Reassurance about PVCs

[Rochelle29]

Hi, I am really here just looking for some comfort. I started to get skipped beats occationally (every few days) about 2 or 3 months ago. I also noticed an increase in feeling adrenaline in my system, particularly while driving. I gradually felt more and more skipped beats. Then one day, when I was leaning over, I felt a big one and it freaked me out. The past couple of weeks now, I have had them everyday. I don't feel them all day long, but I have become hyperaware of my heartbeat and any skipped beats I do have. I seem to have a brief run of like 2 or 3 of them just at random throughout the day. Perhaps less in the evening though.

I went to the ER last week and had an EKG. They said it looked great. The only symptoms I had were the adrenaline, PVCs (as the ER doc called them) and I have had lots of stress over the past few years, particularly in this past year. I did notice that they started about the time when my stress was really peaking. No pain with them.

I feel like they have increased to the everyday point since I started getting so scared of them. So for a few days after the ER visit, I was extremely stressed. Couldn't sleep for the adrenaline rushes at night and didn't want to eat much. I have calmed down some and eating is not a problem anymore. Some nights I can rest and some I can't. When this happens at night, my heart rate increases some, but only the 90s at most. My typical resting heart rate is about 75. I'm going to the Cardio Doc in a couple weeks and doing a 48 hour heart monitor this weekend.

Please, just reassure me that I'll be ok. I have lots of anxiety and this is just hard for me to deal with. Just as I start to feel better and calm down, I have another skipped beat or two. Then it starts all over again. I'm only 29 and the only risk factor for heart disease I have is some extra weight, but not a ton and I have lost 30lbs over the past year or so. Intentionally, not in response to stress.

Please just give me some confidence. I don't want to be miserable for two weeks until I see the Cardio Doc.

[MichelleP_3811]

In any otherwise healthy heart the premature beats, pacs in the atria and pvcs from the ventricles are not a health threat to you.  They feel threatening because you can feel a thump and a pause but they are harmless.  I have also had both of the conditions the previous poster mentioned, the premature beats and svt.  It doesn't sound like you have svt.  It is a different condition where the signal gets caught in a reentry loop causing extremely high heart rates.  You may get short runs of the premature beats but it isn't the same thing.  Short runs of the extra beats are not a concern either.  Unfortunately, unlike svt that cardiologists can correct fairly easily with ablation they really don't do much for premature beats beyond prescribing beta blockers so it is up to us to try and learn to deal with them and avoid our big triggers.  Stomach issues like acid reflux will flare them up.  Eating large meals or sugars and carbohydrates can trigger them.  Caffeine is a big trigger as well getting dehydrated will trigger them so make sure you drink lots of water.  And stress and anxiety are big triggers as well so just try to do your best to manage your anxiety and it should help.  I know it isn't easy to do but just try and breath through the anxiety, taking deep breaths reminding yourself that you are safe and it's ok.  Try your best to notice when the anxiety is kicking in so you can talk yourself down.  And don't feel ashamed about speaking with a counselor for a few sessions to learn how to get on top of it.  Not just about the fear of the premature beats but fear of life in general.  It is good and important to get a full evaluation of your heart to make sure it is sound and healthy but also prepare yourself to take charge of how they are emotionally impacting your well being.  We unfortunately cannot control these extra beats but we can take control over how we respond to them.  In the numbers you are having they are really very harmless.  Best of luck with the doctor and keep us posted on how you are doing.

[Headling]

Hello. Ive been in similar shoes, so to speak. Anything out of the ordinary happening with your heart is very scary. Ive had "palpitations" for as far back as I can remember. Im 38. And as a child I was always anxious about life, which carried over into adulthood. It wasnt until about 30 yrs old that I sought a cardiologist for help. I took betablockers for a very short time and stopped. Over the years my palps progressed from skipped beats etc to very fast rhythm called psvt. With this, my heart would go from 75-80 bpm to 225 instantly. It honestly scared the crap out of me but I didnt have a diagnosis until May of this year. I saw a new cardiologist and he referred me to an Electrophysiologist. They are heart doctors that specialize in heart rhythm disorders. I wore a 30 day event monitor and half way through that I had an ablation done which is when the faulty wiring in your heart is burnt and stops the abnormal rhythms. Leading up to it I was in bad shape mentally with extreme anxiety but the possibility of my heart beating as close to normal as possible overrode the fear of having the procedure done. Its only been 4 weeks but I feel so much better and have more energy than before. Its nerve racking thinking the worst is going to happen but you are on the right track. Go see the cardiologist and ask about a reputable Electrophysiologist in your area. Even without an ablation, they will be able to thoroughly explain to you what your heart is doing and give you options and hope that may help your fears subside. Mine really helped calm my fears. And although I still get antsy about my heart because its my body's natural response,Im not nearly as afraid.