Possible PVC cause/cure?

[jerseyjerry]

I started getting what was diagnosed as Benign PVCs in February, 2005.  The holter monitor showed over 10,000 in a 24 hour period and I was getting 3-5/minute.  The cardiologists said I would have them forever but they were not a cause for concern and I could take a prescription to lessen the effects if they bothered me, which I did not do.  

Incidentally, in April 2007 during an intensive annual physical the Dr noticed that I had High Ferritin levels, although my blood serum iron and TIBC were normal.  My gene test was positive for one of the iron loading genes which meant I had about a 5% chance to develop Iron Overload.  He didn't think I was overloading but asked that I donate blood every 60 days and get periodic blood tests to check my Ferritin levels.  My levels dropped from 600 to 450 to about 300 over the first 6 months.  By October after about the 4th donation my PVCs which I had for 2 1/2 years STOPPED.  And to this day they have not returned.  I continue to donate blood every 2-3 months and honestly I have no idea if that was the cure, but it seems plausible.  

I wanted to share this as donating blood is a good thing to do anyway and to have it have such a positive (potentially) effect on what was a very annoying and scary syndrome it may be worth a try.  I can't say if any of this has a correlation to the "cure" and most doctors I have talked to are skeptical although they say it could be possible that iron overload may have caused arrhythmic effects.  The only other lifestyle change I had within the 9 months preceding the "cure" was that I started practicing "Hot Yoga" which involved an intensive workout in a 100+ degree room.  The massive sweating also could have had an iron reducing effect???

Anyway, it feels good to be PVC free and I will continue to donate blood for the rest of my life!  Who knows, maybe it is just a healthy thing to allow your body to replenish its blood cells every once in a while!

[Madge270]

Another question for you:  When you donated blood, did your PVCs make you more tired afterwards? I'm probably going to be giving blood soon and would like to know.  A nurse said I might be a lot more tired if I have a heart arrhythmia and that I'll need to take it very easy for the rest of the day when I donate blood.  Was that true for you?
Thanks.

[Madge270]

Thanks so much for your post about your high ferritin level and heart arrhythmia.  I was told about a decade ago that I had  a "high iron level" and I shouldn't take any supplements with iron. I stopped doing it.  I just had some routine bloodwork done and asked for iron testing because I was concerned that the Nexium I was taking for GERD could be causing me to lose iron (that's happened to some of my friends).  Instead, I found out that my ferritin level was in the 300's, and the top of normal is 150.  Yet my regular iron level and hemoglobin are in the normal range.

I began having PVCs late this last spring, and wore a holter monitor for two days. I averaged around 8500 PVCs a day, but decided not to take a beta blocker since prior experience with them (for headaches) was not good...I felt like a zombie. Anyway, I'm wondering whether my PVCs are related to my ferritin level. I'll be seeing a doctor (internal medicine) in a month and will probably have more tests done. And possibly I'll need to give blood too. I hate that I have small, difficult-to-find, "rubbery" veins, but I guess I'll most likely have to do it anyway. I really appreciate your input here. Just maybe treating the ferritin level will help my PVCs.

Do you have to avoid any foods because of your high ferritin level?

[jerseyjerry]

What happens with Iron Overload is beyond the blood effect.  Iron starts to deposit in your liver, heart, and other organs.  It can actually kill you over time and people who have the real full blown syndrome often have to have blood drawn every few weeks....  so the storing of blood in the heart could cause the PVCs or worse over time...

I was lucky that the Dr. I went to was sophisticated enough to check it out so thoroughly.  

Thanks for the comments!

[upbeat633]

Loved your post, thanks for sharing. What a great benefit to receive for such a special gift you give--no more pvcs and your blood can save a life.

I think I am the exact opposite from you, I can't for my best efforts, get out of being anemic. My blood serum and TIBC are normal like yours, but my ferriten is 8.6ug/dl (below 12 is considered anemic for women, and 5ug/dl is considered life threatening). Compare that to your high of 600 to 450 to 300.

The EP thinks I'm not anemic based on my TIBC, but that's because I swallow iron supplements like crazy. I've only just tested at 18ug/dl, so technically I'm not anemic anymore, and I have noticed a reduction in pvcs but I'm still multiple thousands/day. Maybe I could get some of your blood, hee hee.

Seriously, your post is also very informational because it's something everyone should follow up with, men especially because they are more prone to iron overload than women, who are prone to anemia. Ferriten is more specific to what your iron levels are actually doing, so if you are only tested for hemoglobin and TIBC, you could appear to be fine.

[Momto3]

WOW!!   I love that your blood donations have led to PVC-free days!!  If that truly is the reason, that's awesome.  If not, as you say, it's still for a great cause.  We are in such shortage of blood supply, so your contributions are surely appreciated by many.

I've heard where anemia can trigger PVCs, so it's interesting that overload may have similar results...hmmmm

Thanks for a great post!

Please k/Keep us updated!