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Avatar universal

Random painful PVCs sometimes during strenuous exercise and rest

Hoping I can get some helpful advice on this bothersome issue.... for quite a while now I've been getting what I believe are pvcs that are accompanied by quick pain.. Although the pain is not intense but the best way I can describe it is a quick twang/shock/squeeze like feeling deep and directly my heart followed before or after pvc, sometimes I don't feel the pvc just the quick sensation described above.  Following the sensation, I DO NOT feel: light headed, weak, fatigued, or feel like I am about to pass out (thankfully I’ve never passed out in my life).  It does make me uneasy, although, I try my best to just ignore it and keep doing whatever I'm doing at the time.

While I'll do occasionally get these painful pvcs sensations during rest (sitting on my computer, watching TV, relaxing ect.) what is unnerving is I get these painful pvcs sometimes during strenuous exercise like a
game of competitive soccer (90 min game of constant jogging, running, and full sprinting).

For example: just the other night I had a pretty intense soccer game and I was sprinting to an area of the field and I got that twang sensation in my heart and I immediately slowed my run as it startled me.. I walked/jogged a around a bit and then resumed the rest of the game without any further issues.  

Although these painful pvc sensations used to be a rare occurrence it appears to be occurring much more frequently.

I've read that pvcs should go away with exercise but for me I am getting them during exercise.  The pvcs usually occur when I just start exercising or sometimes later in the exercise, not a lot of them occur but few here or there during exercise, they don’t generally cause any sort of pain or discomfort EXCEPT the occasional painful one I mentioned above.

I have discussed my pvc issues with my GP months back he had me do a 24-holter monitor, stress echocardiogram, and a visit with a cardiologist a few months back.  At that time I was not getting these painful pvcs during exercise.

The holter monitor showed multiple pvcs, some couplets, and a only single mobitz Type 1 Second-degree AV block during sleep with a low heart rate around 30ish bpm.

The cardiologist pretty much blew me off, he quickly skimmed my holter report, acknowledge the mobitz, saw the pvc, said I was fine, young and healthy and kicked me out the door.  He made me feel like I was wasting his time.

The stress echo showed no abnormalities but did show a single pvc upon cool down when I was sitting on the bed.  Although, I still feel the stress test was nothing compared to a real world example like a soccer match where I’m constantly sprinting till exhaustion and maxing out my heart rate.

I couple weeks ago I had seen my GP for another issue and I had brought up these sensations.  He said he was not sure what to make of these painful pvcs but did suggest maybe doing a 30 day event monitor if I wanted to try and capture one.

Although I’m very tempted to do the event monitor, I feel like it will be very expensive option even with my health insurance.

I just haven’t seen anyone else describe anything like this before.  I don’t know what to do.  It is a very scary sensation and I almost feel like there is something electrically wrong with my heart but I am hoping I’m completely wrong.

Really hope someone can give me some insight on this.. I dunno if I should just live this and chalk it up as “one of those things that happens” or take a serious look into find out what the cause is.

A little bit about me:

I am a 26 yr old male, 162 lbs, pretty fit (I play competitive soccer a lot and have always been an athlete HS and College), I have a slow resting heart rate in the mid 40s to low 50s, good blood pressure, I work as a software engineer so I sit at the computer for 9-10 hours a day.
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Avatar universal
I was diagnosed with sinus tachy a month ago.  I had a long lasting episode where I nearly fainted and ended up in ER.  After ruling out everything, e.g. thyroid, etc, they said there's nothing they can do until they catch the event on the ekg or holter/event monitor.  As I understand it, the cardiologist needs to catch the event before they can determine how to treat it.  Sadly, they don't know the cause of my symptoms so all they can do is give me meds to control it.  I wish you luck.
Helpful - 0
1807132 tn?1318743597
In general in an otherwise healthy heart pvcs are of no consequence even the painful ones.  Unfortunately they are hitting at an inopportune time to cause the painful feeling.  Not all of them will.  But if your heart is healthy doctors generally write if off as benign.  You may want to contact your cardiologist just to be cleared about the exercising issue but the fact that they aren't in runs and you are otherwise very healthy you likely will be told not to worry.  From what I understand most people who are very athletic have some sort of heart issues.  It is a lot of stress on the heart which is a muscle so it gets irritated but unless there is heart damage from things like a heart attack odds are the extra beats you are having will not lead to any sort of dangerous rhythm.  They are more annoying than anything else but do consult with your cardiologist about the fact you get them while exercising.  Take care.
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Avatar universal
Thank you I appreciate your comments.  It is true that I don't get runs of them so that is comforting.  It usually happens about once during the entire game/exercise.  I consulted my GP and he ordered me a 48 hour holter monitor so we we'll see if I can capture this on the monitor and get some peace of mind.
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Avatar universal
Your descriptions sounds a lot like what happens to me when I cycle at high intensity (HR >140). Sometimes I get the painful pvcs and more recently pacs. Most of mine start early in the workout, but I've gotten them during and even after. Couple stress tests, echo, event monitors, blood tests over the last 3 yrs confirms no issues. But, I'd still like to request 24 hr holter so ALL events will be captured.
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Avatar universal
I was able to capture a painful one during my 48 hr holter test.  So I am waiting on the results back.  Where you ever able to capture a painful one during any of your test?  Did they just say it was forceful pvc?
Helpful - 0
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