PVCs are keeping me up again

[Jenn1302]

I'm desperately trying to sleep but every time I try to lie down I get those horrible thumps (PVCs). My most recent Holter showed that they only happen when I lie down. It's 5am and I'm really really tired. I want to sleep :'(.

Doctors can tell me "this is normal" all they want, but this is PREVENTING ME FROM GETTING SLEEP and functioning like a NORMAL human being. NO, this AIN'T NORMAL! Humans NEED SLEEP to survive.

Can anyone relate to this?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Jenn1302]

I can't sit down or lie down without getting these horrible thumps. This has been going on for 4-5 hours now.

[Jenn1302]

Update: I had another episode today when I was in class. It was really bad. Like really really bad. I was getting a PVC every 5-10 seconds and this went on for like 20-30 minutes. I don't know what's going on, they've never been so bad before.

[Jenn1302]

Update: I went to urgent care because I couldn't take it anymore and they referred me to a cardiologist. Honestly I try to stay away from doctors as much as I can these days but they insisted that I go get a bunch of tests done.

[dongato17]

I'm on a beta blocker now. It doesn't stop the PVCs but they are less frequent and seem to have less of a kick now.

[dongato17]

By the way, you aren't alone.  I went to urgent care a few times too and came close to going to the ER.  It's pretty scary until you get the basics checked out.  Even after that it can still be scary...

[Jenn1302]

My heart rate goes down to the low 40s at night. I don't think I can take beta blockers.

[dongato17]

When I was having PVCs every 4th or 5th beat constantly I was having trouble sleeping as well.  I ended up taking a sleeping pill to help (it did).  I wouldn't rule out that option.  I also found that I could feel them less in certain positions.  Makes me wonder if a vibrating bed might not be a bad idea!

Since then, I've gotten much better at ignoring them.  It's really hard to ignore, trust me I know, but slowly I seem to be getting better and better at it.

[Jenn1302]

Right? I was getting them every 5 seconds. How can anyone sleep when they're getting kicked in the chest all night?

I only get them when I'm lying down. I tried to sleep sitting up but I wasn't able to.

I can only ignore these annoying punches in the chest when I'm extremely sleep deprived. Even then I get 3-5 hours of sleep before they wake me up.

[Jenn1302]

I'm thinking of going to one of those walk-in urgent care clinics at this point because this has been going on for too many hours. Something is wrong.

[Stjopa]

Trust me, there is a little bit of anxiety now, you go to sleep knowing you'll have them...

[Jenn1302]

Honestly, I'm used to them by now so not really. I didn't go to the ER even though my PCP told me to go if this ever happened again. Also, I wasn't stressed or anxious when they started last night. I hadn't had any PVCs in weeks so I wan't thinking about them or anything.

[Stjopa]

Ok then, anyway try some of those techniques to put yourself to sleep.

[Jenn1302]

Thank you for your response. I'm not stressed or anxious (just annoyed by these annoying things that keep destroying my life, every chance they get). My PVCs are purely positional. I had some ginger tea an was able to get a little bit of sleep, but now they're back again :(.

[Jenn1302]

- I'm alcohol, stimulant and aspartame free. I don't touch these things.
- I take magnesium tablets (400-600 mg daily).
- My weight is normal (BMI~20).
- I work out a lot.
- I have hiatal hernia, gastic-cardia and Hashimotos (unmedicated because my thyroid is "normal").

[Stjopa]

My pvcs calm down when i lie down, so its very individual, everybody has diferent triggers as well as ways to calm them down. Mine are anxiety related and I'm fighting hard, sometimes they don't show up for days, sometimes when there's lot of stress they worsen. Try the breathing techniques, meditating, teas, try mumbling before sleep (saying mmmm thru your nose)....also try autogenic training (dont know the right term), counting backwards deducting 54321 (1000, 995, 991, 988...), try refocusing e.g. name 5 things you can see, 4 things you can feel by touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell and 1 good thing about yourself.

[Stjopa]

Also go to sleep completely empty headed, leave all your worries out of bedroom especially work, never work from your bed. Also try sleeping in another room. These are all advices when your condition is anxiety and stress related, but can help you sleep whatever the cause of insomnia is.

[Jenn1302]

My triggers are anything that touches my stomach or throat, especially immediately after eating (I have hiatal hernia and gastric-cardia). The thing is that this has gotten significantly worse than it was as of late to the point where even gravity triggers those PVCs.