PVC PAC ectopic beats close together.

[lgrass94]

Guys, every now and again when I exercise I feel an extra beat, which I know I'm MY case is normal. I've had a stress test but it didn't bring any out. When I do get them its completely random! It won't be necessarily at the start of the workout or the end. It could be mid way through. However, when they do occur, I feel a slight ' pluck ' in my throat and a strange sensation, then around 3 to 5 seconds after I get another one, again! It is by no means all one string of them and I get a brief few seconds to think ahh, its just an ectopic beat nothing to fear.

What do you guys rekon this is. I've also noticed them in the first 5 minutes warm down after running.

[MichelleP_3811]

This is pretty normal and nothing to worry about.  So long as you are not getting runs of them that don't stop or are passing out try to put them out of your mind.  You may want to try to ease up just a bit on the intensity of the exercise and see if that helps as well.  Maybe don't push quite as hard and see if the ectopics ease up but honestly those of us who have them really just have to learn to live with them and not let them take over our life.  In a structurally normal heart they are of no consequence.  I honestly just try to see them as simply a few extra beats. My heart knows enough how to keep going despite the disruption.  Take care and try to not fear them.  

[lgrass94]

Thanks for the reply.  

Ill be honest.  I have a little knowledge with heart ectopics and rhythms but ill tell you the truth,  how would i really know if im having runs of ectopics or just ectopics that are a few seconds apart?  Surely just a ecg would show me what is happening?  When these do happen,  in my own opinion i would class them as 'runs'  as theyr close together.  They go like... Beat beat beat.. Skip.... Beat beat.... Skip.... Beat beat beat beat..... Skip.  Then before you know it theyr gone

[MichelleP_3811]

Without a monitor it is hard to tell for sure but if you feel normal beats then a skip then it means they are isolated.  But even if by chance the 3 or 4 beats before the pause are a run of something they are very short runs and nothing to be concerned about but I suspect you are having normal beats then an extra one jump in causing a subsequent pause.  They can happen fairly close together but within a few beats but they are still considered isolated because they are not in a row.  You can try coughing and see if that stops them sooner.  

[lgrass94]

Thanks michelle.  Your more then likely correct.  Its probably pacs firing off or something.

[researcher09]

Not sure if you have the alivecor smartphone app but you may want to think about using that if you are not.  That way you can monitor your heart rhythm (like a single lead EKG) to see if you are over stressing your heart during exercise.  And if there is an issue recorded on the app, you can share it with your cardiologist/EP to see if it is anything serious.  It may also help you modify your training routine if you choose to do so.  I just found out from one my lap swimming buddies that he has AF.  Great fast swimmer that does 3000m daily.  I do half of that plus I run but at a leisurely pace.