Hello...
I am having an inordinate number of PVC's/PAC's and I just need advice...or help or something.
Here is my background: I am 47 yo female who up till about three months ago was very healthy. I exercise daily, my weight is good, low BP, well adjusted everything lol. In the beginning of August I began having left shoulder/arm and chest pain and I thought it was related to a small lump under my left arm. I had a mammogram/US of left arm and it was negative for any problems.
By the end of Aug. I was experiencing continued left side pain with numbness and tingling into my left pinky and ring finger. I was feeling some form of "skipped beats" but did not think my chest pain was cardiac in nature. I am a surgical nurse and after discussing with staff I work with we hooked me up to our basic EKG monitor at work. I showed PVC and PAC about every fourth to sixth beat. I went to the walk in that afternoon and had a 12 lead EKG and they said everyone has these...go see you regular MD.
I did this and he didn't seem concerned. Felt my pain was just muscular. Referred me to a ortho doc (who said it wasn't muscular or bone...doesn't know why I am an in pain!)
Fast forward to the end of September and the chest pain and PVC's are literally constant and one thing I notice is they are significantly worse in the 7-10 days leading to my period.
I have stopped Caffeine, I added Mg. and potassium since many of the online forums I have read says this helps. I have tried Vit. B also... nothing seemed to help. I am even thinking the potassium may be making it worse.
I have seen a cardiologist and had tests and labs. My Vit. D was extremely low so I am now on 5000 units. No thyroid problems.
A holter Monitor was done and showed 30,000 (about 25% of my heart beats) PAC and PVC combination PVC 3 to 1 PAC basically (and this was done on what I would call a "good day" not a day where I was feeling a lot)
Echo was basically normal...apparently they could not rule out/or I may have some slight defect that increases my risk for a stroke and I have Mitral valve prolapse (very mild)
Stress Echo was fairly normal...he said I don't have ectopic beats while exercising (this was done a a week ago and of course today while exercising I was feeling PVC's the whole time!)
I am about to start my period again and the ectopic beats and chest/shoulder pain is literally constant.
My follow up was two days ago to review my tests and he ordered a beta blocker (metoprolol) for me... which I will start tonight, I am just concerned since I have a history of asthma (years ago). He wanted to start me on aspirin also but I have a severe allergy to aspirin! He said to start CoQ10.
I apologize for the long post... but
Can all this be exacerbated by hormones? Has anyone had experience with this before?
Is my heart now so "hot" so to speak that the ectopic beats are only feeding on each other?
Isn't 30,000 PVC/PAC a lot? It seems like a lot? Could they be causing my pain?
Finally before today I had no PVC during exercise and now they have started to happen? Is this bad?
Thank you for any information and for reading...if you got thru it all :)