they are back....again...

[Ihatepalps2]

Me again. Many of you might recognize me....Ive posted here for years...and...usually come here when I cant STAND IT anymore....yep. Palpitations, skips, etc, are horrible today. Im a 49 yr old female..had PVCs and PACs for 20 yrs, had allll the tests...always told they were benign..stress related..ignore them. Then, totally UN-related...i was found in March to have the beginnings of Coronary Artery Disease...after a nuclear stress test they found an area of concern, but not enough to do card cath...its narrowed..and I have quite a few areas of plaque...so my cardio decided to let me work on my risk factors....first. I went on Crestor for cholesterol..and dropped from total chol of 266 to 151 in a month and a half...and since March 4th...I work out at the local hospitals Cardiac fitness ctr...and am up to 4-5 days a week of 50 minutes of cardio and 20 min of strength training...and have changed my diet...so all is well...but...the darn palps will never ever go away.
I had them very bad the day I was suppposed to exercise. I called the cardio...they did EKG..and didnt catch one single one on the monitor. But he told me to NOT STOP EXERCISING!
Soo....I go in about an hour....even tho my heart is like a fish out of water flopping around in there...by god, Im GOING!!! They will probably ( at my Dr rquest) put a monitor on me, hes trying to get the arrythmia on monitor....but I just had the stress test 2 months ago ( no palps) and a holter in Feb...so...

I will let you know how the exercise goes.

they just beat me down....its my day off...and I havent enjoyed it one bit. I know..I shouldnt let them do it...but they do.. the palpitations ...they beat me.

[Faberan]

I certainly have empathy for what you are going through; it is for this purpose that I signed up at Medhelp to hopefully make folks like you feel more at ease.

Your cardiologist is right in informing you PVCs (and PACs) are harmless in healthy hearts. If EKG or Echo indicated a healthy heart, then you are mostly out of the woods.

I say mostly because there is one other concern: make sure your electrolytes are in normal ranges. Low potassium or high calcium can cause dangerous tachyarrhythmias. A simple blood test will rule out these problems.

I feel compelled to write because I have had a history (almost ten years, since I was 21) of PVCs and PACs. A normal EKG and Echo ruled out structural heart problems; thus,I know my heart will not ever degenerate into V-TAC.

However, my potassium levels have gotten dangerously low in the past, in which PVCs could become a problem. For me, getting more potassium and less sodium in the diet has been absolutely key to reducing PACs and PVCs. Oranges, bananas, spinach, and potatoes are high in potassium. Any prepared and processed foods are high in sodium. Also, reducing stress and anxiety (a lot of which can be accomplished by understanding PVCs are not dangerous in a structurally normal heart) will reduce PVC and PAC incidence.

When the heart is tired and irritated, PACs and PVCs are more prevalent. Some folks get them more when they are rest; others when they are active. While there is a fairly well established link between endurance athletes and an increased risk of AFIB, certainly, certainly, the benefits of exercise far outweigh the detriments. Additionally, AFIB in itself, is a highly treatable and manageable condition.

At any rate, you should know with a normal EKG or ECHO and normal blood values there is absolutely no threat of a catastrophic heart event, no matter how frequent these PVCs or PACs are.  Anthony Faber, Ph.D.

[Lylu]

U'r not crazy but sometimes in an effort to get answers to what is happening and not finding any leads us to that questions I felt like you many times I get palpitaions mostly around my menstrual cycle and Dr. have found nothing wrong. I walk for about 50m to an hr every other day and have not found them to happend during or after exercise but when I do get them my BP is usually high aswell. Sometimes I don't know what to do, most of the time I can keep my self under control and avoid to panic but other times it just not possible all the crazy thought that come to my head specially when my pulse is 132 and Bp high. Hope all goes well take care and keep us posted. God Bless!!:)

[is_something_wrong]

Your story is somehow very familiar.

I developed exercise-induced arrhythmias, and my doctor got very concerned (from the textbook, PACs and especially PVCs are not supposed to happen during exercise). Anyway, he almost dx me with Afib but sent me to a cardiologist for a Holter monitoring.

I decided to provoke the arrhythmia (running and walking alone at night, etc) and yes, I got symptoms. After interpreting the test, my cardiologist and I had this chat:

- You have some premature beats.
- I know!!
- They origin in the atrias..
- That's a relief
- They wouldn't be dangerous even if they origin in the heart chambers..
- But they don't?
- No.
- Any sign of other arrhythmias?
- No
- Can I continue exercise as I do now?
- No, you'll have to exercise twice as hard..
- How many PACs did I have through 24 hours?
- I don't remember
- Sure you do! Many or few?
- Few
- Less than 500?
- Yes
- Less than 100?
- Yes
- Less than 50?
- Yes
- Less than 20?
- It was 15.

15 PACs through 24 hours, including exercise and provoking symptoms. And still, it felt like my heart was skipping all the time..

[Ihatepalps2]

me again. I did go and workout. I told them I was having an awful palpitation day. They put the monitor on me and watched me throughout my workout. And I figured, hey, I have a heart monitor on, I am SOO going to push myself. And I did.
My heart kicked up a FEW PACs.
Thats it.
I can NOT believe this. Ive been home about an hour. And as Im typing this, I dont think I have more than 7-10 normal beats in a row, before it jumps all over the place.
Really...am I crazy???
I felt so embarassed when I handed them the monitor..and they had NOTHING really to see. Of course they said it was ok...but Im wondering...do they think im exaggerating...? Cause im not. I am rockin' right now, my heart is so all over the place.

Anyone else EVER go thru something like this.....?