pvc's or afib

[ljd]

Hi Doctor,

I am getting quite a few skipped beats.  When I wore the holter,I was having a good day and it only recorded 2 which the doctor said were benign.  I am having many during the day, sometimes as many as 6-7 per minute.  Occassionally they make me cough. Sometimes they are constant skips with no beat in between. Somedays I have very few.   How can I tell the difference between pvc and afib?  I am getting anxious that I have afib and don't know it.  Should I try the holter again because it only picked up 2 ?

[ljd]

Thanks for your response.  I am a 42 year old female with a history of sinus tachycardia.  I guess I am overly anxious about this.  I can't determine if I am having a run of PVC's or if it is AFIB.   My next appt. isn't until June. I was wondering if I should ask for another holter.  

[Michael J. McWilliams, M.D.]

If the PVCs on the monitor correlate with your symptoms, it is probably just PVCs.  If they feel different, it is possible that there are two things going on (PVCs and AFib).  It is also important to consider your risks for afib -- if you are a young twenty or thirty year old, is probably PVCs, if you are old, afib is more likely.  Try not to get caught worrying about things you don't have -- if there is no evidence that it is afib and looks like PVCs, it is probably just PVCs.