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Could my doctor be missing something with my PVCs?
Hi. 30 yr. old mom, 5' 3" 115 lbs. No med. history (adopted). Nursing a baby.
This time last year, went to the ER with odd heart beat, EKG showed PVCs. Xray and enzymes were normal, was told it was stress and sent home. Follow up with Dr. showed low potassium. Stress echo (non-contrast) and another EKG were normal. Three months later, woke up in the night with pounding chest and tingling fingers. Did some steady breathing, got some water, walked around a bit and went back to sleep, but felt exhausted the next day. Went back to Dr.; Troponin came back normal again, did a 24 holter, Dr. called to say it came back 'normal' (no details).
Now, for the past few weeks, I've been noticing the PVCs with increasing frequency, but no clear pattern. It's not usually during exercise, but sometimes it is. My heart rate will be 115bpm when I get done running, but down to 70 within 5 minutes, but then if I'm just sitting around, it might go up to 115. But when I'm really relaxed, like in bed at night, it will be 55bpm. I didn't have the best diet in my 20s, in fact, it was really awful, and I had a colonoscopy and endo. which diagnosed irritable bowel and GERD. I was put on protonix, but stopped when I got pregnant (about 4 years ago) and haven't seen the gastro. or taken any other meds. since. The irritable bowel has cleared up. I then had a series of migraines (for which I only took advil), but those seem to be gone as well.
Friends tell me I'm too young and too skinny to have heart disease, but a nurse said that stress echo. can't diagnose blockages. I just worry that I'm about to drop dead because everything I read about PVCs says that they're far more serious than atrial palps. Without doing a cardiac cath. which I do not want, is there any test I should be asking for to get to the bottom of this? How could they come on all of a sudden and why are they increasing? I don't want to drop dead!
This time last year, went to the ER with odd heart beat, EKG showed PVCs. Xray and enzymes were normal, was told it was stress and sent home. Follow up with Dr. showed low potassium. Stress echo (non-contrast) and another EKG were normal. Three months later, woke up in the night with pounding chest and tingling fingers. Did some steady breathing, got some water, walked around a bit and went back to sleep, but felt exhausted the next day. Went back to Dr.; Troponin came back normal again, did a 24 holter, Dr. called to say it came back 'normal' (no details).
Now, for the past few weeks, I've been noticing the PVCs with increasing frequency, but no clear pattern. It's not usually during exercise, but sometimes it is. My heart rate will be 115bpm when I get done running, but down to 70 within 5 minutes, but then if I'm just sitting around, it might go up to 115. But when I'm really relaxed, like in bed at night, it will be 55bpm. I didn't have the best diet in my 20s, in fact, it was really awful, and I had a colonoscopy and endo. which diagnosed irritable bowel and GERD. I was put on protonix, but stopped when I got pregnant (about 4 years ago) and haven't seen the gastro. or taken any other meds. since. The irritable bowel has cleared up. I then had a series of migraines (for which I only took advil), but those seem to be gone as well.
Friends tell me I'm too young and too skinny to have heart disease, but a nurse said that stress echo. can't diagnose blockages. I just worry that I'm about to drop dead because everything I read about PVCs says that they're far more serious than atrial palps. Without doing a cardiac cath. which I do not want, is there any test I should be asking for to get to the bottom of this? How could they come on all of a sudden and why are they increasing? I don't want to drop dead!
Thank you for your help. I think it must be a combination of hormones and stress. I'm sure the less I worry about dropping dead, the less I'll feel like it's about to happen!
Thanks again for the reassurance!
Thanks again for the reassurance!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
The purpose of a stress echocardiogram is to assess for hemodynamically significant blockages in your heart -- most people have some degree of coronary disease, but the stress echo is looking for significant coronary disease --- that is what all stress tests do.
If you have a normal EKG, stress test, holter, and echo, the likelihood of these being dangerous PVCs is very low. It is very unlikely that your doctor is missing something. Increased PVCs are very common in pregnant and post partum states. It has to do with hormonal changes.
If you are still concerned, discuss your concerns with your doctor. It does not sound high risk.
It sounds like you have had all the appropriate tests.
They are likely a result of your pregnancy and hormonal changes. PVCs tend to come and go through out life, often with little "logical" reasons to explain it.
If you have a normal EKG, stress test, holter, and echo, the likelihood of these being dangerous PVCs is very low. It is very unlikely that your doctor is missing something. Increased PVCs are very common in pregnant and post partum states. It has to do with hormonal changes.
If you are still concerned, discuss your concerns with your doctor. It does not sound high risk.
It sounds like you have had all the appropriate tests.
They are likely a result of your pregnancy and hormonal changes. PVCs tend to come and go through out life, often with little "logical" reasons to explain it.
Relating to your story, I too thought dropping dead was iminent. Went through the angiogram-came out with the diagnosis of: My arteries were larger than normal with no blockages of any kind. But, pvc's continued for 6 more years until I tried chelation. the pvc's went away after the first treatment out of 25. I haven't had pvc's for 15 years or chelation, and now they are back. As Dr. Cranton states in his book "Bypassing Bypass", chelation may balance the calcium to normal levels in the heart muscle.. Sometimes the over abundance of calcium conflicts with the normal beat. Its just his theory, but, chelation has helped me return to normal heartbeats. It also expels from our body unwanted metallic ions. Metallic ions are, of course, what processed foods contain. Metallic ions are part of trans fat foods. staying away from these hydrogenated oils that contain aluminum and other type metallic ions has helped me feel better over the years. Just wanted to share with you how scared I have been with these pvc's and am still alive after 30 years with this condition.
Also, caffeine, sugar, alcohol, and spicy foods are definite triggers. gb63 .
Also, caffeine, sugar, alcohol, and spicy foods are definite triggers. gb63 .
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What is chelation? I have never heard of it... from what you wrote ("...it also expelsfrom our body unwanted metallic ions") it sounds like a dietary detox! How far off base am I?
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