Can you throw PVCs without a pause in your pulse?

[bruin917]

I'm 19 years old and I made the mistake of playing around with a stethoscope and listening to my heartbeat. About 2 or 3 minutes into listening to it, I heard what sounds like my heart making an extra beat within one beat (lub lub dub instead of lub dub). One time there were a few extra within the beat. This does not show up if you simply feel my pulse. There's not the normal pause I get from the "skipped" beat caused by your heart resetting. It just puts those extra beat or more in and keeps going. I used to have "skipped" beats A LOT when I was younger, and now I only get one or two occasionally, but they're usually more "dramatic" and can knock the breath out of me (no passing out/pain/dizziness though).

My mom heard the extra beats too, so it's not something I was just hearing. They're more apparent when I'm sitting down and leaning over slightly. It also seems to be possibly related to adrenaline/possible hyperventilation. Should I be concerned? We're also calling my doctor in a couple of days.

[seaweib]

I've never heard a Dr discuss PAC/PVC intensity but I think anyone who has them can tell you that some are subtle and some are very intense (I call them the 'big boomers').  The big boomers pretty much stop me in my tracks as it's like getting hit in the chest, a long compensatory pause is always present and it's like getting the wind knocked out of me.

Subtle PAC/PVCs though are much less hectic.  They carry the same sensation as the boomers but on a much lower level.  When I have the subtle ones, I don't feel a compensatory pause but the sensation is the same so I'm certain it is a PAC/PVC.  Thus, I would guess what you're hearing in the stethoscope are subtle PACs or PVCs.  Of course, I'm not  Doc so I could be wrong.

[MichelleP_3811]

Without seeing it on a monitor no one can say for sure but yes it is possible to have a pvc without the compensatory pause depending when in the beat cycle the beat jumps in.  That said, it is likely what you are hearing is not a pvc but a pac, an extra beat from the atria which are even less of a danger than pvcs are which are of very little danger in a healthy heart so though it is good to go and get checked out by a doctor in the absence of any symptoms that make it difficult for you to function if your heart has been deemed healthy you will likely be told not to worry.  Stress and adrenaline will flare up ectopic beats (pacs and pvcs) so manage your stress and your ectopics will lessen.  Take care.