 34 now and my previous Dr. started me on Xanax first, thinking that the stress caused the elevated pressure, then put me on Norvasc after realizing that I really have HBP caused by factors other than stress.

If you have had anxiety for YEARS, as you say, the resulting stress alone could be somewhat detrimental to the heart.  I suggest you consult your Dr. about an anxiety med.  I recently started taking Buspar, which isn't as addicting as Xanax, but can cause headaches and nausea, since it addresses the true cause of anxiety (imbalance of serotonin in the brain).  Talk to your Dr about what might be best for you.

Best of luck to you,

Dave

[Julie]

I have had v-tach and pvc's and pac's for years'  I also have valve disease which is a big contributing factor.  I try not to let it worry me too much, in fact my cardiologist is more worried about these arrythmias than I am. I have structural heart damage and and enlarged heart and I am still here.  Try to focus on the fact that you have no structural abnormalities.