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PVC- Pinch Feeling

I am 42 years old and i have been having PVC's or Pinches on the left side of my chest. They usually feel like a flop but with an annoying pinch feeling. I read a post today from someone that felt the same thing i did but the responses were redundant and deviated from what he was feeling. I am trying to get some answers. Ive had all the work ups done and even a hearth cath which another Cardiologist was upset about because my pipes are clean as a whistle. So now the question is what the heck are these pvcs and are they suppose to feel like a pinch and or is it intramuscular and every time i get the pinch feeling it is right next to my heart. I am baffled and i don't know what to do. I am trying not to have anxiety and keep level headed. I will be heading out for training in a couple of months for a State Trooper position. The physical part of it is what i will be worried about and i just want to make sure if these pvcs are begnign or an underlying issue. Anyone have any answers or has or is feeling these pinch sensations. Please answer if you are feeling what i am feeling. I don't want this to be deviated to other things like Anxiety, Depression, and crick in the neck.
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1807132 tn?1318743597
That's great that you keep a journal.  Most don't and are unable to see the patterns.  I think this will help the doctor greatly.  But for your peace of mind, so long as your heart is functioning healthy and there is no scarring from previous heart attacks then isolated pvcs and even short runs of them are not a danger to you so you likely have nothing to be concerned about.  It will likely be a matter of just managing your stress and triggers.  And good for you getting a handle on calming yourself when you get anxious.  That is not easy to do so really give yourself a pat on the back for that.  I've a life time a anxiety I am overcoming only now in my middle age.  I know how pervasive it can be on your life.  So keep up what you are doing and try to put the pvcs out of your mind.  I just think of them as small little extra beats and nothing more.  It's easy for me because I use to have an svt that caused me to have more than twice the amount of beats a person should have, well into the 200s when normal is below 100.  But oddly that didn't ever scare me like the one off pvcs did initially.  But just breaking it down to a simple extra beat makes it feel less threatening.  It's how it feels that scares us really but the truth is, in a healthy heart they pose no danger.  Unless we are having so many of them they are disrupting our life they really are of no consequence.  So keep doing what you are doing and you will be fine.  Take care.
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Avatar universal
Thank you michellepetkus for the response. Ive had all the tests done and the echocardiogram. Everything has come back normal and of course a healthy heart. Ive kept a journal of my episodes and i have cut down on caffeine and or other triggers. Meditating and relaxing helps and I've had fewer now than before. I get the usual anxiety but I've learned to condition my mind to relax and calm myself down. I will see the doc here in the next month and show her my journal. The journal does help because i can go back and see what caused the trigger and its usually during the time of stress and or an emotional event. So the meditation helps but still working at it.
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1807132 tn?1318743597
I have had the pinching feeling with my ectopics as well though not with everyone of them.  It sounds like you may have one specific spot that flares off in a spot that is uncomfortable.  This said, if you are having only isolated extra beats, in an otherwise healthy heart, which is sounds like yours is, they are considered benign.  Some even say normal.  I hesitate to say they are normal but they are generally harmless in a healthy heart so try to not let them sideline you from your dreams.  The training may even help you feel better.  Obviously if things got worse go back to your doctor but it sounds like you have had the tests you need to verify that your heart overall is healthy.  Did you have an echo?  That is usually the main test they perform to make sure the heart is functioning normal.  

Other than that I am not sure they know why people experience ectopic beats.  I think in general for some reason a cell gets triggered and once it gets activated there is always a chance for it to go off randomly.  things to pay attention to are stress and anxiety, avoid caffeine and cut down on carbs and treat and acid reflux or gerd which can definitely trigger the ectopic beats.  The vagus nerve gets irritated from these conditions triggering the heart to act up.   I am not sure there are any studies to support this theory but I have spoken with enough people and experience it myself to know that it is a big trigger for me.   Anyways, best of luck with your training.  Keep us posted on how it goes.
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