PVC's....some advice

[Leah22]

I am a 25 year old female, in good health. I went to the doctor today because I have felt a strange fluttering in my chest along with a strong heart beat, occasionally for the past few days. My doctor first listened to my heart and said she heard a slight premature heartbeat once. She listened for about two minutes. I then had an EKG done, and a cardiologist looked at it and said it was normal. Should I be concerned with the premature heartbeat? I can feel it beating strongly in my chest. My doctor knows that I suffer from anxiety and panic attacks, and she believes that the generalized anxiety could be the problem. But, since I do have bad anxiety, I am now freaking out and I am paranoid to work out or do anything strenuous. My doctor said the best thing I could do is work out to help ease my anxiety but I am still freaking out. Can anyone relate, or does anyone have any advice?? Thanks

[dquenzer]

Doctors some times don't really pay much attention to these things.  I have a friend whose wife is a doctor and when she started getting PVC's she had a hard time coping even though she knew they were benign.  The old question, "'Which comes first the chicken or the egg?" comes to play here.  It seems to me that you should look at treating the anxiety issue.  You can be sure that PVC's or PAC's will not hurt you as your doctor has said.  But if you have a general anxiety disorder you should look at making a few life changes:
1)  Get plenty of rest.  At least 7 to 8 hours of good sleep a night.
2)  Eat absolutely no sugar, caffiene, alcohol.  NO stimulants whatsoever.
3)  I would get a Yoga tape that takes you through the exercises.  Forget all the praying  and meditation etc. with Yoga.  You can do Yoga moves and not get into that.  But the strength, balance, and stretching moves are very relaxing yet give you an excellent workout.  You will really sweat, but you will feel very good afterwards.  Youcan get an entire workout routine on DVD at beachbody.com.
4)  I would try going to a biofeedback person to learn how to relax and physically turn off the panic attacks.  I did this and it really works well.

[rosetoes]

I have had anxiety many times in my life and it did make my heart beat strongly in my chest..it is absolutely a symptom of anxiety/panic attacks....as well as skipped beats.  Your doctor is right to say that exercise does reduce anxiety...you should think about starting an exercise routine gradually and see how you feel.  And when you start becoming anxious, try deep breathing and hold your breath in and count to 8 and then let it out slowly...do that several times...that always calmed my heart beat.

If you google anxiety and panic attacks....most of what you feel will be on the website under symptoms.

I use to have anxiety alot at night, and I reading an anxiety book that starting with your feet, tense them for a count of 8 and gradually relax them, do it twice, then  move up to your legs, tense them, count, release, tighten, your thighs, buttocks, stomach( hold it in), your chest, even when you get to your face, open you mouth wide, count to 8 then release....I swear it works.  I don't know if some of it has to do with concentration on something else the ease the tension, but I would be relaxed afterwards.  These exercises help so much to prevent or ease stress.  They say yoga and meditation is good too....I not much on meditation and yoga...too  clumsy.

My anxiety is far less than what it use to be...but I had a severe bout with it when I discovered that I had SVT....this is when I really read about anxiety and how I could handle it.

Best wishes to you.
Rose