Aa
Skippy heart beats
I tried to post on the doctor forum but it won't let me so I thought I was run this by some other people:
Can you please tell me if I have been thru all the necessary testing for PVC's, PAC's, heart flutters etc. then I should not worry? I have had a holter (saw triplet PVC's and couplet PVC's (I think it was around 100 the day of the holter). I would think that 100 is quite a few? Would you consider this quite a few? The doctor didn't seem concerned about it and said since you have a normal heart don't sweat it (easy for him to say - he isn't getting these).
I have also had a stress test and it came back normal and an echo. The echo said there was slight backup of something but the guy told me it was totally normal to have that. Do you think I should pursue this thru another cardiologist or just not worry about it? I get skips, flutters etc. every single day and I really don't like the feeling of them. I take Prozac for my worry about these things and I think it takes the edge off a little but I still don't understand why my heart continually does this. Sometimes it just does one hard bang and other times it will do it every third or fouth beat. Is it true that normal hearts act like this? I don't know of anyone that feels skips and flutters and that is why I am having such a hard time beleiving the cardiologist I saw. I am a 47 year old healthy female.
Can you please tell me if I have been thru all the necessary testing for PVC's, PAC's, heart flutters etc. then I should not worry? I have had a holter (saw triplet PVC's and couplet PVC's (I think it was around 100 the day of the holter). I would think that 100 is quite a few? Would you consider this quite a few? The doctor didn't seem concerned about it and said since you have a normal heart don't sweat it (easy for him to say - he isn't getting these).
I have also had a stress test and it came back normal and an echo. The echo said there was slight backup of something but the guy told me it was totally normal to have that. Do you think I should pursue this thru another cardiologist or just not worry about it? I get skips, flutters etc. every single day and I really don't like the feeling of them. I take Prozac for my worry about these things and I think it takes the edge off a little but I still don't understand why my heart continually does this. Sometimes it just does one hard bang and other times it will do it every third or fouth beat. Is it true that normal hearts act like this? I don't know of anyone that feels skips and flutters and that is why I am having such a hard time beleiving the cardiologist I saw. I am a 47 year old healthy female.
Hi there,
I had to smile when I read your hello to me...it is so true. It's very nice to meet and talk with people here, but it really stinks too in that there are way too many people with PVC's/arrhythmia's. For something so common and obviously so life altering and yes, life destroying too, you would think that someone, somewhere, would be looking for a cure.
I've had them for 24 years now. They started up right around the first time I had a really stressful job with the government and got ALOT worse 3 years later after having a few panic attacks. I've had them in cycles ever since. The last cycle I had lasted 13 months and literally began within seconds of the surgeons coming out and telling me that my daughter had some complications during surgery.
Sorry to hear the mag doesn't work for you! I took 500 mg's this afternoon when I started into bigeminy and I've only had one PVC this evening. I know one thing for sure, if they keep going and progressively get worse again, I'm taking my EP up on the offer for an ablation. I just can't go through 20,000+ a day for months on end again. ....Everytime I hear the words "PVC's are benign" and you'll learn to live with them, I have to laugh outloud to save my sanity.
Be well!
I had to smile when I read your hello to me...it is so true. It's very nice to meet and talk with people here, but it really stinks too in that there are way too many people with PVC's/arrhythmia's. For something so common and obviously so life altering and yes, life destroying too, you would think that someone, somewhere, would be looking for a cure.
I've had them for 24 years now. They started up right around the first time I had a really stressful job with the government and got ALOT worse 3 years later after having a few panic attacks. I've had them in cycles ever since. The last cycle I had lasted 13 months and literally began within seconds of the surgeons coming out and telling me that my daughter had some complications during surgery.
Sorry to hear the mag doesn't work for you! I took 500 mg's this afternoon when I started into bigeminy and I've only had one PVC this evening. I know one thing for sure, if they keep going and progressively get worse again, I'm taking my EP up on the offer for an ablation. I just can't go through 20,000+ a day for months on end again. ....Everytime I hear the words "PVC's are benign" and you'll learn to live with them, I have to laugh outloud to save my sanity.
Be well!
I am glad the Banff thing generated so much interest! I am originally from Calgary as well? Where did you live in Calgary?
I lived in the Northeast, just off Edmonton Trail. It's funny another person might know the area. A big wonderful world, and yet so small. I heard Calgary passed 1 million recently. That's too big. Last I was in Banff it had changed significantly as well.
Celeste, I'm not sure what to think about ablation. While I don't get much relief from the high frequency, I do get some stretches where I don't think about them, I don't notice them. They are still there, but I'm unaware. Some of my hesitation is money, (I have a very high deductible) and some of it is fear of the potential risk.
I did an echo on Tuesday and I'm waiting for the results. If my heart is "structurally normal" then I think I will feel a little more secure. I guess that is the biggest defense against the pvcs. Knowing that your heart is strong regardless of the arrhythmia.
Celeste, I'm not sure what to think about ablation. While I don't get much relief from the high frequency, I do get some stretches where I don't think about them, I don't notice them. They are still there, but I'm unaware. Some of my hesitation is money, (I have a very high deductible) and some of it is fear of the potential risk.
I did an echo on Tuesday and I'm waiting for the results. If my heart is "structurally normal" then I think I will feel a little more secure. I guess that is the biggest defense against the pvcs. Knowing that your heart is strong regardless of the arrhythmia.
You lived just up the the Cardiology Plus office then! My favorite spot! I used to see Dr. Ma there.
Yes Calgary has gotten a LOT bigger. Banff has as well. It seems everyone is coming out west because there are a lot of jobs and a lot of money!
That is really a shame that if you live in the States you have to pay these huge amounts for health care. It is hard to get into doctors around here but at least it is covered in the $88.00/month fee we pay to the government.
Also that is what they keep on tell me. My heart is structurally sound so don't worry about. I just wish I could do that!
Yes Calgary has gotten a LOT bigger. Banff has as well. It seems everyone is coming out west because there are a lot of jobs and a lot of money!
That is really a shame that if you live in the States you have to pay these huge amounts for health care. It is hard to get into doctors around here but at least it is covered in the $88.00/month fee we pay to the government.
Also that is what they keep on tell me. My heart is structurally sound so don't worry about. I just wish I could do that!
You will get your wish, but you have to work on it a little bit.
You will eventually find something that distracts you from the "watchful waiting". Waiting and watching, AND checking to see if anything is new or different. Or counting. That always gets me. Counting. One minute it's "yippee I only got 10 pvcs" that time, the next minutes it's "dang, I got 25 pvcs, ugh now they are in couplets and triplets".
I have found that activity, more than trying to relax, helps to distract me. As a matter of fact, the one time I can count on to be pvc free is when I get on the treadmill and get my heart above 140bpm.
I am told that it is because the "correct circuitry of the heart takes over and there is no time for accessory pathways to fire". But it also reminds me that if I can do treadmill at 140bpm, without being short of breath (aside from the normal exercise), then my heart must be ok. I just don't think I have the stamina to spend my whole day on the treadmill lol
You will eventually find something that distracts you from the "watchful waiting". Waiting and watching, AND checking to see if anything is new or different. Or counting. That always gets me. Counting. One minute it's "yippee I only got 10 pvcs" that time, the next minutes it's "dang, I got 25 pvcs, ugh now they are in couplets and triplets".
I have found that activity, more than trying to relax, helps to distract me. As a matter of fact, the one time I can count on to be pvc free is when I get on the treadmill and get my heart above 140bpm.
I am told that it is because the "correct circuitry of the heart takes over and there is no time for accessory pathways to fire". But it also reminds me that if I can do treadmill at 140bpm, without being short of breath (aside from the normal exercise), then my heart must be ok. I just don't think I have the stamina to spend my whole day on the treadmill lol
Im a 35 yr old female who used to work out and take all kinds of supplements. I've recently laced on my routine and became a couch potato gaining a lil weight (im 5'4 @ 129-not too bad) and in january had a major episode of palps that made me dizzy and flushed and very anxious. Anxiety runs in my family. After a week of episodes - loss of sleep and scary frustration I went to the doc. They did a ekg..blood tests and told me to cool it on my nicotine and alcohol intake. Everything came back normal and I've cut down on my drinking and nicotine started taking magnesium ..potassium and omegas but still have days and sleepless nights with these pounding skips and racing beats. Im worried that I will develops an enlarged heart if this keeps up. I even got some xanax from a friend just to calm down and it doesn't always help(I know its not an answer but I need to relax to sleep ). Am I having panic attacks..is this normal should I go back to the doc? Help
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