Pvc's and Tachycardia

[Cmhile11]

About 6 months ago, I started feeling what I  now know are PVC. I wore a 24 hour holter monitor and haven't talked to my doctor about my results yet but did see the records online. It said I had, Ventuclar Premature Deploration and tachycardia. When I seen my doctor on Wednesday she had not seen the results yet and she listened to my heart and said I was definitely having PVC's that she could hear them. I smoke and she said the amount she was hearing sounded more than someone abusing nicotine. I literally didn't feel the PVC's that she was hearing, when I feel them it feels like a thump. But anyways, I am now terrified that my heart is beating crazy out of wack and she can hear it and I don't feel it. I do feel them about 10 or so an hour but the way she sounded it was like every other beat. I will not see her again until next Wednesday and I just don't know if my nerves will take it. Someone please help!!!

[Cmhile11]

I went to the doctor today and my tachycardia is 100-120 sometimes 130. He doesn't seem alarmed about that. Sometimes my heart dips in the 50's and he wasn't too concerned about that either. I am still having the PVC's but I am continuing to elminate caffeine and nicotine from my body. My blood pressure is perfect. He wants to start me on propranolol 10mg twice a day and that concerns me for the simple fact that my BP is 114/70 and around that range most of the time. Has anyone else taken it without high blood pressure?

[Cmhile11]

Thank you everyone for the help. I have very bad anxiety, It started 20 years ago when I was 15. I am definitely cutting down on tobacco and caffeine and I am just waiting for my primary care doctor to refer me to a cardiologist.

[itdood]

The "tachycardia" in the report could be completely normal.  You may have been walking up stairs or doing something else to get your hear rate >100bpm.

I would go see a cardiologist for more info.    I could be wrong but I don't think it's 100% accurate to diagnose a rhythm with a stethoscope.  You might hear an irregular systole (when the heart pumps), but that could be any of a number of things.

Since you're a smoker, you have a risk factor for blood flow problems in the arteries of the heart. Sometimes blood flow problems can manifest themselves as a ectopy (irregular rhythm such as PACs or PVCs).   This depends on how long you've been smoking.  If you have any other risk factors such as a high BMI, diabetes, or family history then the chances go up further.   I would escalate the issue with a cardiologist and get more tests done such as echo and a stress test.  I had to go through this but I only had one risk factor which was family history.

[MichelleP_3811]

You really should consider quitting smoking.  I had an svt that was causing my heart to beat super fast in the 200s and also had a lot of pvcs after my ablation and my cardiologist said the best thing I had ever done for my heart was quitting smoking.  I smoked for 25 years and it was hard to quit but was definitely worth it to be free from the control cigarettes had over me.  I did it with the meds Chantrix though I have heard that people who have a tendency towards depression should be cautious because it can make them more suicidal.  

I agree with the other poster though.  Try to work on your stress and anxiety and fear of all of this.  Mediate or distract yourself, do lots of deep breathing.  The more you stress the more symptoms you will have.  Odds are you are not in any danger if you are not experiencing any concerning symptoms like passing out or struggling to breath.  It is important to get your heart fully evaluated to know your risk factors but odds are the pvcs will very well fall into the not dangerous category so try to stay positive and not worry unless you are told otherwise.  Cut out caffeine, deal with any stomach issues like acid reflux and work on stress and you may find the pvcs settle down considerably.  Hang in there and keep us posted what the doctors say.  

[researcher09]

If you just started smoking then stopping smoking may help.  If you have been smoking a long timing, the damage to the heart and lungs took a while for CAD to develop and your heart muscles are at the point where they are struggling to pump efficiently and arrhythmia develops.  It is not too late to quit and help your heart out.  It is difficult to not stress about it and that will make your arrhythmia worse.   And even if it is difficult, you want to find someway to relax.  You have to gain control over the risk factors and smoking is one of them.  Alcohol and caffeine are as well for some unlucky people.