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Tell Me About Your PVCs
I have some questions to see how others measure up. Just thought it might be an interesting thread for people to understand each other a bit.
1. How long have you had PVCs?
2. On average, how many per day?
3. Do you have episodes where you have absolutely no PVCs at all?
4. What is your list of food/beverage triggers?
5. What is your list of non-edible triggers?
6. Do you have GERD, and if so, do you think it aggravates your PVCs?
7. Do you have or have you ever had any structural heart problems or heart disease?
8. For women, do your PVCs increase with shifts in hormones? How did pregnancy affect your PVCs?
9. Do your PVCs disappear with exercise, become worse with exercise or are they about the same no matter what you're doing?
10. Have you ever exeprienced bigeminy, trigeminy, couplets, triplets, NSVT or VT?
11. Do you have a pacemaker or ICD?
12. Do you (or have you ever) taken medication to help control your PVCs? If so, did it help, make them worse or cause no change?
13. Do you have a non-cardiac condition that causes or irritates your PVCs (thyroid, hormone problems)?
14. What have you found that HELPS your PVCs (symptoms/anxiety)? This can be meditation, vitamin supplements, anxiety medication, exercise - anything that helps you deal.
I'll answer below too. I think it will be interesting to see how people respond.
1. How long have you had PVCs?
2. On average, how many per day?
3. Do you have episodes where you have absolutely no PVCs at all?
4. What is your list of food/beverage triggers?
5. What is your list of non-edible triggers?
6. Do you have GERD, and if so, do you think it aggravates your PVCs?
7. Do you have or have you ever had any structural heart problems or heart disease?
8. For women, do your PVCs increase with shifts in hormones? How did pregnancy affect your PVCs?
9. Do your PVCs disappear with exercise, become worse with exercise or are they about the same no matter what you're doing?
10. Have you ever exeprienced bigeminy, trigeminy, couplets, triplets, NSVT or VT?
11. Do you have a pacemaker or ICD?
12. Do you (or have you ever) taken medication to help control your PVCs? If so, did it help, make them worse or cause no change?
13. Do you have a non-cardiac condition that causes or irritates your PVCs (thyroid, hormone problems)?
14. What have you found that HELPS your PVCs (symptoms/anxiety)? This can be meditation, vitamin supplements, anxiety medication, exercise - anything that helps you deal.
I'll answer below too. I think it will be interesting to see how people respond.
I found this thread and thought it was great and wanted to bump it for all of us "newbies". by anacyde, Dec 29, 2007 02:17PM
I have some questions to see how others measure up. Just thought it might be an interesting thread for people to understand each other a bit.
1. How long have you had PVCs?
For as long as I can remember; just didn't know what they were until recently. I've had 3 doctors tell me nothing was wrong with me; their EKG's showed different.
2. On average, how many per day?
24/hr Holter - 54,181 very frequent complex ventricular ectopys with bigeminy & trigeminy. 2 runs of NSVT, 2 couplets, 3 triplets, 2 atrial contractions. Rare atrial ectopy
3. Do you have episodes where you have absolutely no PVCs at all?
I used to have breaks, but the past few months to a year no breaks; past few months it's been 24/7
4. What is your list of food/beverage triggers?
I haven't found any
5. What is your list of non-edible triggers?
Anger - causes my blood pressure to fall and my HR to raise drastically
6. Do you have GERD, and if so, do you think it aggravates your PVCs?
no
7. Do you have or have you ever had any structural heart problems or heart disease?
The doctors say I have a "normally structural" heart - Echo says this:
Mild Tricuspid insufficency
Trace Mitral valve in sufficency
Mild Concentric left ventricular hypertropy
EF rate of 55%
Dilated left atrium with normal left atrial pressures
8. For women, do your PVCs increase with shifts in hormones? How did pregnancy affect your PVCs?
No
9. Do your PVCs disappear with exercise, become worse with exercise or are they about the same no matter what you're doing?
They worsen with any type of physical activity - I get more of a squeezing/crushing type chest pain
10. Have you ever exeprienced bigeminy, trigeminy, couplets, triplets, NSVT or VT?
My 24holter said: 2 runs of NSVT, 2 couplets, 3 triplets, 2 atrial contractions
My stress test: Frequent pvc's - 2 PVC couplets and 1 PVC triplet [4:55]
QRS segment of PVC's narrowed substantially with exercise, widening again in recovery (180 ms to 80 ms)
11. Do you have a pacemaker or ICD?
No
12. Do you (or have you ever) taken medication to help control your PVCs? If so, did it help, make them worse or cause no change?
I took 1 dose 25 mg Toprol, which dropped my BP and HR and ended up in the ER
bp stayed 70/40 HR 41 - will not take any more
13. Do you have a non-cardiac condition that causes or irritates your PVCs (thyroid, hormone problems)?
No
14. What have you found that HELPS your PVCs (symptoms/anxiety)? This can be meditation, vitamin supplements, anxiety medication, exercise - anything that helps you deal.
Nothing
I have some questions to see how others measure up. Just thought it might be an interesting thread for people to understand each other a bit.
1. How long have you had PVCs?
For as long as I can remember; just didn't know what they were until recently. I've had 3 doctors tell me nothing was wrong with me; their EKG's showed different.
2. On average, how many per day?
24/hr Holter - 54,181 very frequent complex ventricular ectopys with bigeminy & trigeminy. 2 runs of NSVT, 2 couplets, 3 triplets, 2 atrial contractions. Rare atrial ectopy
3. Do you have episodes where you have absolutely no PVCs at all?
I used to have breaks, but the past few months to a year no breaks; past few months it's been 24/7
4. What is your list of food/beverage triggers?
I haven't found any
5. What is your list of non-edible triggers?
Anger - causes my blood pressure to fall and my HR to raise drastically
6. Do you have GERD, and if so, do you think it aggravates your PVCs?
no
7. Do you have or have you ever had any structural heart problems or heart disease?
The doctors say I have a "normally structural" heart - Echo says this:
Mild Tricuspid insufficency
Trace Mitral valve in sufficency
Mild Concentric left ventricular hypertropy
EF rate of 55%
Dilated left atrium with normal left atrial pressures
8. For women, do your PVCs increase with shifts in hormones? How did pregnancy affect your PVCs?
No
9. Do your PVCs disappear with exercise, become worse with exercise or are they about the same no matter what you're doing?
They worsen with any type of physical activity - I get more of a squeezing/crushing type chest pain
10. Have you ever exeprienced bigeminy, trigeminy, couplets, triplets, NSVT or VT?
My 24holter said: 2 runs of NSVT, 2 couplets, 3 triplets, 2 atrial contractions
My stress test: Frequent pvc's - 2 PVC couplets and 1 PVC triplet [4:55]
QRS segment of PVC's narrowed substantially with exercise, widening again in recovery (180 ms to 80 ms)
11. Do you have a pacemaker or ICD?
No
12. Do you (or have you ever) taken medication to help control your PVCs? If so, did it help, make them worse or cause no change?
I took 1 dose 25 mg Toprol, which dropped my BP and HR and ended up in the ER
bp stayed 70/40 HR 41 - will not take any more
13. Do you have a non-cardiac condition that causes or irritates your PVCs (thyroid, hormone problems)?
No
14. What have you found that HELPS your PVCs (symptoms/anxiety)? This can be meditation, vitamin supplements, anxiety medication, exercise - anything that helps you deal.
Nothing
1. How long have you had PVCs? 3 years started after having postnatal depression
2. On average, how many per day? not sure per day, but 3-10 per minute
3. Do you have episodes where you have absolutely no PVCs at all? no
4. What is your list of food/beverage triggers? after eating is worse
5. What is your list of non-edible triggers? anxiety
6. Do you have GERD, and if so, do you think it aggravates your PVCs?
7. Do you have or have you ever had any structural heart problems or heart disease? no
8. For women, do your PVCs increase with shifts in hormones? How did pregnancy affect your PVCs? after preg. started with postnatal depression, worse during ovulation, period
9. Do your PVCs disappear with exercise, become worse with exercise or are they about the same no matter what you're doing? not sure
10. Have you ever exeprienced bigeminy, trigeminy, couplets, triplets, NSVT or VT? bigeminy, trigeminy
11. Do you have a pacemaker or ICD? no
12. Do you (or have you ever) taken medication to help control your PVCs? If so, did it help, make them worse or cause no change? no
13. Do you have a non-cardiac condition that causes or irritates your PVCs (thyroid, hormone problems)? no
14. What have you found that HELPS your PVCs (symptoms/anxiety)? This can be meditation, vitamin supplements, anxiety medication, exercise - anything that helps you deal.
2. On average, how many per day? not sure per day, but 3-10 per minute
3. Do you have episodes where you have absolutely no PVCs at all? no
4. What is your list of food/beverage triggers? after eating is worse
5. What is your list of non-edible triggers? anxiety
6. Do you have GERD, and if so, do you think it aggravates your PVCs?
7. Do you have or have you ever had any structural heart problems or heart disease? no
8. For women, do your PVCs increase with shifts in hormones? How did pregnancy affect your PVCs? after preg. started with postnatal depression, worse during ovulation, period
9. Do your PVCs disappear with exercise, become worse with exercise or are they about the same no matter what you're doing? not sure
10. Have you ever exeprienced bigeminy, trigeminy, couplets, triplets, NSVT or VT? bigeminy, trigeminy
11. Do you have a pacemaker or ICD? no
12. Do you (or have you ever) taken medication to help control your PVCs? If so, did it help, make them worse or cause no change? no
13. Do you have a non-cardiac condition that causes or irritates your PVCs (thyroid, hormone problems)? no
14. What have you found that HELPS your PVCs (symptoms/anxiety)? This can be meditation, vitamin supplements, anxiety medication, exercise - anything that helps you deal.
I have some questions to see how others measure up. Just thought it might be an interesting thread for people to understand each other a bit.
Newly diagnosed :
I am a 35 year old female,
1. How long have you had PVCs? since April 2009
Prior to dx I would feel an occasional flushing in my chest, then one day I had many. I work in a hospital and went to the ER. Everyone since thinks it is nothing. It has changed my life and made me think I am falling apart. Someone above said it well... "old and broken"
2. On average, how many per day? Holter showed thousands per da
3. Do you have episodes where you have absolutely no PVCs at all? Not that I notice without meds.. The beta- blockers take them mostly away.
4. What is your list of food/beverage triggers? Not sure? I am and haven't been a drinker or heavy cafeine drinker. 1 cup coffee a day and occasional wine. (both in studies are triggers?)
5. What is your list of non-edible triggers?
Stress and anxiety? I am an OR nurse type A/B personalilty. We built a house last year, I work 4 days a week with two kids and a busy schedule... I believe all the stress lead me here.
6. Do you have GERD, and if so, do you think it aggravates your PVCs? Very interesting because prior to my PVC's I was getting heart burn... a lot! Never had these gerd symptoms prior other than pregnancy and it went away. I feel this is a link..
7. Do you have or have you ever had any structural heart problems or heart disease?
Had an echo and I show a perfect structure. I have a stress test next month to show my activity during excercise to ease my anxiety.
8. For women, do your PVCs increase with shifts in hormones? How did pregnancy affect your PVCs? I felt very intense stress prior to my cycles over the last couple months, almost severe. I was on a birth control pill that I had been on for years and felt it wasn't working right anymore. I have stopped it. But I do believe hormones also have a link.
9. Do your PVCs disappear with exercise, become worse with exercise or are they about the same no matter what you're doing? Haven't really excercised but I think they in the beggining started after excercise.
10. Have you ever exeprienced bigeminy, trigeminy, couplets, triplets, NSVT or VT? All three showed on my holter.
11. Do you have a pacemaker or ICD? no
12. Do you (or have you ever) taken medication to help control your PVCs? If so, did it help, make them worse or cause no change? Started on Metoprolol worked then stopped. Now Atenolol and it is working but has been a couple weeks. I am feeling a few throughout the day despite the med, but they are livable. I was really not able to have them every couple beats all day. I had the neck pulsing and the heart flipping. I was really sensitive and crazy!!!!
13. Do you have a non-cardiac condition that causes or irritates your PVCs (thyroid, hormone problems)? No, I have mild asthma and the betablockers have been a bit noticable, but not unbearable.
14. What have you found that HELPS your PVCs (symptoms/anxiety)? This can be meditation, vitamin supplements, anxiety medication, exercise - anything that helps you deal. The betablocker and more than that this bolg is wonderful!! Thankyou!
I'll answer below too. I think it will be interesting to see how people respond.
Newly diagnosed :
I am a 35 year old female,
1. How long have you had PVCs? since April 2009
Prior to dx I would feel an occasional flushing in my chest, then one day I had many. I work in a hospital and went to the ER. Everyone since thinks it is nothing. It has changed my life and made me think I am falling apart. Someone above said it well... "old and broken"
2. On average, how many per day? Holter showed thousands per da
3. Do you have episodes where you have absolutely no PVCs at all? Not that I notice without meds.. The beta- blockers take them mostly away.
4. What is your list of food/beverage triggers? Not sure? I am and haven't been a drinker or heavy cafeine drinker. 1 cup coffee a day and occasional wine. (both in studies are triggers?)
5. What is your list of non-edible triggers?
Stress and anxiety? I am an OR nurse type A/B personalilty. We built a house last year, I work 4 days a week with two kids and a busy schedule... I believe all the stress lead me here.
6. Do you have GERD, and if so, do you think it aggravates your PVCs? Very interesting because prior to my PVC's I was getting heart burn... a lot! Never had these gerd symptoms prior other than pregnancy and it went away. I feel this is a link..
7. Do you have or have you ever had any structural heart problems or heart disease?
Had an echo and I show a perfect structure. I have a stress test next month to show my activity during excercise to ease my anxiety.
8. For women, do your PVCs increase with shifts in hormones? How did pregnancy affect your PVCs? I felt very intense stress prior to my cycles over the last couple months, almost severe. I was on a birth control pill that I had been on for years and felt it wasn't working right anymore. I have stopped it. But I do believe hormones also have a link.
9. Do your PVCs disappear with exercise, become worse with exercise or are they about the same no matter what you're doing? Haven't really excercised but I think they in the beggining started after excercise.
10. Have you ever exeprienced bigeminy, trigeminy, couplets, triplets, NSVT or VT? All three showed on my holter.
11. Do you have a pacemaker or ICD? no
12. Do you (or have you ever) taken medication to help control your PVCs? If so, did it help, make them worse or cause no change? Started on Metoprolol worked then stopped. Now Atenolol and it is working but has been a couple weeks. I am feeling a few throughout the day despite the med, but they are livable. I was really not able to have them every couple beats all day. I had the neck pulsing and the heart flipping. I was really sensitive and crazy!!!!
13. Do you have a non-cardiac condition that causes or irritates your PVCs (thyroid, hormone problems)? No, I have mild asthma and the betablockers have been a bit noticable, but not unbearable.
14. What have you found that HELPS your PVCs (symptoms/anxiety)? This can be meditation, vitamin supplements, anxiety medication, exercise - anything that helps you deal. The betablocker and more than that this bolg is wonderful!! Thankyou!
I'll answer below too. I think it will be interesting to see how people respond.
I am a 39 year old female
I am glad I found this website. I have been really scared about PVC's since I started having them. Although the doctor says they are begnin, I have an appointment for a second opinion. Internet can be scary when looking things up. I also have chest pain and shortness of breath sometimes. Anyone else have that?
1. How long have you had PVCs?
I started having them in Feburary of 2009.
2. On average, how many per day?
I would guess hundrends
3. Do you have episodes where you have absolutely no PVCs at all? No, somedays I may have a few and other days it may be 100's
4. What is your list of food/beverage triggers?
I can drink caffiene some days and other I don't but I am not sure it makes a difference. I am still trying to find out what triggers it.
5. What is your list of non-edible triggers?
I am assuming stress is one, although I do not think I have stress all the time.
6. Do you have GERD, and if so, do you think it aggravates your PVCs?
No, I do not have GERD
7. Do you have or have you ever had any structural heart problems or heart disease?
No, I have not been diagnosed with anything.
8. For women, do your PVCs increase with shifts in hormones? How did pregnancy affect your PVCs?
I have 2 children before PVC's came on. I do notice they seem more frequent right before period, but then again, they seem to be ongoing now more than ever.
9. Do your PVCs disappear with exercise, become worse with exercise or are they about the same no matter what you're doing?
To be honest, I am scared to exercise, afraid my heart can't take it.
10. Have you ever exeprienced bigeminy, trigeminy, couplets, triplets, NSVT or VT?
I am sure I have, but have not kept track of them. Doctor is sending my transmissions from wearing event monitor and I can see then.
11. Do you have a pacemaker or ICD? No
12. Do you (or have you ever) taken medication to help control your PVCs? If so, did it help, make them worse or cause no change?
The doctor precribed Metaprolol and at first it was a low dose. Now I take 50mg twice a day, but that does not seem to help.
13. Do you have a non-cardiac condition that causes or irritates your PVCs (thyroid, hormone problems)?
No
14. What have you found that HELPS your PVCs (symptoms/anxiety)? This can be meditation, vitamin supplements, anxiety medication, exercise - anything that helps you deal.
I have found nothing helps. If I am busy, I do not notice tham as much, but nothing I have found makes them go away completely.
I am glad I found this website. I have been really scared about PVC's since I started having them. Although the doctor says they are begnin, I have an appointment for a second opinion. Internet can be scary when looking things up. I also have chest pain and shortness of breath sometimes. Anyone else have that?
1. How long have you had PVCs?
I started having them in Feburary of 2009.
2. On average, how many per day?
I would guess hundrends
3. Do you have episodes where you have absolutely no PVCs at all? No, somedays I may have a few and other days it may be 100's
4. What is your list of food/beverage triggers?
I can drink caffiene some days and other I don't but I am not sure it makes a difference. I am still trying to find out what triggers it.
5. What is your list of non-edible triggers?
I am assuming stress is one, although I do not think I have stress all the time.
6. Do you have GERD, and if so, do you think it aggravates your PVCs?
No, I do not have GERD
7. Do you have or have you ever had any structural heart problems or heart disease?
No, I have not been diagnosed with anything.
8. For women, do your PVCs increase with shifts in hormones? How did pregnancy affect your PVCs?
I have 2 children before PVC's came on. I do notice they seem more frequent right before period, but then again, they seem to be ongoing now more than ever.
9. Do your PVCs disappear with exercise, become worse with exercise or are they about the same no matter what you're doing?
To be honest, I am scared to exercise, afraid my heart can't take it.
10. Have you ever exeprienced bigeminy, trigeminy, couplets, triplets, NSVT or VT?
I am sure I have, but have not kept track of them. Doctor is sending my transmissions from wearing event monitor and I can see then.
11. Do you have a pacemaker or ICD? No
12. Do you (or have you ever) taken medication to help control your PVCs? If so, did it help, make them worse or cause no change?
The doctor precribed Metaprolol and at first it was a low dose. Now I take 50mg twice a day, but that does not seem to help.
13. Do you have a non-cardiac condition that causes or irritates your PVCs (thyroid, hormone problems)?
No
14. What have you found that HELPS your PVCs (symptoms/anxiety)? This can be meditation, vitamin supplements, anxiety medication, exercise - anything that helps you deal.
I have found nothing helps. If I am busy, I do not notice tham as much, but nothing I have found makes them go away completely.
I am a 28 y/o female
1. How long have you had PVCs? about 3 months
2. On average, how many per day? I have no idea actually..It varies day to day
3. Do you have episodes where you have absolutely no PVCs at all? No, some days are better than others but I get them everyday and have for 3 months straight now.
4. What is your list of food/beverage triggers? I don't know actually..I get them all of the time. I don't think that food has anything to do with it, but I could be wrong.
5. What is your list of non-edible triggers? Bending over, anxiety, panic attacks, taking deep breaths, yawning, laughing, laying down at night.. the list goes on.
6. Do you have GERD, and if so, do you think it aggravates your PVCs? No, I don't think that I do.
7. Do you have or have you ever had any structural heart problems or heart disease? yes, I have mild regurgitation of all of my heart valves..I just found this out.
8. For women, do your PVCs increase with shifts in hormones? How did pregnancy affect your PVCs? It has started with pregnancy actually..I have never gotten them before. I found out that I was pregnant and then 1 week later they started and they haven't stopped since.
9. Do your PVCs disappear with exercise, become worse with exercise or are they about the same no matter what you're doing? To be honest I have avoided exercise since they started so I really don't know!
10. Have you ever exeprienced bigeminy, trigeminy, couplets, triplets, NSVT or VT? I have supraventricular tachycardia.. I have no idea what else is going on in there. Sometime I get a bunch of PVC's in a row.
11. Do you have a pacemaker or ICD? No
12. Do you (or have you ever) taken medication to help control your PVCs? If so, did it help, make them worse or cause no change? No, since I am pregnant I haven't taken anything.
13. Do you have a non-cardiac condition that causes or irritates your PVCs (thyroid, hormone problems)? Not that I know of
14. What have you found that HELPS your PVCs (symptoms/anxiety)? This can be meditation, vitamin supplements, anxiety medication, exercise - anything that helps you deal. Taking in extra potassium and magnesium, praying, paying attention to other stuff and keeping my mind off them..(Which is hard, but works sometimes.)
1. How long have you had PVCs? about 3 months
2. On average, how many per day? I have no idea actually..It varies day to day
3. Do you have episodes where you have absolutely no PVCs at all? No, some days are better than others but I get them everyday and have for 3 months straight now.
4. What is your list of food/beverage triggers? I don't know actually..I get them all of the time. I don't think that food has anything to do with it, but I could be wrong.
5. What is your list of non-edible triggers? Bending over, anxiety, panic attacks, taking deep breaths, yawning, laughing, laying down at night.. the list goes on.
6. Do you have GERD, and if so, do you think it aggravates your PVCs? No, I don't think that I do.
7. Do you have or have you ever had any structural heart problems or heart disease? yes, I have mild regurgitation of all of my heart valves..I just found this out.
8. For women, do your PVCs increase with shifts in hormones? How did pregnancy affect your PVCs? It has started with pregnancy actually..I have never gotten them before. I found out that I was pregnant and then 1 week later they started and they haven't stopped since.
9. Do your PVCs disappear with exercise, become worse with exercise or are they about the same no matter what you're doing? To be honest I have avoided exercise since they started so I really don't know!
10. Have you ever exeprienced bigeminy, trigeminy, couplets, triplets, NSVT or VT? I have supraventricular tachycardia.. I have no idea what else is going on in there. Sometime I get a bunch of PVC's in a row.
11. Do you have a pacemaker or ICD? No
12. Do you (or have you ever) taken medication to help control your PVCs? If so, did it help, make them worse or cause no change? No, since I am pregnant I haven't taken anything.
13. Do you have a non-cardiac condition that causes or irritates your PVCs (thyroid, hormone problems)? Not that I know of
14. What have you found that HELPS your PVCs (symptoms/anxiety)? This can be meditation, vitamin supplements, anxiety medication, exercise - anything that helps you deal. Taking in extra potassium and magnesium, praying, paying attention to other stuff and keeping my mind off them..(Which is hard, but works sometimes.)
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