PAC - Beta Blocker?

[camyk]

I've been having PACs on and off and it started about a month ago.  The doctor wants to see if I can deal with it first before perscribing medicine,  From what I understand, these PACs are just bothersome.  I am assuming he would perscribe a beta blocker if the PACs still bother me.  How effective are beta blockers for PACS?  Are there long time side effects for taking beta blockers?  Once I go on, can I go off them?  Do beta blockers sometimes cause PVCs for people that are only having PACs?  And do PACss eventually dissappear after a while?

Just wondering if others can share their PAC experiences as well.  I get anywhere from 5 to 10 a minute.  However, I have had a few days where I had less than 10 the entire day.

Thanks.

[rebby30]

Have you tried Hawthorn and Hawthorn berries? These have saved me from going completely insane from my pvcs and pacs. They seem to lessen the symptoms.

[mammaoftwins]

Just wanted to warn you about amiodarone. This drug caused pernament hearing loss in 30 percent of the females in the study, which was nearly all of them. Be careful my cardio doc would not prescribe this med because of the harsh and life threatening side effects.

[Mike85281]

For whatever reason, my doctor chose to put me on Amiodarone from the start. I was in the hospital at the time, so I guess I was in the right place to try it. I was in a-fib almost 12 hours when they gave me a strong dose in my IV. Within 15 minutes my heart was back to a normal beat. They tapered me down for the next 24 hours and then I was allowed to go home. I now take 200 mg once a day. If it's decreased my PVC's is hard to say, because my PVC's change in frequency.

[Jerry_NJ]

Yes, as noted by Mike, Amiodarone is one, a very powerful one.

I would think the doctor would start with something lighter "weight", like
Propafenone (a generic name) and Rythmol which is a in a slow release SR.  

I have used both for AFib, and while the Propafenone appeared to hold me in normal rhythm (sinus) following electrocardioversion, it never worked longer than two years.
AFib is, of course, different than PAC, but similar I think and I think similar treatment medications are used.

I have not yet tried Amiodarone, my doctor has recommended it to me, but I am so far unwilling to be hosptialized to give it a try....it requires ICU type monitoring when first introduced to protect against possible bad reactions.

[Mike85281]

I've been on Metoprolol, a beta-blocker, over 4 years and it's done nothing to stop or lessen my PVC/PAC episodes. I was recently started on Amiodarone, an arrhythmia drug, and it's slowed my heart down and stopped atrial fibrillation, but I don't know if it's affected the PVC/PAC's as well. As far as what I've been told, nothing really stops them. Somethings might lessen them though, but I have yet to find it.

[camyk]

Thanks for your reply, not sure if I misunderstood but you mentioned other medicine besides BB that will help with the PAC episodes?  Can you give me examples of some?

Thanks,

[Jerry_NJ]

While I see BB being prescribed for many things, it isn't something that would directly treat PAC, unless a lower blood pressure and/or lower heart rate helps.  Those are the two major affects of a BB.

There are many arrhythmic drugs that specifically affect the electrical signal transmission, the signal that is triggering the PAC.

To the best of my knowledge BBs are widely uses and other than there well known side effects there is little risk in there use.