PVCs

[kcossich]

Thanks to a doctor's answer to a previous post about my chest pain, my family dr. has diagnosed me with costochondritis and I am finally starting to feel better; however, in the past few weeks, I have begun to have some PVCs. Can stress cause PVCs to happen?  My father died unexpectedly on Dec. 22 and both my brother and I have had episodes of PVCs (I am 31 and he is 29).  I also had a baby 5 weeks before my father died, so I have been under some addition stress! We have never had PVCs before.  The only reason I know that I'm having them is because my brother is a nurse and told me what they feel like.  Both of us have had treadmill stress tests and I have had a Thallium stress test, which all came back normal.  How do you cope with PVCs?  Is there any deep breathing technique that can help with them? Is just de-stressing enough to make them go away?  I usually have 1 every other day, but yesterday, I had 4, and I got a little worried.  Thank you!

[dodgybeats]

Hi everybody - I just found this description of extra beats in a medical book which I think sums them up pretty well, quoting directly from the book:

Heart makes extra beats:
this is a common symptom with an interesting explanation.  What happens is that the heart beats twice in rapid succession.  The extra beat goes unnoticed.  However, the next beat of the heart is delayed by a fraction of a second and it is this slight delay that you may be aware of.  During the delay, blood continues to fill the heart, bringing into play an automatic mechanism that makes the heart beat more forcefully the fuller it gets.  The next beat after the delay is, therefore, extra powerful, and is felt as a thump in the chest.
Causes:
Probable:  unexplained
           too much caffeine
           alcohol
           cigarettes
           fever
Possible:  anxiety
           indigestion
Rare:      complications of a heart attack
           excess digoxin
           rheumatic carditis

I was interested in the possible causes, especially in light of Mike's post re indigestion.  quoting from the book again:

INDIGESTION:
It is uncertain how this affects the heart.  Probable it results from  a reflex action in those nerves which serve both the heart and the digestive system, though there may be direct irritation of the heart by a distended stomach.  the features of indigestion are familiar.
* bloating, belching
* Acid, burning sensation after meals
* discomfort felt behind breast bone

[dodgybeats]

Here is the abstract of an article I found re: heart problems and menses, if anyone is interested.

Int J Fertil Womens Med 1997 Mar-Apr;42(2):94-100  


Palpitations: what is the mechanism, and when should we treat them?

Rosano GM, Rillo M, Leonardo F, Pappone C, Chierchia SL.

Department of Cardiology, Istituto H. San Raffaele, Milan-Rome, Italy.

Palpitation is an unpleasant awareness of an abnormal beating of the heart. This symptom may be brought on by a variety of cardiac disorders, such as cardiomyopathy, valvular heart disease, and coronary artery disease, but the most common cause is primary cardiac arrhythmias. Several noncardiac disorders may also cause palpitations, and in this case are an effect of the disease upon cardiac rhythm. Palpitations occur frequently in women at all ages, especially during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, during pregnancy, and during the perimenopausal period. Palpitations occurring at young age and associated with fast heart rate are frequently due to Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome or other forms of re-entrant tachycardia, and may require catheter ablation. A correlation between ovarian hormones and occurrence of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia has recently been reported in female patients with normal menstrual cycles; palpitations are frequently reported in cases of mitral valve prolapse, whereas episodes of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia reported during pregnancy may be due to mechanical stimuli or to a suggested arrhythmogenic effect of pregnancy. Palpitations during the perimenopausal period are usually benign and seem to be related to the increased sympathetic activity caused by the menopause. Although the vast majority of palpitations are benign and need not be treated, an electrophysiological study is indicated for those patients who have a documented episode of palpitation associated with syncope or with a pulse that is inappropriately rapid during symptoms. The treatment of palpitations due to cardiac arrhythmias is dependent upon the kind of arrhythmia detected during either invasive or noninvasive electrophysiological studies.

Publication Types:
Review
Review, tutorial

PMID: 9160219   [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[MikeB]

From: Mike Brewer  70403.***@****

03 March 2001

Since posting this on 19 January 2001, I

[dodgybeats]

Personally, my thumps and flutters are MUCH worse just before, during and after my menses....in fact I can almost predict when I am due on account of the increase in PVC/PACs.  I usually have around 2-10 per day (that I can feel anyway) but before menses this increases to 50-100 approx.  I have told my cardio this but he just waves it off.  There are numerous posts on this website however, which show that other women have noticed this as well.  As if PMS isn't enough!

[Suzy]

I don't have chest pain all the time but when it does strike it usually lasts a day or two.  Sometimes the pain is so bad that it wakes me at night.  Feels quite sharp and also like something is being pulled. For a period of time with the chest pain I also got pain down my left arm and as such I did go to the doctor to 'whinge' again and she suggested it could be a nerve. The arm pain has gone but the chest continues to be a pain.

I have not been given any medication for my PVC's. I don't take caffeine in any form, not a smoker and don't even drink. (a bit boring I know)

I had a history of gastric problems but on that side of things it has been fine for quite a few years now.  

Heard that PVC's could be minimised by taking Potassium and Magnesium supplements.  Do you think this is a viabe option?  

I find it amazing as soon as someone writes something about PVC's a whole bunch of people come out of the woodworks - it's great in the way it's comforting but also a bit sad that so many of us have this rotten things.  

Thank you so much for writing.  I hope your PVC's are under control and don't hassle you too much.  Just knowing someone listens is a great help.

Kindest regards

Suzy

[ZEET]

I wanted to add that yesterday I took three of the Toprol 50mg. and today when I got up, as soon as I stood up and started to walk around my heart started to race. Which is not new for me, but I thought it would be alot better since taking the three Toprol yesterday. I am over due for my menses, and these symptons always come  about much more right before(especialyy if Im late) during and after that time. Some months when it gets close to that time, I feel as if I not taking any meds. at all, because of the symptons I feel.