Positional Causes to Abnormal Beats

[hefner33]

So whats the verdict on these? As far as being triggers such as laying on back, lying left/right side, or slouching forward does anybody know whats physically happening?

Ive heard a couple things but were just theories such a vagus nerve irritation, or other structures in the body touching the heart or change in blood flow.

If these were true, why do they show up later in life? And why can they last for a while or only last a few seconds. Physically speaking

Anyways. ..thoughts?

[marlinspike]

My view is that the heart gets sensitised by something - stress, illness, though in my case they started after an operation so I suspect I was given too much general anaesthetic- and afterwards becomes easily irritated. So things that would not previously have bothered me, like a heavy meal, strong coffee, lying in certain positions, now trigger PVCs.There is also the issue that I am so tuned in to my heart that I notice every sensation, whereas before occasional PVCs (which everyone gets) would have gone unnoticed.

[marlinspike]

I had read occasional reports of anaesthetic causing arrhythmias, but it does not seem to be a widely acknowledged cause by general doctors. All I can say is that I was not aware that I had PVCs, had an op and took a long time to come round from the general anaesthetic, then a week later had my pulse taken in a routine check and was sent to A and E by my doctor. I went from no PVCs to hundreds if not thousands a day. The general anaesthetic is the only thing I can put it down to. I did not realise I was having them until my go told me so it can't have been anxiety. Thus began several years of massive anxiety and panic attacks and fear that I was about to drop dead. I have worked on the anxiety a lot,and the PVCs have calmed down though I still feel some most days.

[hefner33]

I had alarm bells go off soon as you said "general anaesthetic".

I had a endoscopy maybe a month before all these problems and had to be put under.

Is this a known cause to premature beats?

[Jenn1302]

I tend to get them after eating when laying on my back with my knees up or doing things that put pressure on my stomach (e.g. slouching when sitting down).

[Artaud]

Actually, there may be a few factors.

One as you suggest, another being hemodynamics.

I work on a computer often at work, so there is protracted sitting. I've had slightly vericosed veins in one leg much of my life, manifesting more as a swelling issue in my calf than as obvious distended veins. I noticed pain in my calf recently, diagnosed as phlebitis, and the calf was significantly larger than my other calf. A change in medication and a compression stocking/sock has it back to normal, no pain, no swelling.

But I was told I have (this is a long time thing) venous insufficiency. There are valves in the leg veins designed to prevent blood from pooling in your legs and feet. These valves can cease to properly function, and blood pools in the legs. But when you lay down, gravity is no longer a problem and viola, the blood becomes a more active component of circulation and the heart has to adjust.

And Heart Rate is a very dynamic thing, your rate is constantly being adjusted due to input from Baroreceptors in the Aortic Arch of the heart and in the Carotid Arteries. So, when you lay down, more blood may freely circulate, and the heart rhythm is tweaked due to changes in the Baroreceptors.

http://www.khanacademy.org/science/health-and-medicine/circulatory-system/blood_pressure_control/v/regulation-of-blood-pressure-with-baroreceptors

See the above link, there's a video at that site that discusses the Baroreceptors in a casual way.

When my PVCs are being contrary, I can sit in a chair idle for a few minutes, then suddenly contract my thigh muscles in one leg, that's often good for at least a single PVC, and sometimes, I can do it repeatedly. I think this is due to the transient change in Blood Pressure, its influence on the Barorecptors, and the brief adjustment accordingly applied to the heart rate.

[pvctom]

thanks for posting that. sometimes i really get lots of pvcs and extra hard thumps when i lay down, or left side. so i can't understand it. but thanks for the post.

[hefner33]

Heres a response I got from a Medical Dr on a ask a dr site.

Dr. Budi R. Bahureksa answered:
Changing pressure
It has something to do with chest cage strain or changes in the intrathoracic pressure that put some strain to the heart