Idiopathic arrythmias

[Icunurse1991]

I'm reading a lot about hormones and PVC's; my arrythmia doesn't feel like PVC in that there is a pause,not a premature beat.  The pause is without any regularity in sequence or duration, and then a strong contraction follows.    It's very frightening...they do seem to occur around when I ovulate or just before my period starts, like in association with hormone shifts.  Anyone heard of this type of arrythmia?

[curmudgen]

Have you tried Prilosec - I've been on it for a month or so and it seems to have reduced my arrhythmia .....  

[suzy74601]

Oh i have had a 48 hr holter ekg's stress tests echo's  my heart is good so he says.  I truely believe there linked to my tummy and my hormones but they put me on bb to help with the intensity and the numbers.  I am impressed with how much it helped but not impressed with how crappy i feel on them.  

[curmudgen]

You should look up GERD and arrhythmia .... there is no doubt that there is a hormone as well as a gastric component/cause and the incidence of PVC's.  You are not nuts.  Your best bet is to have a Holter monitor to rule out any potential problems....  many of us have benign PVC's.....

[suzy74601]

I told my doctor I felt them more often when I was fixing to start my period or right before Ov and he just looked at me like I was crazy.  I also told him they happen more often after I eat to which he also looked at me like I was nuts.  

[NYCDoc]

Sorry to disappoint everyone but I am limited by time and can't answer all posted questions. I just happened to come upon Icunurse's question and felt that I could quickly answer it and help her feel better. I tend to answer questions that I feel I can provide some insights based on my experience rather than information that one can get out of reading about certain conditions on the Internet.

[is_something_wrong]

Welcome to the Heart Rhythm Community! I also cross my fingers you will stay here!

[Mom2four85]

does this mean we're going to have an expert answering questions in our community forums now? or was it just random you picked Icunurse's post to reply to?

[crosses fingers] hopefully it's not random =)

[NYCDoc]

PVC is a "premature" heartbeat that comes earlier than expected and most commonly experienced by the person as an "extra" beat. However, not uncommonly, the person might feel a pause rather than an extra beat. The pause is a normal response after a PVC -- it is called a "compensatory pause." It would be helpful for you to wear a Holter monitor to correlate your symptoms with your heart rhythm.

Some patients do feel more PVCs during particular time of their menstrual cycle, though this phenomenon is not well-recognized, even by some doctors.

[Bromley]

I read that most PVC's are associated with a pause.  I think a pause occurs because the ventricles are still refractory when the next beat arrives.  Since they are still refractory, this beat is lost, resulting in a pause before the next beat. The next beat would normally arrive as scheduled and is a "normal" beat.

Not all PVC's are associated with a pause.  For example, if the heart rate is slow enough, and the PVC occurs  soon after a beat, there may be enough time for the ventricles to recover before the next scheduled beat. In that case the PVC is simply between two normal beats (i.e. it is an "interpolated" PVC), and there are no lost beats; hence no pause.