I have been suffering from PVC's for about 5 years. I am a 31 years old male, smoke-free for several years, 5'-9" and 150#. I haven't had a doctor tell me exactly how many I have in a day, but when I have them, they're about 1 every 5 or 6 heart beats on average, and sometimes 1 every 2 or 3 and they happen day and night. I have noticed them at these frequencies 6 out of 7 days a week (on average) for about the last 3 years. Heart disease runs in my family and my cholesterol is borderline, around 210. Like others, I have gotten medical opinions that my PVC's are benign, but I am still concerned that they are a harbinger of heart problems to come.
As evidenced by this forum, there are a lot of other people that are suffering from the same condition.
Like others, I have done a lot of testing. Medicine, diet, life-style management, etc. (not surgery). Lately, I have found what I think to be a winning combination that almost eliminates PVC's for me, and I'm wondering if it would also work for others.
From what I have been able to discern, this is a list of "rules" to make my PVC's go away:
No Caffeine - I have eliminated caffeine from my diet. This alone does not prevent them from happening.
Reduce the amount I eat out - It sounds strange, but eating out almost always triggers them. I haven't been able to determine whether it's sodium, fats, MSG, sugars or what. But, I have always eaten out a lot and unless I'm very particular about what I eat , they will occur. Hamburgers, chinese food, and buttery dishes are particularly aggravating. I still eat out (probably too much) but I've cut back.
Light on red meats, heavier on chicken - As a carnivore, I still eat red meat, just not as often. When given the option, I choose chicken.
Eat a lot of vegetables daily - I have made myself eat a large serving of vegetables at almost every meal. Broccoli, green beans, corn, etc. I usually don't put butter or a lot of salt on them. They can be along side a meaty entree.
Eat a lot of fruits daily - I have gotten into the habit of making myself a smoothie everyday. I may be imagining it, but this seems to make the biggest difference for me. My smoothies are made with frozen fruit, orange juice, yogurt (sometimes honey and vanilla extract). I probably about 24oz as my breakfast.They're actually very tasty. That's about all I eat for fruits each day (sometimes an apple or banana).
Exercise in any form - Walking/running/weight lifting. It doesn't seem to matter, just needs to add up to 30minutes/day.
Avoid nicotine - I don't smoke anymore, but I did in college a little, and the PVC's would start almost immediately.
This is about it. Incidentally, I haven't noticed much correlation with alcohol and chocolate consumption and PVC's, except sometimes with red wine and sometimes with excessive beer drinking. Also, I am not on any medicines.
My PVC's stop within 2-3 days of following these rules. It would be great if others had the same success. Please, if you try this, convey your experience on this thread.
Thanks