PVCs driving me crazy and ruining quality of life

[Chrisps1992]

I’ve had PVCs all of my life, but it was nothing that bothered me. I’d get 1 or 2 a day and some days none at all. That all changed last week. I was sitting down at the computer desk and I had one...then another...then another... then panic set in. I went to the ER and they said I was fine and sent me home with benzos. I have completely changed my diet. I now only eat extremely healthily and drink water. It didn’t help. Anytime I exert myself or walk around they start back and won’t stop for hours. When they start they can happy every 20-30 beats and sometimes every 5-10 beats. I am miserable and I’m at the point I avoid doing anything because I’m scared to trigger them again. I’ve got an echo scheduled soon... I just feel like my life has been completely turned upside down overnight. Has anyone ever had them come on so suddenly like that? Since the day I went to the ER they’ve been so frequent anytime I try to do anything I just wish they’d go back to 1 or 2 per day.

[SeaCaller]

The more you want to get rid of them, the harder it is to.  Very similar to hiccups in that fashion.  The medical community knows neither what causes PAC/PVC nor a cure.  While some are no doubt physiological, there is a strong mental component to PAC/PVC.

The best advice is to let them happen and not worry about them.  If they want to come every 30 seconds, then so be it.  It won't kill you.  Once you accept them as part of your life you will be over them.

[Chrisps1992]

Can’t they cause cardiomyopathy?

[nedley09]

Only if you have so many a day.  I had 6600 a day and my old doc laughed at me when i brought that up, he said he had someone with 20k and her heart was still normal

[FileTrekker]

Actually recent studies have shown a PVC burden as little as 0.7% (70 per day) was a marker for left ventricular cardiomyopathy.

[2210485]

If they destroy your quality of life I hope they ablate them.

Every time I hear a case like this I feel the argument to just burn everything just gets stronger...

[Chrisps1992]

ablation scares me. I can’t imagine being awake while they are burning my heart!

[2210485]

They can put you under anesthesia but sometimes that can cause the PVCs to go into hiding and make it difficult to find the correct spot to burn.

[FileTrekker]

Doctors rarely want to do ablations and unless the burden is super high you've got no hope of ever getting rid of them. Beta blockers for PVCs are a joke.

[PVCS_GONE]

I had ~ 14000 a day for years. Still hiked, xc ski, backpacked. Got rid of them with taurine, l-carnitine, l-arginine (500 mg each/day), 2 weeks to see improvement, gone in 4 weeks.

[FileTrekker]

l-carnitine and l-arginine cannot be taken long term.

[Catmom1]

just curious why they can't be taken long term?