Are 37,500 PVCs/day dangerous?

[Boroflow]

My holter showed 37,540 PVSs in 24 hrs, 50 min. 43 Vtach runs, 444 couplets, 38 triplets, 2038 bigeminy runs. The cardiologist says it's not dangerous, as  I am otherwise a healthy 40 year old female, aside from my severe depression and anxiety.. He prescribed a different medication. I've taken atenolol, verapamil, Flecainide, metoprolol, and now carvedilol, none of which have worked. To me, the PVCs seem dangerous, as my quality of life has diminished quite a bit. The doctor has not explained **** to me. Does anyone know if having 37,000 PVCs a day is high enough to be an indicator of heart disease?

[Boroflow]

The longest V-tach run was 4 beats. I've had the high number of PVCs every day for 2+ years, and I feel like I'm trying to get around on a bicycle with flat tires.
From what I just read online, both of the psych med I've been on for the last 8 years are now known to cause cardiac complications. That wasnt known at the time, so it never occurred to me that they might be the culprit. So I've got that on top of the toxic fume exposure. Great. I can change the psych meds next week, but I'm pissed that no doc in two years has put this together, or done any research at all, apparently.

The doctor does think that the chronic fume exposure has aggravated my PVCs, but said to me, "your head is ****** up" and that I need better & more frequent psychiatric care. He's not wrong, but he could have been nicer about it.

[erijon]

As I said, PVC's are the result of an electrical issue in the heart, I seriously doubt that there is a tie to your exposure to heavy metals, in all my research I have never seen a tie.  These things are so common, we all have them it's just a case of how many. The fact that you have 37,000 per day does not really make you an oddity, many, many have the same numbers or more.

Best of luck.

Jon

[TookerDD]

I had 25 000 PVCs a day and recently had ablation. The number dropped to under 500.  It's a procedure to think about, and ask about too.

[skydnsr]

I would take a look at whether perhaps one of your psychotropic medications might be aggravating the PVCs.  You might want to ask your pharmacist about that possibility, and/or just directly ask your cardiologist.  In my experience, a lot of doctors won't volunteer you an opinion about the side effects of a medication that another doctor has you on.  But if you come right out and ask the cardio doc, you can probably get a straight answer.  If it's the case, then your doctors will have to work together to help you.

[jrbon]

I assume that your Dr. is aware of your environment and that your issues started, if I understood correctly,  when you started in that environment. What does he things about it? Does he see any relation?

Erijon is right, PVCs will not kill you although, of course, something is going on in your heart., I think that you should be more concern by the length of the Vtachs.

Jesus.

[Boroflow]

Thanks! The kink is that I filed for workers comp for industrial toxic fume poisoning, and I suspect the chronic exposure to fumes like nitrogen dioxide, and heavy metals like cadmium, have caused this. It doesnt seem normal that this conditin would suddenly happen for the last two years. I've been fighting with the workers comp insurance company all the way. I'm worried that it's not dangerous now (ignoring the fatigue, headaches, dizziness etc.), but that what has caused it will just make it slowly worse.

[erijon]

I know several people that have that many a day, I have about 5,000 a day. They are harmless if you are otherwise healthy. PVCs are not an indication of pending heart disease. Understand what a PVC or premature ventricular contraction is. Simply put, the cells that make your heart beat usually fire in a specific order. When you have PVC's, the cells of the left ventricle fire too soon and the rest of the heart needs to catch up which is the pause you feel. It is an electrical issue and not an issue with Coronary Artery Disease.

If your doctor says you're healthy and it is not serious, you can believe him. If you are still uncomfortable you can always get a second opinion.

Good luck!

Jon

[richardvz]

True but not completely true. PVCS can still be due to problems with oxygen. At least my cardiologist says so. I had EKG, stress test, Echocardiogram and still she seems not completely sure if they are benign. Although all the above tests did not reveal anything but a 15% burden pvcs. Then there is also something like PVC induced cardiomyopathy