Sudden Onset Skipped Beats-PVC/PAC?

[PaulRenato]

I am a 55 year old male non-smoker. I have one or two drinks a day and eat healthy, I run and lift weights and in good shape. I take lipitor 5mg, losrtan/HCTZ 12.5mg, omeprazol 20mg for GERD, About a week ago, I came down with a minor cold, that did not knock me out but gave me a headache and a sore throat, with a cough  It did not affect my daily routine. Next day, I woke up with some serious skipped beats, like runs of five or six a minute for several hours. I went to the ER, and the doc said they were extrasystoles, and nothing to worry about. I got an ECG which was normal. BP was 110/64, no fever, pulse 65. I made an appointment with a cardiologist. It's now a week later and the skipped beats have diminished greatly in both intensity and number but I still have them, and I am still feeliing rough from the cold: tired, etc. I do not feel the skipped beats when I exercise. I did a 5K yesterday morning and felt great although later in the day the PVC/PAC came back. I have done a lot of research on PVC/PAC in the past few days and am familiar with some of the basics. I know they are harmless unless they comprise more than 15% or so of the total beats/day, but I am still soncerned about their sudden onset. I have never been aware of more than one or two skipped beats per month before.

So , here iare my questions. Thanks in advance for your kind attention:

1). Can PVC/PAC (assuming that is what they are) have sudden onset with illness?

2). More sepcifically, can PVC/PAC be induced cold/cough? They always seem to come AFTER, not before I get the urge to cough. In fact, I can stop the skipping by suppressing the cough or even by pressing my finger against my Adam's Apple. This seems strange to me. Is this a vagus nerve issue?

Thanks again.

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

i took a 2.5 ativan and mine have seem to calm down so feeling almost normal again, just praying they stay away.lol  

funny i never get them when i am sick, or stressed they just come out of blue when they want to,grrrrr

[PaulRenato]

Mine arrived in force with a cold and then practically disappeared when I got better. The Holter showed 110 PVC and 20 PAC approx. but this was when the cold was almost gone. I now get about 20 or so a day. No PVC/PAC with exercise, I did the stress test up to 110% max and had a normal echo except for trace regurg in all three valves. I figure, by the time I need an operation, they will beable to fix the valves with a pill lol. Fingers crossed.

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

I hate them, lol mine come and go today they were small flutters and everytime I had to belch with them, so crazy and scarey at times,   Mine come on for no reason, seems nothing brings mine on they just come anyone elsa like that

[miamojo]

Thanks- hope to be PVC free soon.

Try not to worry too much about the valves- could certainly be more viral involvement which will clear up soon. The PVCs could have played a part and since they're gone, the valves hopefully will be ok too. PVCs can cause mitral regurgitation.

Best of luck to you. Hope the PVCs never come back.

[PaulRenato]

60,000 in a day sounds unbearable. Best of luck with the ablation.

My PVC's are gone--for now at least. But the echo showed trace regurgitation in the mitral, tricuspid and aortic valves. Everything else was normal on the echo so I wonder what's up. I understand the aortic valve should not leak at all, and my cardio wants me to check back with him in a year. Well, I guess I am lucky to have gone to the doc for the PVC's but now I get to worry about the valves. Like they say, if it ain't one thing, it's another!

[miamojo]

Oh and if your PVCs stop with exercise, that's even more evidence they are benign.

As far as the coughing, there seems to be no rhyme or reason for why coughing stops PVCs for some and starts them for others. Deep breathing helps some people and makes other people have more PVCs. Seems that  specific triggers are highly personal.

[Elli126]

There's a good chance these ectopics were not as sudden onset as you think. Most people have PVCs and PACs throughout their lives and never feel them. You may have become aware of them after they were exacerbated by your illness ( which happens to me whenever I get sick) just a thought. :-)

[itdood]

No one has answers to any of these questions.  There are a lot of people like you, myself included.  I have searched all over for answers but there are none.  Vagal involvement is pure speculation but many people report it.  I remember once being able to press on my left elbow which would trigger them, when I let go they stopped.  The vagus nerve doesn't run through my elbow.  ANything else I saay would only add to your speculation.  The reason you couldn't get any direct answers from the ER, your doctor, or cardiologist is because the don't have any answers.  It's very frustrating!