Daughter with PVC

[Jennbailey]

I have a 7 yr old daughter that had had hard & irregular heart beats for about 6 months or so, but thye have never hurt her.  She says that they just feel "weird". Yesterday, she started crying and said they it was hurting very badly.  I rushed her to her doctor and he said that he wanted her to see a cardio doctor and also get blood work done and a chest x-ray.  He thinks that she might have PVC's.  My question is, why all of a sudden after this period of time, would they start hurting her?  She said that it felt like someone was pushing on her heart really hard.
Thanks,
Concerned mom

[PVC man]

It might be an electrophysiologist who specializes in rhythm-once you have a diagnosis I'm sure there will be people at this site that can help.

Good luck!!

[Jennbailey]

I am not sure.  I think it is the Sinus Tachycardia... Do you know what that is & what they do for it?? The doctor did say that it is not life threatening, but it it happens, they will find out immediately when the report from the monitor goes into their office & then she will have to see another specialist?? I thought that going to the Cardiologist was the specialist?? there is another kind of heart specialist??

[SillyHeart]

Sinus arrhythmia?  Sinus tachycardia?  SVT?

[Jennbailey]

Well, we just got back from the doctor and EKG & echo looked good, but that was just because they were not happening right then....She does have a monitor, but it is not a Holter Monitor.  It is a Raybel Monitor..When they start happening, we hold it up to the heart & it reads the beats and then you call it in and they then let the dr know the results and if anything abnormal, then dr will call us.  She actually thinks that she has Sinus something?? SVC?? Do you know what this is???
Thank you for all your info.

[PVC man]

I think a holter is only over 1-2 nights from what I remember.  The event monitor is more long term but my cardio told me that it is pretty easy to use and you can transmit the info over the phone or something.

If you tell the docs your school concerns she might be able to use the event monitor only at home so it doesn't interfere with school.

That would be a LOT for a 7 year old to handle...I have a 8 year old daughter and hope she doesn't inherit these darn things.

Hope it goes well with the doc and that she feels better.

[Jennbailey]

Thank you for the information.  It does seem to do it alot right after waking up in the morning, but those are not causing her any pain.  I found out yesterday that being off of Adderrall XR for the summer could have triggered them as well.  As far as the caffeine, she doesn't drink any kind of sodas and at the most may only eat 1/2 of a Hershey's bar every couple of weeks.  She is not really into too many sweets...She goes to the cardiologist tomorrow morning, so hopefully, she will be able to fidn out what is going on.  Her regular doctor said that she might have to wear a Holter monitor for a month or so....GOD, she is starting 2nd grade and a new school....I hope that she will maybe only have to wear it at night.  I don't know anything about them...She already has problems with her social skills, she was diagonosed last year with Asperger's Syndrome....

[PVC man]

Well, that has to be scary for a 7 year old!!  She may have been describing them as painful if she was getting a lot of them or certain positions (lying down) can make them feel MUCH worse.

Absolutley follow up tests are a great idea.  In the meantime, you may want to cut any soda or other caffeine froom her diet if she drinks it--that was my first PVC trigger at age 16-soda.

Also please make sure that she's not on any meds (some cough/cold medicines) that could cause PVCs.

Hope she feels better!!

[Jennbailey]

Do you know what else it could be?  

[SillyHeart]

PVCs should not be severely painful.  She should definitely have follow-up tests.