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PACs while rest

I'm 30 yr old male with no comorbidities, social drinker and occasional smoker. I started experiencing missed beats since a week. Underwent electrocardiogram and it shows premature atrial contractions. Echocardiogram is absolutely fine, showing some ectopic contractions. My resting heart rate is around 70 and I'm facing 7-8 PACs per minute. Ironically they are disappearing with a bit of exercise where my heart rate raises above 100. As per my cardiologist I need not worry about them, but having palpitations continuously is very awful experience, feels like impending doom. I started to abstain from alcohol, caffeine and nicotine. I'm really worried that being otherwise healthy and at an young age of 30, I'm having this s**t. Can I ever get back to normal healthy rhythm? Please someone help.
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Avatar universal
Well, one thing for certain is this: Alcohol is not helping whatsoever. Neither is caffeine (especially in excess) and neither nicotine.

The PAC's themselves are really of no concern. It doesn't mean the cause of them shouldn't be investigated as it is worth further diagnostics. The only rhythms that are malignant and are legitimately concerning are ventricular arrythmias. Things like frequent runs of PVC's, V-tach, A-Fib with RVR, and sometimes SVT's. One thing I'd examine is your diet. Not all MD's are trained in nutrition (or not at all) and you'd be surprised how many times palpitations can be resolved by dietary changes and appropriate supplementation. Just medicating them blindly may not harbor the best result in the long run. Nutrition should be evaluated first, then if all that fails, move on to pharmacologic interventions if need be. Did he make any specific remarks about the EKG? Any word of atrial flutter or an AV block?

Overall, I'd suggest you try magnesium, perhaps vary your diet up by getting more potassium-rich foods, seeing how it plays out.
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Avatar universal
I think the whole "add magnesium to your diet...eat more bananas" thing is overplayed.  You really have to almist try to be deficient in magnesium...or have an existing condition

I tried it all.  The only thing that ever consistently fixes me is my cpap therapy.

I was finally diagnosed with sleep apnea and after a decade of struggling mentally with pvcs they reduced by 80-85%

If I stop cpap they come right back after a few days.  I've tested this on myself repeatedly to just be sure.

Loading up on magnesium and potassium might calm things but I doubt its the cause anymore.

Sleep apnea is heavily overlooked with this..mi never once read about it in all my years of searching for a solution

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I highly doubt that it’s “overplayed” as you state. There are many causes of ventricular ectopy, and nutritional deficits are a prime suspect. And no, contrary to what you say, magnesium deficiency is widespread. Do some more research, because clearly your research isn’t as thorough as you are claiming. There’s also other factors such as bioavailability, competitive absorption and binding when it comes to supplemental therapies.
Avatar universal
Lol Floridianmustache you're really adept at reading Google.

I don't care what your opinions are.  Its overplayed.  Most Doctors even think it's a joke.  I can regurgitate a bunch of stuff I read on the internet too.

People will grasp at anything they can to cure these or feel better.  I know because I've done it.  They've consumed my life and robbed me of too much until I made peace with them and figured out my issue was sleep apnea.

Bottom line is I've had these things since I was in 9th grade.

I've done it all.

Metoprolol, Atenolol...beta blockers suck.  On the off chance they do help...they have side effects.  Atenolol?  My heart rate couldn't go over 99bpm.

I consistently train in Jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai.  Both EXTREMELY cardio intensive.  Impossible to do them with betabockers.

I've taken Magnesoum Citrate, Magnesium Glycinate...*gasp* they are so bioavailable.  Great Google buzz word.

I've taken all forms of Potassium.

I've been on the table for an ablation.  I've have Vtach, NSVT, 10 beat runs, bigemeny, trigeminal, PACs...

I've taken Taurine because of that stupid single study that says Taurine works...it doesn't.

I almost took Flecainide but thankfully a smart doctor who thinks outside the box a bit did some research on sleep apnea after I described headaches and tiredness during the day.

Telling people to pump themselves full of Magnesium is irresponsible.

I've never had a blood test for my consistent PVCs which didn't include Magnesium.

I've studied this stuff so much I told my EP everything he knew before he opened his mouth and he is one of the tops.  I even explained to him how based on my ECG i had an elicardial focus due to the length of the wave.  I can read the internet too..  

He is also the one who figured out sleep apnea was my issue.

There are TONS OF STUDIES linking sleep apnea to ventricular arrhythmias.

The problem is people like you come on and spout off the same old bs they read on the internet about pumping Magnesium and Potassium into your body and people who are in dire straights like I was will read that and chew them like candy which is just as dangerous.

I won't engage you anymore...butnm your smugness doesn't do much to help people who really really need help with these things.
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
Sleep apnea and ventricular arrythmias makes perfect sense, if there's so much as trace ischemia occuring, which is going to make all that tissue very irritable really easily. Never did I say it wasn't possible nor a viable reason to this person's complaint. Telling someone to examine and their diet and assess what their mineral intake is, is not an invalid place to start.
It would seem that behind dietaty insufficiencies, other less common etiologies such as yours can be considered. This person did not provide any insight to his clinical history. Maybe he does have sleep apnea...maybe he doesn't. He didn't state either. Just that he has runs of PAC's. The fact he stated he clearly uses caffeine, nicotine and alcohol does point to likely some form of dietary issues since most smoker and drinkers don't really eat good diets for the most part. Perhaps some folks might, I'd reckon most definitely do NOT.

Not to "engage" you either, but telling someone take 400-800 mg of magnesium isn't dangerous unless that person is literally in ESRD. If their kidneys are shot to hell and on dialysis five days per week, that would foolish. Telling someone to consume higher potassium foods since most do NOT, is not irresponsible either unless they, again, have ESRD or a genetic nephropathology that would prevent potassium secretion or something else like a K-sparing diuretic. Kidneys are highly resilient and adjust rapidly and very well to varying levels of mineral intake.

And I spout off the same old BS you say? Well, one, I happened to have severe mineral deficiency which was the cause of my rhythm issues. When I fixed it, rhythm got fixed. Sleep apnea was not my issue. Didn't go off of Google....more like Google Scholar and textbooks.
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