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7020218 tn?1426544951

Continuous fast extra heart beats after running or when hungry

Hi,
Need some guidance on what to do next.
I have been having extra beats continuously since Nov 2014. Many times it is 2nd beat, when I am trying to get to bed, its 3rd or 4th beat. They die down after I am asleep but start first thing in the morning.
I have had echo, stress, nuclear stress and cleared by the cardiologist.
During the stress test, the cardiologist saw these continuous beats almost like several blips within a second lasting about 4-5 seconds.
He talked to my EP who works in same office and diagnosed it as AIVR.
He said its benign and not to worry about it. Cleared me for workout, travel, etc..

Physically I am lean, athletic (although I have stopped working out but still go for long walks and short runs).

I get these AIVR "sort" of beats when I am hungry or when I am resting after a run. Its really bothersome and gives me anxiety (and depression).

What should I do next? See another cardiologist?
5 Responses
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Avatar universal
Michelle, I noticed something that you said: "If you have any stomach issues address those as they can trigger ectopic activity." Could you expound on this? How do stomach issues affect the heart? I was recently diagnosed with SVT; I also have a GI hx of a hiatal hernia, acid reflux, nissen fundiplication--can GI issues cause cardiac arrhythmias? Thanks.
Helpful - 0
7020218 tn?1426544951
Hi all,
Thanks for comments.
I am good with electrolytes - K, Mg. Got checked and also supplement along with a good diet of veggies, greens, lean meats. I stay away from caffeine. I don't drink or smoke.
I have tried metropolol 25 mg for a few months and didn't really help except make me bit more depressed and fatigued.
I will look into a second opinion because this is really hampering my life.
Will keep us posted here.
Helpful - 0
1703392 tn?1307450500
I too, get a lot of PVCs after anything that produces adrenaline (exercise, sex, stress, etc). I went through all the supplements, nothing helped. Went to numerous cardiologists, EPs. Told they were benign. It comes down to this: our hearts have an extra electrical pathway which causes these pauses/hard beats. There are a few outcomes:

1. Hope it goes away. Mine come and go, sometimes for weeks or months.

2. Find a experienced EP that can ablate them. This is the only true potential cure.

3. Learn to live with them and ignore them the best as possible.  

Good luck!  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi - Michelle knows what she's talking about....read her post it's spot on. a Low dose of Tenormin beta blocker changed my life. Try it. Try it. TRY IT!!!
you'll be OK.

By the way, did I say TRY IT? yep, thought so. Atenalol. life changing!
Helpful - 0
1807132 tn?1318743597
These kinds of rhythms can be hard to treat because treatment can cause more harm than good  I would assume you have had your electrolytes checked and all is in balance?  I would say try to avoid caffeine and salt if you have bp issues and sugary carbohydrate foods and see if it helps.  If you have any stomach issues address those as they can trigger ectopic activity.  Finally work on stress and anxiety as best you can.  They are the biggest source of triggering ectopic beats.  It sounds like you have had the battery of tests that show that your diagnoses isn't because of heart disease but getting a second opinion is always good idea.  As well I know when I was having a bad period of ectopic beats my cardiologist was willing to try beta blockers to see if it helped.  A lot of people who have ectopics that are pretty persistent and making their life horrible low dose of a beta blocker helps some so it may be worth a try if it can give you your life back.  I wish I had better advice to give you but I do hope that you can get on top of them and feel better soon.  Take care.
Helpful - 0
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