You don't have to be awake when having Ablation I was not did not know what was going on you must ask to be put to sleep. Anthony
The EP's have probably seen so many patients with much more serious issues than ours so they know it's nothing to be concerned about, but it feels so scary it's hard for us to ignore it. Hope you find answers in September. Keep us informed!
No I did not have NSVTS but the first time my Doctor said the same he most likely he would not find the PVCS as they got worse in did the Ablation and found it very fast it was on the back of my heart. I think it is worth talking to your Doctor again stay well Anthony
The most I had was maybe 3 or 4 in a row, which felt weird but otherwise I was having them every few seconds. The ablation was not that bad really, although I was awake and knew what what was going on the whole time. I almost wonder if that was more traumatic than I think. I was over the top anxious for weeks before and then being aware during the procedure, maybe it was just harder on me than I think. I should be so relieved not to have them anymore and more calm so I don't get it.
I wonder why they can't ablate yours? They try to induce them with adrenalin and I had a million sensors or whatever stuck all over my chest and back so they knew exactly where they were coming from. I'm sure it's way more complicated and its probably not the same thing as I have.
I really hope you find more answers and peace about it. I know it's hard to feel like everything is going to be ok when you don't really trust what's going on. I wish you the best
Thank you for the responses!
I had PVCS for years in 2014 I had ABLATION and fixed it. last summer I started to ride a bicycle 60 miles a week and started having PVCS I stopped riding went down to small amount of riding and no more PVCS the first thing my doctor put me on Metoprol bad med. I stopped taking it my doctor was not happy when I stopped I did was fine when I went back he seen no PVCS so he agreed I did not need the meds. you know your body more than any body else Good Luck Anthony
Hi there - I totally get the anxiety/fear/depression of having heart rhythm irregularity. I have had PVCs since my teens (I'm 55 now). I started having them almost a year ago and they were non-stop to the point I felt like it was hard to breathe, especially while doing anything physical, even walking. I was so anxious and depressed. I had all the testing done, and they said everything was structurally normal and not to worry. My Holter monitor showed close to 4000 a day. I know many people have a lot more than that but I have pretty severe anxiety disorder also, and it was way too much for me mentally to keep having them.
I went to an EP who said if I was that symptomatic he would do an ablation, so I did. I had more than one area where the PVCs were coming from but he ablated the 2 areas that were causing the most PVCs. I still have them daily but not even close to what I was having before, so I am very grateful; however, my anxiety is worse than it was before! He said that it is common to have anxiety after because people are waiting for the other shoe to drop and waiting for them to come back. I'm not sure if that is it or not but I am in a serious anxiety state and have been. I'm just trying to hang in there hoping things settle down. I feel like it's one thing after another and it gets to be too much.
I will by praying for you to get some answers that make you feel better and get in a more peaceful place about all of this. I know it can be overwhelming, and sometimes we have to be ok not having all the answers, but it isn't easy.
You wouldn’t qualify for an ICD but if it’s “ruining your life” it’s probably appropriate to consider ablation.
Thyroid issues can mess with heart rhythms... You said you had a TSH of 96. TSH is a pituitary hormone not a thyroid hormone. Did they test the actual thyroid hormones, Free T4 and Free T3? I'm sure with TSH of 96, your actual thyroid hormones would be quite low.
Have you started taking the Synthroid again or are you still off the med? It's typical to start thyroid meds at a low dose, such as your 25 mcg but that would only be a "starter" dose. It actually takes 4-6 weeks for the medication to reach its full potential in your body and it's not the least unusual to feel worse before feeling better when starting thyroid meds.
That said - not everyone does well on Synthroid... you should ask your doctor for a different medication. I didn't do well on Synthroid either, but did okay on Levoxyl, which is another brand of T4 medication. You might also do better on the generic, Levothyroxine, than on Synthroid. I didn't do well on Levo, but better than I did on Synthroid.
Hypothyroidism and/or Hashimoto's can also cause/exacerbate anxiety or depression, as well. Please don't delay in getting the thyroid treated.
I know you are scared and stressed. It's normal to feel these emotions when issues arise with out hearts but you can trust your doctors. They would not mislead you that you have nothing to worry about at this point. It is possible the change in medication or hormone fluctuations are contributing to your current issues but the more you can find ways to destress and let go the better both issues will respond. Stress releases it's own type of chemicals that can affect our bodies in adverse ways. Taking the time to deep breath and remind yourself to trust life will do wonders for your well being. The final thing I will say about your heart rhythm issues is that the rule of thumb when it comes to VT is if it doesn't sustain then it isn't anything to worry about. It really is only when the heart is damaged or diseased and/or if the signal gets caught in a loop it is unable to break that things like ablations or ICDs are considered. A heart doctor will always err on the side of doing less because the risk needs to be worth the reward to intervene. What is really important to know is the heart is an amazing muscle that can beat all sorts of crazy ways and still keep us alive. So take some time to make peace with having heart rhythm issues and try to put your focus on mental well being by working on your stress and anxiety. It will help make a world of difference. Take care.
Hi there. You sound precisely like me and my experiences. About 10 years ago PVCs hit me like a freight train. Completely destroyed me mentally.
I too had a cardiac MRI...came back perfectly fine.
I had every test you can have short of a heart cath. Everything came back fine.
I played basketball in college. I'm now 45. Three things helped me and I'm going to share them with you in the hopes the "might" help you. Each person's experience with these devil heart arrythmias is different in terms of what helps.
I will tell you this...you are not crazy. You are not alone. This happens to a lot more people than you think.
I was debilitated by these. Started when my wife was pregnant with our daughter. I was so angry that it took away my enjoyment in life
I searched high and low. I was on the table for an ablation (aborted).
They put me on Metoprolol (horrific drug...hated it...made everything worse).
I tried Magnesium, Taurine, potassium, all the stuff you read about. Seemed like it worked once in a while.
What finally worked FOR ME? (I stress the FOR ME part as everyone is different)
I was told by a doctor from justanswer.com to get tested for SLEEP APNEA. Weird as that sounds ...look it up. I can aggravate arrythmias.
I was tested at my request and low and behold I stopped breathing 20 times an hour in average.
I got on CPAP. Got better almost immediately.
I got COCKY...stopped CPAP...got worse again. Got back on CPAP...got better.
CPAP has been a life changer for me.
If you've tried things and are looking for a ray of hope (as I was) request to be tested. It's easy to test for Sleep Apnea.
Lastly...I know where you are mentally from what you wrote. I was there. As hard as it is, remind yourself you've been tested, it hasn't harmed you.
You're not "anxious" like they keep telling you. If your heart would calm down you wouldn't be anxious anymore.
Get tested for sleep apnea...you have nothing to lose