PVCs during exercise

[Ratfactor]

I'm a 25-year-old woman from Finland. About three months ago I started having ectopic beats and palpitations, which made me quite worried because they were definitely something new. I have a family history of sudden death from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, so I decided to have an echo and 24hr Holter monitor. The echo showed that structurally my heart is fine and according to the Holter monitor results I had dozens of PVCs (some of them were couplets), a few PACs and sinus tachycardia. My blood test results were normal, too.

A couple of days later PVCs began to occur not only during rest but also during exercise, which really scared me. One day while walking home I had some kind of bigeminy (every other beat was abnormal) that almost took my breath away. Therefore I wanted to get a stress test on a stationary bicycle just in case. I had some singular PVCs at an intensity level of 120 Watts (heart rate of 164) - is this something to worry about? My cardiologist said that the results don't suggest any heart disease but I'm still afraid to exercise anymore.

What about multifocal PVCs, ventricular couplets and bigeminy in a structurally normal heart? Are they dangerous?

[researcher09]

PVC's are not acutely dangerous at a low burden but you are unlucky in that you are highly sensitive and symptomatic.  My father in law had 2 heart attacks over the last year and now he has a high burden of scar related PVC's and increased risk of VT/SCD.  At his age (90's) and condition, neither icd nor ablation are appropriate but luckily for him, he is asymptomatic and hemodynamically stable.  However, at your age and where PVC's interfere with your ability to exercise and maintain good health.  I would think about getting the PVC ablated.  In experienced hands, PVC ablation is as safe and effective as SVT ablation.  I don't know the experience level in Finland.  For Iva in France, there are world class experts in Bordeaux and a few CHU centers.

[Iva_87]

Hi,
I dont have much to offer as response - just to tell Im 34 year old woman from France (born in Czech though). I had AVRNT, one ablation which failed, year and a half of horror, second succesful ablation, since than Mobitz I that I feel horribly, and makes me sick. Luckily its rare, but it freaks me out, destroys my life.
I will get many PVCs (or PACs? I still dont know!), and mainly for me too, now they are induced when I exercise. Im just scared to do it. You are not alone there :) feel free to drop me a private message; I will see my excellent cardiolog in november so I will keep you updated of what he says!