Medical reason for skipped beats

[DougM]

I have read many posts on this site about skipped heartbeats (I think they are called PVC's here or different terms are used) but I call them skipped heart beats. I have had these for years, as have others, but I have seen very little mentioned here as to what is really causing these skips to occur. I can't believe that it is just tension or nervousness that is causing them. There must be some sort of electical activity in the nerves surrounding the heart muscles that acts up from time to time, and causes these skips to occur.

Why hasn't more research been done to pinpoint the mechanism that causes these heart skips, palpitations and other arrythmias to happen? Things like these don't just happen for no reason. There must be something in all of us that is occuring in us for us to feel our hearts skipping, not beating on regular intervals, am I correct?

With all fo the research done on major medical diseases such as cancer, MS, Parkinson's, etc. why does it seem that doctors don't have more knowledge on exactly what causes PVC's, skipped heartbeats, and related arrythmias?  It's almost as if we are told, "learn to live with it", which we do, but what causes this to happen?  Don't doctors really want to find out what causes these skipped beats, palpitations, and so on?  Is all we can be told is, "it won't kill you" or "just learn to live with them"?

What really causes them to happen?  Is it chemical?  Electrical? Biological?  Can't we get some firmer answers on what is causing these arrythmias?

[sunnygirl]

Yeah, depression can kill and chronic PVCs can lead to depression, you will get plenty of people who will testify to that. My point was not to belittle depression at all but just to say that it is not an immediate, emergent, life-threatening condition, and yet there are millions of dollars being pumped into developing drugs for its treatment. Also, as much as I try to have a good attitude, and as much as I appreciate that other people have it worse, I really do have a hard time being thankful for any PVCs or other irregularities I have.

[mmfd]

Umm, people, depression CAN kill!!  Whoever said it was harmless??  It can be severe and lead to suicide, and does every day of the year.  Benign PVC's cannot be compared to depression.  Yes, they can be unsettling and cause anxiety.  Believe me, doctors have scores of PVC patients in their offices, and would like to help them.  Then they could concentrate on patients with heart problems.  And yes, I have had every  possible kind of arrhythmia myself, including VT, and I do not have a normal heart, but I also do not waste one minute worrying about them, and would rejoice if I was told that they were benign.  Be thankful folks!

[Erik36]

I too would go to the bank and take out a loan for whatever it would cost to cure these PVC's. Maybe if we got enough of us sufferers together and raised enough money, we could get a Cardiologist to devote his career to curing PVC's. Like you said, spider veins and depression won't kill you but a lot of money is spent curing them. I'm sure there is enough of us to make a lot of money off of curing PVC's.


Ginger-

I get 5 or 6 PVC's in a row sometimes. I also have had Many PAC's in a row that lead to a four hour episode of Atrial Fibrillation. I thought I was going to die. I lived through it  and found out that it isn't life threatening. Hang in there. I've had PVC's for 20 years and you do get better at coping with them as you get older.

Erik

[Jeff-67]

Are you talking about 3 PVCs in a row at a fast rate or are you talking about 3 PVCs in bigemmy or trigemmy or the like? If the former, I know what you mean as I get these sudden bursts that scare the heck out of you. If it is the former, have you had it documented? It might not be a ventricular arrythmia.

[sunnygirl]

I think you are right, Erik, this hasn't been researched because of the $$, and because cardiologists and electrophysiologists have bigger fish to fry, but I think they are really missing out on something here. Look at the Prozac industry and the plastic surgery industry. Treating depression or spider veins is not curing anything life threatening, but look at all the money that is being spent there. Wish the doctors and researchers would get the message. I mean, who among us wouldn't just go to the bank and sign a note for $30,000 or more to be cured of these frightening PVCs? And who is to say there aren't a lot of suicides from these? I'll bet there are. I'll bet a lot of the posters here have considered it. Just my rant for the day.

[sunnygirl]

Hi Hammerhead. There used to be a poster on here, Mike Brewer, who shared a ton of information about how he "cured" his PVCs by taking antireflux medications such as over-the-counter Maalox plus a daily Prevacid-type med. He believed his PVCs to be related to reflux, which of course is related to eating. I tried this for myself but it didn't work for me. However, my gastroenterologist was willing to entertain that PVC symptoms could indeed fall under the category of "atypical reflux."

If you are interested, maybe there is still something in the archives about the exact regimen Mike tried. I believe he took the liquid antacid after every meal. He also used other antireflux precautions such as sleeping with the head of the bed elevated. Good luck!