Problem Fear of PVC/PAC

[sallykin]

Hi, 3 years trying, 1st post, I am a 46 year old female, since 2000, I have been plagued by random bouts of PAC's & PVC's (both seen with event & holter), All other (Stress, Echo, Stress/Echo test normal), My arrythmia's come and go, 3 weeks with none, then several days with dozens, more pronounced with cold weather and exertion.  I have had some partial syncope with the PVC's. I am absolutely terrified whenever they come back, My MD says not to worry, learn to live with it.  I almost rather not live with it than to deal with the constant fear that I am going to drop dead at a moments notice somewhere or that I will be found dead in my home (I live alone).  Since these came on, my life has been horrible, I no longer excercise (I loved walking, skiing in the winter), I am failing at work (stressful job), and I am just losing the will to fight. I'd like to come to Cleveland to see if someone could figure this out (I had no problem before 2000), I know from the posts that its very common and most are far worse than I am, but its killing me every bit as much as if the Doctors did find a serious problem. I am afraid to drive or travle due to the partial syncope. I was hospitalized because of this in 2005 for 3 days in CCU, they observed no problems while I was there, same thing for my dozens of trips to the ER (I stopped going), PLEASE, PLEASE, HELP,
Thanks for this forum and advise, it has been of some comfort in easing my fears.

[sallykin]

Again, I thank the Doctors and folks who post here, it does help with the fear.  Is what I have really a "disease", my MD and Cardiologist have not told me that.  Even if the anxiety is out of proportion, doesn't the "disease" that is causing it need treatment ?

[Cleveland Clinic]

Perhaps my referring to your PVCs as a disease was a mistake if you are going to use that term as a focus of generating increased anxiety. PVCs and PACs in structurally normal hearts carry no long term negative prognosis. You need to focus on that fact instead.

[sallykin]

Thanks;

I have been receiving counseling over the last year and that has helped (i.e no trips to the ER this year, 4 trips last year), anyway thanks again.  Like everyone else here, I just wish they would go away.

[Carrie41]

Oh my god.....I felt like I had written that post myself.  I too am 46 years old and suffer with pvc's and pac's, short runs of non-sustained v-tach.  I went to two EP studies because I was so sure that were something wrong years ago.  I have gone to countless cardiologists and everyone tell me not to worry I have a strucuturally normal heart and quit perservating about my heart.  I am on 10 mg celexa to try to subside my anxiety which I think worked for a couple of years but I am back to my severe stress level.

That is all I think about every waking hour - my heart.  I am so sure that something is wrong I just can't stand it.  It skipped on four different occasions today and I went into panic mode.  I hate living like this.  I am going back to my doctor next Wednesday to try to find something else for me to take because of my stress level about these things.  I have had them since I was 23 years old and you would think I would be better by now about them but I am not.  I can't imagine living like this for the rest of my life in constant fear.  I avoid social situations now, I have trouble a work because of my obession with these things, I am afraid to get my heart rate elevated at all because I think that there is something wrong with it.  I wake up during the night and feel a skip and go into panic mode and walk around the house the rest of the night and wonder if I should be phoning 911 or going to ER.  It is really silly.  I something sleep in my clothes because I think that it will be easier for me to get up in the middle of the night and jump in my car and go to ER.  I also will not leave the city because I am afraid of being somewhere where I cannot get to a hospital.  

I don't know how people can just live with these and not let them bother them.  I had a few years from about age 42 - 45 where the panic wasn't too bad and I just would talk myself down everytime I felt one but I am back to square one with my worry.

You are certainly not alone with this.  I have read thru numerous posts and everyone seems to have the same fear.  You can only imagine how many people actually have these darn things when you look at this website and just think these are only a handfull that have gone on here to post.  I have a freind that is a doctor and she has told me that I have had such a workup on my heart done by doctors that I really shouldn't worry, but I can't help it!

[woodruff]

For disabling fear--which is what you guys are describing--even after repeated testing has shown normal, healthy hearts, you have to see a psychiatrist and get really familiar with weekly therapy, and probably a trial of several drugs, including, most likely, more than one SSRI.  If one doesn't work, there's another.

Being confined to your house and concentrating on your symptoms is no way to live.    There is a way out, but you must take the step of getting yourselves into real psychiatric care.

[sallykin]

Hi, I feel your pain as well as that of many others with this fear, yup I've done the walk around the house in the middle of the night thing, sometimes I unlock the doors and turn off the alarm system so that the paramedics can get in if I have to make that call, it is pretty far out there, my MD lives 1 street over from me and he tells me I have absolutlely nothing to worry about whenever I pay a neighborly visit.  Like I said I went into counseling for this problem late last year and it helps me motor through the bad days, but the fear is always there.  For 2 years, I kept a chart of every possible trigger and I could find no real correlation.  The closest trigger I could find is products containing artificial sweetner which I now avoid.  I am also back on HRT (hysterectomy at age 32) after I went off about the time the arrythmia's started, and this has also decreased the occurences but sadly not eliminated them.  I also got into a monitored excercise program which really helped a lot until my insurance co. pulled the plug.  Best of luck, I pray for everyone similarly afflicted that some day these can be cured.

Good Luck and take care,

Sally