Pvc vs vtac

[Flgrl75]

In 2011 during a hospital stay I had vtac of 11 beats. I just got my 3wk Holter monitor results and it showed I had a few Pvcs. I asked him what I have vtac or pvc and he said it was basically the same thing. Some from upper heart some lower. At one point my hr was 41. All he said is everything is ok, Nothing to worry about. No need for ablation at this point as he can't guarantee them to go away. Are pvcs the same as vtac in a sense? I saw a electrophysiologist so I'm trying to trust his opinion. It's just very hard to live with these. *-*

[MichelleP_3811]

It's a very difficult thing to come to grips with.   Many are in the same position as you.  How many do you think you are having?  Generally they will not treat unless you have an excess of them because sometimes treating them can make the situation worse.  They can be hard to treat.  Your best bet is to try and manage your triggers like caffeine, sugar and carbohydrates, stomach issues like acid reflux and stress.  The worst thing you can do is dwell on them as that will make them worse.  Being on any drug for 10 years the body adjusts.  You may need to change your dosage a bit but consult with your doctor about that.  Take care and I hope you feel better soon.  Best of luck with the new EP

[Flgrl75]

I'm seeing another cardio and EP Wed to get a second opinion. I think it'll put my mind at rest. I'm just tired of living in fear. Not to mention I used to just have em randomly,  now they are lasting a couple days in a row, very frustrating!  Sometimes my HR stays about 100 while resting which is high for me. I'm just starting to get anxious. Unsure when to seek medical attention and when not too. Lately I've been tired, kinda exhausted from them. Thinking the Coreg is starting not to work after 10 yrs. Although my bp is fine I take it for the pvcs. Idk I am so confused!  

[MichelleP_3811]

Vtac is a run of pvcs but it is not considered dangerous in healthy hearts which is sounds like you have in general.

[Bromley]

Ok I might not have been 100 percent clear. The topology of the Pvc on the monitor trace(that is, its shape) can tell doctors something about the origin of the pvc. A pvc seen on an ecg will provide even more precise information.  If a Pvc is setting up your vtac, it may be originating from the same place in your ventricle as the place indicated by your monitor trace.

[Bromley]

The nice thing about seeing vtac while in the hospital is that you are likely to see it on a 12 lead ekg.  Would it surprise you to find out that not all vtac is the same?

Like pacs and pvcs that originates in the upper and lower chambers of the heart,  some vtac originates in the upper portion of the ventricle, and some in the lower.  More over there are several common types. In addition to these distinctions,  doctors can assess the relative severity of vtac based on several considerations, including the type of vtac you have. Seeing pvcs on a heart monitor is generally not as reliable as capturing them on a ecg machine,  but it is possible that the information from the monitor corroborates the prior ecg findings.  Hence the statement that the pvcs on the monitor are the same (I.e as what we saw before on the ecg), so you diagnosis had not changed...

But now I am just guessing about all of this.  My suggestion to you is to talk to your doctor again about your diagnosis. They can explain exactly what they meant when they said that they were just the same thing.

[tom_h]

3 PVC's in a row qualifies as VT.  So perhaps you had a case of non-sustained ventricular tachycardia, NSVT.  In a healthy heart, it's not too much of a problem.  Your electrophysiologist is correct.  Unless you're throwing 10,000 or more a day, I wouldn't consider a study.