PVC's and more

[aluisi]

Hi all,

I am new here this is a great board. I started getting PVC's last year on new years day I had two didn't know what it was and just blew it off. Before that happend I had a kidney stone. I had it in 2009 from September till December. Man that was painful. I then got bronchitis in January 2010 and put on a anti bodic. After tanking that and after getting better I had had what I can say was a major panic attack that was so sever it landed me in the ER. Then after that a two week stint oh feeling shaky dizzy rapid heat beat and like crap. My doctor could figure it out. I had one doc make me take a glucose tolerance test a 5 hour one. I did that one day and at hour 4 I almost passes out I felt so bad and dizzy. After the test I went home grabbed a big sandwich and a big Gatorade and felt way better. So my doc got the results and was surprised. At that 4 hour mark my blood sugar was so low he said I was lucky I didn't slip into a coma.
so off to a endocrinologist. They made me take my blood sugar multipal times a day keep a diary of what I ate all that. They saw no issues so they stuck me in the hospital for 4 day for a insulinoma test. Starved me for 4 day waking me up and taking blood every 4 hours and after all that no issues. So off to a dietitian and fallow this plan. I had issues every once and a while and had some panic attacks but nothing major.

So come 2011 new years day I had 2 PVC's in a row. Chocked it up to nothing and then every day it started happening so went to the ER they told me you EKG looks good it's PVC's or a PAC go see a cardiologist. So I went to my normal doc first. He did a 24 hour halter monitor and dint catch much. Then he did a echocardiogram and said everything looks good there. My issues persisted. He did another halter and caught some stuff but said it looked liked PAC. I had more major issues ended up in the ERagain e PVC's where one after another. Docs said its normal your not going to die take this beta blocker and it should help the symptoms. They gave me toropl xl it didn't do anything so my normal doc took me sectral. That was helping. He did a treadmill test and didn't see any issued but my blood pressure taking longer then normal to come down. And he left it at that. I saw a cardiologist he suggested and the guy said take the beta blocker your fine see ya around. All the while I was still have PVC's. So the old cardiologist sold his practice and a new guy took over. I started seeing him. He put me on quinapril. He said it could be caused by something other then stress and stuff. He actually listened to me and Gave me lots of info. He wanted me off the beta blocker because he said its over prescribed and doesn't help fix issues just masks them. So it took me until this month this year to get off of the beta blocker. The first time I tried to get off my heart rate shot up I felt like crap and more. So it was a month of 75% then 50% then a month of 25% and so on. I then this year at the end of febuary had to have my appendix taken out. That didn't cause any PVC or any issues really at all.

So we get to July this month. I lost my insurance and had to go on MSI county back insurance. I didn't get a choice of a doctor I was given one. I gave him my history and he took blood tests and said stop taking all your mess. We will figure out what's going on. Well I already stopped the beta block but I didn't stop taking the BP mess. I was feeling fun but did relapse before I saw him with a major panic attack. So he wanted to put me on viibryd and said its panic attacks causing your issues well I haven't taken it. Well heck ever since I told all of these doctors about my issues that's all any of them can say is it's panic attack and I say bull. I almost never have them and when I do I know when they are coming on and I stop them. Well that being said the new doc was going to get me a referral for a new cardiologist since I can't see my old one with the new insurance.

So all this takes me to this past few weeks. my doc. Got back to me with my blood tests. He said that's had high cholesterol. Said my LDL was 220. Not sure if that's super high or not. So he wanted me to take zocor for the cholesterol. Ever since I started taking it the past few weeks I would get hot flashes and start to feel shaky and like crap. I would eat and feel fine so I didn't think anything of it. This kept happening. I had dark pee and started to get sore in my legs and lower back mucels. So I was feeling good this past sunday went to sleep woke up on monday and bam!!!!!! Full Blown PVC times. It's was constant. I went to the ER cuz my doc couldn't see me until, the next day. Well I was having PVC's while waiting. They took a EKG and of course they woman was low as dirt I was having PVC's took her time hooked me up hit the buton then pulled everything off. Of course no PVC's happend while I was hooked up. because I was hooked for like 5 seconds lol. PVC's started after the EKG and just wired for hours. I finally saw the treage nurse an she said my EKG looked good I told he I was feeling better and they have seam to gone away and I want to go home. Well she said no stay its better to be seen so I stayed. They hooked me up to the monitor  took blood and I was feeling fine. Time came when I usually take my cholesterol meds and I told them about it and asked them if it was okay to take they said yes and I took it. I was sitting around still for a hour or more and they said well you can go. Before they came in and told me that's hit the call light and told them I had a PVC so the can see it. So they told me nothing they can do they can give me a scrip for beta blocker and see ya around. Well I told them the PVC's have started up again. They said well if they get worse come back. Well I went home and all night was having PVC's constantly. Slept a few hours and woke up to PVC's. Called my OC got in o see him and he caugh it on a EKG. He said just looks like a skipped beat. He said beta blocker I will get the referral faste for a halter test. Well the PVC's were ever beat ther for a long time. I was feeling dizzy and almost passed out a few times. Called doc they said if it gets wores go to the ER. So it was bad and back to the hospial. They hooked me up yo EKG and monitor n caught it on both. ER OC said PVC's nothing we can do every one has them you just feel them. Beta blockers I'll mask the issues but you can just deal with them when you have symptoms you will be fine. Well I went home and was feling fine. Time came to take th cholesterol meds so I did. Then a hour or so later PVC's again. So I started thinking about it. I read up on side effects and there is was muscle pain high blood sugar and iragualr heart beat. Well the blood sugar kicks up my reactive hypoglycemia so it makes sence when I felt shaky and crapy and better when I ate and now I am having PVC's when this stuff is getting absorbed by my body. So I am stop taking this crap. And so far the PVC's have slowed down and I feel better. I am sick and tiered of docs just handing out meds and it's like here ya pat on the back and out the door you go. I want to find out what's causing my issues I want to fix it. It is getting so bad that I get scared to leave my house and I am missing out on life. I need support but I don't have nay. What should I be asking these docs what tests should I look into getting done?

[aluisi]

Thanks for the post.  I did that post on my iPad I just thought I would post my whole history and see if any one had any input or similar experiences. Ya once I get my referral I am going to ask for the long tearm monitor. That's one of the only thing they haven't done. I am currently off of all meds right now. The PVCs are still there but I can't feel them like I did before and they are no where near as frequent. I am curentlt in the process of quitting smoking it's not easy o do but I am alimentary. I never had. Issue with smokin and PVC's since they happend before when I wasn't smoking for 2 years. Life just it stressful and crazy and I started up again. I know it's bad.

So far being off the meds I feel okay. Not much of a apitite and I just feel blah and worn down but it could be from lack of sleep cuz all the recent issues.

[Jerry_NJ]

Your post is very complex and covers a lot medical inputs, not of which I'd care to comment on.  But I will say:
1) an LDL of 220 would be outrageous, maybe that number is your total cholesterol which is the sum of LDL+HDL+%of Triglycerides.  I don't remember the % number, but small, like 15%.  A total of 220 is still high, it should be under 200 for most of us, lower for me as I do suffer from heart disease.
2) I am surprised at your sensitivity to changes in beta blocker dose level, here I just have my experience to go on, but I can say I've gone from 50 mg to 200 mg a day, and back again in large steps, like 100 mg one day 200 mg the next.  The only strong reaction I go was dizziness when making large increases in dose level.  I've never noticed anything (other than fewer undesirable side-effects) when reducing dose, including going to zero mg for short periods - my own test.
3) I believe most who suffer from PVCs are not disabled by the problem and just have to live with them, I live with atrial fibrillation (but I am an old guy, so it is just my time to wear out).
4) I may have missed, but it may be you need to wear a long term heart monitor, not just the Holter (24 hour).  You doctor has to have specific technical information to accurately diagnose heart rhythm problems...it is typical for the heart to "behave" when one is in the doctor's office and on the EKG.  Seems the doctor's office caused the heart rhythm to go to normal and the blood pressure to go high.
5) Our mental state affects our physical health, as does our physical life style: what we eat, drink and use.

Good luck is all I can offer.