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PVCs turning into VT?

Hi all, I have two quick questions I was wondering if you guys can help me with.

Here's a little back ground info. I am a 17 year old male, 6ft 150lbs. I am in good shape (play Rugby, do martial arts, lift weights.) I smoke, have cut back and trying to quit. I do drink, maybe on average 5-6 drinks once a week, but other then that I eat pretty healthily and try to lead a healthy life. I was diagnosed with PVCs about 2 years ago, some weeks after I started feeling skipped beats in my chest and chest pain (ironically enough it all started after an ecg), but I think I may have had pvcs my whole life without really noticing them.

On spring break of this year, I went to Mexico and got a little carried away with the partying, a few to many nights in a row lol. One morning during the trip (after 3 nights of drinking) I felt my heart palpitate about seven times in a row! Throughout that same day I felt numerous times where it was going 3 or 4+ pvcs. There may have been one even beat in between but it was hard to gauge, and my heart rate stayed the same during these episodes. After the trip now I am feeling okay and my heart rhythm seems to be back to normal pvcs.

One more quick thing. Twice this has happened (once after Mexico, once before) for a very brief period maybe 5-10secs (once while I was standing up and once while I was lying in bed) I have felt my heart beat super fast in almost "short" and "hallow" beats. I know this cannot be AF, but if I had to describe it I would say it felt as if my heart was fibrillating.

This leads me to my two main questions:

1. Are those sequenced beats VT, even though they were very even and my heart rhythm never increased?
2. Is this second thing I described VT?

Should I worry about these things and go see my cardiologist? If I go on medication to control my heart rhythm would it be safer when I drink or less safe?

Thanks in advance,

Connor











Best Answer
520292 tn?1232035850
3 or more PVC in a row is not necessarily the true defined VT.  VT is when you have continuous PVC's for over 30 seconds straight and at a high heart rate usually 150 -180 bpm.  If you have three or more PVC in a row but it does not last long and is corrected by itself , it is called NSVT or Non Sustained Ventricular Tachy.  PVC's or NSVT in a young healthy heart poses no clinical significance.  In a person like you , young , more than likely structurally sound heart, the NSVT or PVC's are considered benign.  I would still go get checked out just for the hell of it.  It wouldnt hurt for a cardio doc to give you a ECHO to rule out heart abnormalities.  Some people might call what you experienced as Salvos, or Bursts of PVC's and not even call it NSVT.  Good luck to you, and dont worry about the partying.  I have had PVC's my entire life, and I used to drink a 20 pack, smoke a pack of cigs, take like 15 bong hits, and do some lines of snow and never had it develop into anything serious.  Although of course that is not the best thing for the heart, it is amazing how much abuse the body can really take.  Young person like you needs to be looking into sex, drugs, and alcohol.

Carry on
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Avatar universal
sound alot like what happens to me.  i've had echo, stress, ekg, holter.  my heart is structual sound and was described as "athletic" with "high excercise tolerrance with excellent heart rate recovery.  my holter caught 2,000 pvc's in one day (actually all while sleeping).  my doc said everything was fine and there was nealy 0 chance of developing V-fib.  my point is talk to your doctor as this forum is for people to share experiences not diagnosis.  hang in there.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thank you very much both of you, your input is truly appreciated!! I have had an ECHO done twice (once for my Cardiologist and once for my family doctor) and they both said my heart is completely normal physically. I will still take both of your guys advice and get it checked out anyways, as I would also like to discuss looking into some treatment options with my doctor anyways, not only is it an annoying feeling having my heart stop and start, these things really scare the crap out of me sometimes too lol.
Helpful - 0
520292 tn?1232035850
3 or more PVC in a row is not necessarily the true defined VT.  VT is when you have continuous PVC's for over 30 seconds straight and at a high heart rate usually 150 -180 bpm.  If you have three or more PVC in a row but it does not last long and is corrected by itself , it is called NSVT or Non Sustained Ventricular Tachy.  PVC's or NSVT in a young healthy heart poses no clinical significance.  In a person like you , young , more than likely structurally sound heart, the NSVT or PVC's are considered benign.  I would still go get checked out just for the hell of it.  It wouldnt hurt for a cardio doc to give you a ECHO to rule out heart abnormalities.  Some people might call what you experienced as Salvos, or Bursts of PVC's and not even call it NSVT.  Good luck to you, and dont worry about the partying.  I have had PVC's my entire life, and I used to drink a 20 pack, smoke a pack of cigs, take like 15 bong hits, and do some lines of snow and never had it develop into anything serious.  Although of course that is not the best thing for the heart, it is amazing how much abuse the body can really take.  Young person like you needs to be looking into sex, drugs, and alcohol.

Carry on
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks Wanz.

I have a sinking feeling those fast beats were VT. Keep in mind it has only happened tow times and I had had not been drinking (nor had I for a while.) Do you know if those other beats I explained where VT too? These where at regular resting rate (maybe 60-70bpm) but I hear that if you have 3 or more PVCs in a row it's VT? If you can shine any more light on this predicament it would be much appreciated, but I think I will make an appointment with my doctor to go see the cardiologist anyways.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Connor, yes, you should see your cardiologist.  Maybe a Holter monitor would capture the arrhythmia and he/she can tell you what it is.  You have tested and proven the theory of alcohol and the heart.  You probably ought to stop the binges.  if those fast beats are v-tach, and you get a long enough run, it will kill you instantly.  I had runs of v-tach myself and got a defibrillator.  It has saved my life weven times.  One of those times was a early morning after drinking a bunch of champagne (a very rare thing).  I believe alcohol does cause v-tach if you are prone to it and with your PVCs you most likely are.  Don't mess around with this, please.  I'd hate for you to die for a "good time."
Wanz
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