Question about PACS

[GrantN]

I have posted some of my recent history on here.  Just to recap, I have been having PACS for a couple weeks now, I am 35 years old.  Had some tests run that came back fine....was told not to worry about it, but I still do.  I have used Xanax to cope....cut out all caffeine and alcohol pretty much.  Was given a small dose of 25mg of atenolol to take but have not started taking it yet.  

My question is, does anyone who experiences PACS or PVC's (I have not been told I've had any PVC's yet)...do you feel more tired?  Not necessarily through the day, although I do catch myself yawning more.....but at night I am so tired and I usually stay up until midnight or after easily watching TV.  It seems like now I am so tired by 11 or midnight and fall asleep quickly...even though I'm scared to go to sleep because of the PACS.  I'm wondering if PACS or PVCS can make you more tired or maybe its the anxiety over them that makes me tired.....just thought I'd see if anyone else experiences that.  

Thanks,

Grant

[GrantN]

I feel bad complaining about mine now after seeing how long you have been dealing with yours.  I'm the same way about going to bed though, especially when I am on the road by myself traveling for work.....that has always been a fear of mine before I felt the palps....now that I know I have early beats (even though I have been told be a couple different doctors that they are harmless and I have a strong heart) I dread going out of town and staying in hotels that much more!  

I am going to continue to exercise (just recently started again) because I guess losing some weight and keeping my heart strong is better than doing nothing.  I got on the treadmill for 8 minutes during my test last week and was hooked up to a monitor, it looked like my PACS went away during exercise...only to return when my heart rate came back down.  Not sure what that means.  

Thanks again though for the update, please stay in touch, this is a great forum....everyone have a great day!

[TatiSD]

I loved your post and I think it will be super encouraging to many reading what you describe at the cardio fitness center.  I feel the depth of your anxiety and frustrations and I too have been brought to tears in cardiologists' and physicians' offices.  We simply do not want these things, but I keep trying to remember that there are so many who truly suffer much worse.
Bravo for being brave and continuing your workout even though you were feeling the pac's.   I'll think of you next time I'm on the elliptical. :)

[GrantN]

Thank you all for the comments....I have also heard that regular exercise can help reduce the PACS as well....has anyone had any experience with that?

Also, a question I am asking my main cardiologist in early August when I see him is....Was my heart (and my overall health) better three weeks ago before these PACS started?  I am very interested to hear this answer...I can't imagine that even though this is common and benign that my heart is just as healthy with several premature beats as it was when it was steady all the time.  Then again, the EMT that found one finally on an EKG said it was a PAC, not to sweat it and that I have probably had them my whole life even though I am now just feeling them.

Thanks for the comments, they are comforting.  The Xanax may definitely be the cause of me becomming pretty tired and falling asleep quicker than normal.  

I tell you this, I travel for my job a lot and stay in hotel rooms by myself....I will definitely be using this board and everyone's reassurance when I'm traveling because that is a fear of mine....dying in my sleep, I had that fear before the PACS started and now with this it magnifies that fear.  I am also not ashamed to say that I am going to start seeing a psychologist who specializes in people with anxiety and OCD which I may have a little of because I seem to obsess over worrying.  It's like as soon as I find out that the thing I worry about is fine I find something else to worry about.  

Thank you all, this board is a great resource!  

[rilesnic]

I take xanax for my PAC's as needed.  It puts me to sleep and I take half of a 0.25mg. I have had PAC's for 16 years.  They are very annoying, can be terrifying, and are a direct cause of my panic attacks which happen several times a month.  The anxiety makes me very tired, and the PAC's, when they happen in runs, do cause me to feel drained.  I'm assuming because this causes me to become frightened and panicked.  I have had complete strangers ask if I was ok after my PAC's acted up...I turned very pale.  Like Tati said, they are going to happen while your asleep or awake. I have been told my condition is benign and that if I pass out, I'll come to....comforting huh?  I have had nocturnal panic attacks that have woke me in the middle of the night with my heart racing and beating irregular.  25mg of atenolol made me very tired as well, and fatigue is a side effect of beta-blockers.  I wish you the best!

[is_something_wrong]

Hello.

PACs are conducted through your heart chambers equal to normal heart beats. In other words, your main pumping chambers cannot tell the difference between a PAC and a normal heart beat. This is a reason why PACs generally doesn't reduce the heart's pumping abilities and should not cause tiredness.

However, PACs can be associated with tiredness, because:

1) They are often creating a lot of anxiety, (I would know) and you can get tired after anxiety events.

2) The PACs often have a cause, not in your heart, but other conditions that also cause tiredness.

And as you probably know, Xanax is very likely to cause tiredness.

[TatiSD]

Hi there.  It sounds like the pac's are getting the best of you and I sympathize because when I first started getting them, they threw me for a loop as well, and still do at times.  Just the fact that you say you've been yawning a lot is an indication of anxiety feelings.  Are you relating the yawning to being tired, or you actually feel physically tired ?  These panicked feelings and playing the "what-if" game can take a toll on you making you feel out of it.
Keep reading, there are so many posts here with people that deal with all sorts of arrhythmia issues and most are told that their condition is benign and not life threatening.  Your pac's will not kill you wether you're sleeping or awake.  
I am guessing that maybe getting tens of thousands per day may make some people feel  fatigued, but since your tests came back normal, dealing with the anxiety is your challenge.  After 17 years of arrhythmia (and I'm still here, as are sooo many others) I still struggle to accept these unsettling manifestations of the heart, but that's because I illogically want them gone completely.  This desire only causes me frustration and suffering.  It's very unlikely that they will disappear for good, so accepting and dealing with them in an aware manner is the key. Observe them and let them be when they come, just as you accept a hiccup.  It's work and not easy, but try to relax through them anyway.
(one last thing - the Xanax can definitely make you feel tired and sleepy so that may be the cause)  Take care and try remaining calm.  I'll try too. :-)