Skipped Beats

[aplybu]

Hi! Im a healthy 28 yr old female. Im 118 lb. I have been dealing w/ awful skipped beats & fast pulse for about 2 years now. Seemed to come out of no where and have not went away. Have had several tests including many ekgs, echo, stress test, 2 24 hour holters, and 1 2 week event monitor. The ekgs all were fine (one said it showed a touch of incopmplete right bundle branch block), the echo showed a very mild case of mitral valve prolapse, and the holters showed rare PAC and sinus tach., and the event recorder showed PVC, PAC, sinus arrythmia, and sinus tach.. These were performed by 2 seperate cardios. Neither recommended further treatment. Was told the PVCs were nothing to worry about to give him a call if they become as high as 10 each minute then he may prescribe something. I am now worrying about these so much it is taking up too much of my time. I am so scared of them that I always am checking my pulse. Can stress and anxiety really cause these if so how? Can I be giving my self more just my thinking about them all the time or is the condition getting worse? Wanted to have children soon and am afraid the PVCS and anxiety will be an issue! Please help I am fed up with this! Should I seek another opinion or stop the worrying! So afraid of my heart just stopping or going into major arrythmia! My resting pulse has been a little high also (about 90s when just sitting reading or on computer) although I am anxious 24/7 these days! Any help would be GREAT!! THANK YOU SO SO MUCH!!!!

[aplybu]

Thank you for your answers and time! I know that I have an anxiety problem and so I will try to focus on getting that under control and hope that it also helps to take care of the skipped beats. If you don't mind one more quick question. If I have mild MVP does that meen I still have a structually normal heart and could the MVP make the PVCs/PACs more serious? THANK YOU SO SO MUCH!!!!!!!

[Michael J. McWilliams, M.D.]

You have been evaluated by two cardiologists now and they both concluded that the PVCs were not dangerous.  I am not sure that  3rd opinion will be different, but if you will feel better it might be worth.  You need to ask yourself what next though.  You have two opinions already -- will three be enough or will you want a fourth or a fifth.  This is a difficult interplay between perceived problems and the actual problem and it is difficult to fix.  I find that many PVC patients are so convinced that their doctors are missing something or are not being honest about the prognosis that it drives them crazy.  It is possible that some people are so scared of the PVCs that the adrenaline and neuro endocrine changes may result in more PVCs.  It is clear that stress increases PVCs in some people.

If I have a patient that wants to become pregnant, I prefer that they be no medications if possible.  It sounds like your doctors have given you a clean bill of health.  Ask them if they think it will be a problem if you get pregnant, but I can't see a reason that wouldn't recommend that you proceed.

From reading your post, it sounds like anxiety is a problem.  Have you talked to your doctor about this yet?

I hope this helps, thanks for posting.

[johncat]

Please trust in your doctors and rest assured if there was anything serious with your PVC's they would tell you.  I too have experienced PVC for a little over a year.  My holter test showed 3,400 in one day with 340 coming in only 1 hour.  I know what you are going through.  But please, keep your chin up and know you are just fine.  Do everything you can to try and cope with them and do not miss out on anymore of your precious time.  Benign PVC's are nothing more than annoyances in our lives and nothing more.  Hopefully, someday they will subside for you.  They have not bothered me for over 4 months.  Although I know I am still having a few everyday, I refuse to check my pulse.

[aplybu]

Sorry! I just wanted to add that I had an episode a few eeks ago when I had the stomach flu that my pulse was really high and racing for hours 110-140bpm. It started a little before I got sick to my stomach and lasted for some time after. Is that normal when your sick? It was back to normal the next morning when I woke up. When I am relaxed my pulse is in the 70-80s and I never have any problems when I am sleeping but feel my heartbeat alot before falling asleep. I am obsessed with being afraid of having a heart problem. Thank you again!!