is this serious?

[scuuty]

i was told i have ventricular bigeminy and should go see a heart specialist is this something i should be concerned about.

[ajwaldenstein]

I've had bigeminy for about 6 years but it started out only occasionally and now for the past week it has been constant..i am actually laying in bed now feeling the rapid slamming against my chest..which is ok except that tonight i am afraid to fall asleep because when i start dozing off am forced awake by the feeling that i am forgetting to breath..very scary

[yar1950]

I am a 58 year old guy a bit over weight and quite active.
I have had Ventricular Bigeminy for a couple of years now. The doctor put me on a low dose of beta blockers, this did tend to stop the feeling in the chest etc but I asked to come off them as they lowered my heart rate to 40 bpm. My usual heart rate is around 45-48 and this is why my so called benign condition is so scary. When I miss a beat it feels like  a 2-3 second delay between beats.
Question: does anyone else with the condition have a slow heart rate?

thanks

[dolly798]

I am sorry that the Troprol caused you such a scary issue.  I have taken it for years.  For many years it effectively kept my PVCs under control and my hr was around 70 and BP normal.  But then the PVCs got so bad and bigimeny so continous that my HR was around 40 most of the time.  I had the PVC every other beat, but it was not effectivly pumping any blood, so the actual beat that sent blood through was only about 40 per minute.  The ER doc said  he didn't know why I was up and walking around and not on the floor passed out.  That is when the EP decided to try the ablation.  

How did you sleep study turn out?  I am suppose to  have one soon.
I am praying for you!!
Dolly

[Mom2four85]

The ep gave me 25mg of Toprol - that's why I felt ok with it, seemed like a really small amount - but it could have been some weird interaction with my system that didn't mix with it.  

The dr at the hospital said normally it doesnt take BP & HR down so quickly - they got mine stablizied at 70/40 bp & 41 hr but it wouldn't go higher; even after 7 hours of monitoring me.

I'm having a sleep study done on Aug 22nd & my ablation on August 26th, and I really hope it works, but I have some other issues I have to deal with also (CKD) on the back burner that needs to be dealt with that may be aggravating the issue.

[dolly798]

Wow, how much Torprol did they give you?  I have taken Toprol for years and years to control the PVCs.  I take it now with the flecainide.  I think with a good, experienced EP, ablations do work much of the time.  I just was so scared, and I was wide awake and remembered every single part of mine.  And afterward I was still in bigimeny and since I could not get up for a couple of hours (standard procedure to make sure no bleeding from the cath), I was really uncomfortable.  The most important thing I can say is make sure you have an EP and a cardiologist that listens, and that understands that even if the PVCs are benign, some of us can't just live with them.  We need to have treatment to lead a normal life.  I kind of think of it this way, slamming my finger in a car door is benign, but I wouldn't leave my finger in the car door!! LOL!  Anyhow, I will watch for the your posts everyday, and please keep us all informed about how your'e are doing and how your ablation goes!  God Bless!!

[Mom2four85]

Oh I am terrified of ablation also, it drove me to have a 2nd opinion and put me in the hospital from them giving me Toprol, so at this point Im a bit more terrified of medication lol

I'm having ablation next week, and looking forward to seeing if it works - I told my husband to expect 3 ablations [1 for each side of the heart and 1 for corrections].  After that I'm done and won't have anything else done - even though it may lead to a heart attack or CM for me.

I'm glad that Flecainide works for you, I am really leery even after surgery to try any other meds after the one they gave me, but I'll have to see how the ablation does.

since the original post is so old, you may want to do another one if you haven't - so many have questions about ablation, medication etc like me.

[dolly798]

I had an ablation before starting Flecainide.  I was terrified of both.  My ablation unfortunately, did not work.  My EP said the foci was probably on the other side of my heart than what he thought, and we could do another ablation, however, I said no because I was so terrified through the whole procedure, I did not want to endure it again, and so I agreed to try the flec.  My cardio, had tried to talk me into flec for two years prior, but I was stubborn and afraid.  45 min after taking my first flecainide, I was in sinus rythym for the first time in a year.  It was amazing.  So anyhow, I get my heart checked once a year, and call my EP anytime I have a question.  Other than the PVC's my heart is structurally sound with no evidence of cardiac disease.  I love the days that I don't have to think about the PVC's and I love my little bottle of flecianide and my EP!!

[Mom2four85]

I'm probably a poster child for pvc's, bigeminy, trigeminy, couplets triplets etc. I thought I was the only one who suffered 24/7 (54,181 - 24/hr holter) with these dreaded things lol they really never go away...irritating aren't they?

I saw my pcp in 2007, he did an ekg as a routine physical, he saw I was having pvc's he didn't tell me and I thought everything was "fine" with my heart.  I went to a new pcp in June 2009 and found out those pvc's aren't so "fine" and benign - my cardiologist & EP said sometimes normal dr's miss things they are trained to find.

If yours are 24/7 did they suggest ablation instead of Flecainide or you don't have other symptoms/problems?  They sent me through to ablation within a week, which scared the heck out of me and I decided to have a 2nd opinion, that agreed with the first EP.

[dolly798]

Thanks for the forum.  It is a Godsend for all of us PVC, Bigimeny suffers!!
I too suffer from the dreaded Bigimeny!  I progressed from occassional PVC over the years to constant Bigimeny 24X7!  all other tests are normal, and my cardio says my heart is perfectly normal except for the rythm part! LOL.  So anyhow, Flecainide has helped me tremendously, even though I still have some breakthrough bad days.  My best thing is that I found an EP that is wonderful, listens so well, answers all my silly questions, and I trust him completely.  God Bless you All.
Dolly

[SassyLassie]

I am always comforted when I read these posts. I post some too, and I should practice what I preach. Last night, I had two PVC's and they scared me again, so, I was not doing well last night. Gee, I wish I could stop worrying. He He, I keep getting my Echo test results and reading what the doc wrote, but, does it help.....noooooooo, not when I get wild. shame on me.

Dolflvr, I agree, these things can sure lead to anxiety disorder, and I have that already, so, it is a double whammy for me.

Oh yes, thanks for all the descriptions of bigeminy and trigeminy beats, I understand better.

Hugs
Susie

[scuuty]

i must say that i already feel comfort just hearing from all you guys, i dont see the cardiologist till the 27th of nov. but im feeling positive that things will go okay.....its really a blessing that i stumbled upon this site...  

[RNRita]

I have a little correction here.  Bigeminy is actually a normal beat, a PVC, a normal beat, a PVC.  Trigeminy is a PVC, two normal beats, a PVC, two normal beats, etc.  If you two or three PVCs together, that would be a couplet or triplet.  Bigeminy or trigeminy, in and of themselves are not harmful, but are scary.  You should always get checked and when they tell you they are benign, come here for comfort!!!

[dolfnlvr]

No no no no no.  Bigeminy is BENIGN.  That means it is not harmful (well not usually...you should get it checked out--but if it is deemed benign then...).   So don't start going down the path where you stop being active because you are afraid of an irregular rhythm!!!  

Sometimes activity can make them go away.  Other times it can seem to trigger them.  You usually feel more PVC's when resting or lying down then you ever do while moving around or exercising.  So, what are we to do?  Run all day?  :-)  I know that sounds silly, but the opposite is true as well.  If exercise seems to bring on bigeminy, but you are otherwise fine, then sitting around all day is no less "silly" then running all day.  

Sometimes PVC's can start a cycle that is very similar to anxiety disorder.  You try to avoid whatever seemed to "lead" to the PVC's.  Then something else "triggers" them and you find yourself avoiding that as well.  Then something ELSE triggers them until before you know it, you are avoiding everything you love and life is awfully stressful and unhappy.

If you get checked out and the bigeminy is found to be harmless (as is the case 95% of the time) then go on with life and thumb your nose at these pesky hiccups!!!

We'll help you when it's tough.....

[scuuty]

thanks guys! im feeling a little better about this VB thing, i have an appointment with a cardiologist in awhile so hopefully that goes well and i can be back to my normal activities again,,, i just started playing tennis again after about 3years and then this but come to think of it when i just started playing, my doc found i had an irregular heart beat and i went to the cardiologist and it turned out to be nothing serious....maybe tennis is alittle too hectic for me....im only 25 so i dont know

[dolfnlvr]

Generally speaking though...bigeminy (or two PVC's together) is not serious.  You may have seen several posts relating to PVC's but not so many relating to bigeminy.  They are the same thing only PVC's are one at a time, bigeminy is when two piggy back on one another, trigeminy is a triplet.

PVC's are premature ventricular contractions, and EVERYONE has them.  Most people can't even feel them and unless told by a doctor or nurse would never have even known they were happening.  If you are one of these people, consider yourself very lucky.  Go see a cardiologist just to make sure everything is truly fine (bigeminy is USUALLY BENIGN) and if it is....go on living life as usual!!!

If you NOTICE the ectopic beats, then welcome to our community!!!  We all do, and they frighten us even though we know they are "harmless."  Sometimes they go away, other times they are so persistent as to seem dangerous...but we all get through them.  This site helps.  

Troll the forum for awhile and see what you find out.  If you have more questions, don't hesitate to ask!!!

[Jerry_NJ]

Who told you about vb?  If it was your doctor, I'd follow his advice/referral.  If s/he didn't give you any recommendation on a cardiologist you may want to ask s/he unless you already know/have one.