Getting so tired of my extrasystoles-

[sleepsleep]

Yet again I throw my words at you. (Honestly feel bad cause in some eyes, my worries are most likely ridiculous. - But they pain me so gotta try)-

(short sum about me)
Male 25 next month.
Anxiety for about 5-6 years.
Extrasystoles for about the same amount of time.

I just can't let myself believe they are harmless and mostly fueled by my anxiety. Yet some "signs" suggest they are indeed a product of my own mind.

Reasons they might be psychological-

1
I remember one of the earliest episodes that scared me the most.
I was about 18 I guess, and was at a club when me and my girlfriend got in a really heated argument.  And I could feel that the more my anger built up, the more "bumps" I could feel inside my chest.- End up feeling 6 quickly in a row and I left the club.

2
I just recently (two weeks ago) started a new activity. The last two Wednesdays (and continued) me and a buddy have gone mountain-biking in the woods/bog nearby. Full speed for 25-30 minutes through hills and swamp surfaces, making my heart pump like crazy, and all the slime making its way up from my lungs (yeah need/trying to quit smoking)- I keep paddling until my legs just cant paddle anymore. (can hardly walk afterwards hah)
So that also makes me think I should be fine. Sure I do get a minor pain in the chest, but guessing thats just the smoke and the heavy breathing causing it.  And altough i fear it I dont think ive gotten any extrasystoles those who times. (not after either- well at least not until hours later)- If I did.... I could not tell the difference from everything else that was going on.

3
Ive had them for so many years and Im still standing. Also when thinking back a couple of years (when working at a record store) I cant remember having a single one at that time- At that time my anxiety was also minimal.

4
My mom tells me she experiences them too. (kinda annoyed she only told me this last year as it might have helped to know earlier. But she mentions she feels them when stressed out, and even gets a few when workingout on a treadmill. -

5
No one in my family really has any heart issues. Only two members of the family have died in my lifetime- Both women. Age 94 and 80+. Sisters. All males still live who were alive when I was born.

Reasons im not convinced.

1
I remember one summer when me and a handful of friend went to the beach almost every day. We usually did the same, which was to play american football out in knee high water. Hard as hell running in the water and jumping around with the ball.- But remember one day after about 30-40 minutes of playing, I felt a large bump in the chest which was enough to make me call quits and sit on the beach watching the others continue playing.

(Ive always been suggested that it might be my mind causing them when there is something worrying me, but in that example I dont see what I should be worried about. I was having fun and my anxiety really didnt exist like it does now- Same summer I took a small road-trip and slept in a tent on a parking lot.... Why would that not be more provoking?)


2
Doctors: Not saying doctors are dumb or anything like that. Not at all, and who am I to judge. Its just that they have so many different opinions.
My personal doctor is at a point where he is kinda annoyed when I even mention the heart. Ive been set up with several EKG's at the doc, and a 24h holter (which the results now are vanished, but as he mentions : If there was anything back then that was alarming we would know)- Ive had a stress test done where BP and HB was all good.
Yet...... While ive explained to a doctor via phone (kinda a hotline for heart patients, friends and family of heart patients and just general public who wish to know more info about the heart)------ Anyways. . . .I was told that when there has never been caught a extrasystole on any of the tests, it might be a fine idea to get a ECHO or even a new holter. (and this was a doctors words)- I go back to my doc and he dismisses it all so that a " no can do"-

3
Some times it feel like the more my reflux/acid is messing me up, the more extrasystoles i get.
When my reflux is at its worst I burp allot.- (like there is airpockets in my belly/chest, so I try to get them free) And at the same time I feel like I have more extrasystoles. "connection? "


Sorry...... Written to much for anyone to read I bet. But If you have been reading so far, just a few more words. . .

I need a way to accept that its nothing dangerous. . . . I look in here and a positive thing is to see that many have had them for allot longer than me.... (Sure its horrible for them and I feel for them, but its good to know that they are still alive..... I mean.... Why should I not keep on then?)-
But on the other hand there are those who experience "additional" issues.


Ive read articles and seen researches concluding that a certain vegetarian lifestyle would almost make heart issues a myth... So actually considering chancing to that route just for that reason. . . Friends think im crazy... Which I am... But still, why not. . .

But yeah sorry. . .  . Your thoughts ? Your experience? Tips? Things I should do like demand more tests or should I be confident now that the doctor KNOWS they are harmless?
HElp me to help myself. . . .  

ALSO a final note. . . .A thing Ive noticed. . .
Last couple of days----- Or like two weeks. . . the two weeks when its kinda been a bad period with more extraystoles then usual. . . .Ive been eating allot of meat. Well sausages to be precise. I baked about 100 sausage rolls as a "survivors food" cause im low on cash. But been eating them for almost every meal. (yeah both discusting and not healthy... But gotta survive, and the cost of baking those are minimal).- - - - Anyways. Got really feed up with them and been eating oatmeal and bread with cheese today, and so far I have not had a single extrasystole.
(yeah, you bet my mind is going crazy thinking "oh now its gonna come 5 minutes later and the joker on your shoulder is gonna be like: HA sucker!).-

Maybe the overdose of meat helps trigger them?


Okay sorry. Done now.
Hope someone made it through this madman words and might have some helping words to share.  

[Creativze]

Hi man, how are you holding up? Just saw this post now because of what i went through and i really hope that it will be usefull to you. So a while ago i somehow had them and like you a had an as well anxiety. And at some point, which was completely irrelevant to extraystoles, i decided to try the vegan thing just becaus of health and sports. For it somehow cured them thamk God. I suggest you try it as it may be for you as well. It is kind of hard to begin the lifestyle, but making the switch is not so difficult in the end. Please let me know what you think and ofcourse please try it

[dmacd74]

Nice posts IM and Something...very helpful to me as well.  Thank you.

[sleepsleep]

Hi.
Thank you so much for the details and info.
Yeah it is really a battle of its own to "trust" the doctors words. But as you kinda signal and as i think for myself..... We kinda accept them to be nothing harmful... until they pop up again hah. But yeah, always good to hear others view on this.
Thank you

[IMFletcher]

I have been dealing with PVCs for years, and I still struggle when I encounter a bad episode...

My PVCs used to be strictly episodic - come for a few hours (several per minute) then disappear...very random...stress is a funny thing, as even though at times we "feel" relaxed, there can be lots built up in the sub conscious...I now get PVCs daily...the funny thing is, sometimes I wonder if I am actually feeling a PVC, a PAC, or perhaps just a gas or digestion issue...I am tempted to get another event/holter monitor to press the button when I "feel" a PVC/PAC, and see if anything even shows up!!

When you suffer from premature beats, you become hyper sensitive to every sensation, and the high alert mentality likely causes us all to "feel" things that may not even be ectopic beats...

I have gone through all the tests, on more then one occasion - for me the battle is trusting the doctors, and accepting that my premature beats are benign. I have been told many times that 100 percent of the population experience ectopic beats, but just don't take notice, or even know what the brief sensations are...

I run 6-8 km per day. I usually don't feel any PVCs, but will get the occasional hard bump (like you described) while exercising. I have been told by both my doctor and cardiologist that when your heart rate is elevated, the sensation of a PVC can be more pronounced as the heart is working harder, and beating stronger.

Finally - I firmly believe situations when you become wound up emotionally, causes the body to produce more adrenaline, and consequently, the PVCs can be more frequent...being angry, anxious, nervous, excited etc will fuel the fire so to speak. Funny, everytime I go watch my 10 yr old son play his high level hockey, I find that the premature beats flare up prior to and during the game, only to basically vanish after...definitely not just a coincidence.

You are young, healthy and fit. Enjoy your life, and don't let the benign ectopics rule your world. Less worry and staying busy will lead to less physical observance of the PVCs. Be well.

[sleepsleep]

Thanks for the answer yet again. And if you dont mind I would love to hear more about the

"It's extremely more common to get premature beats (a.k.a extrasystoles) when you do activity like football, martial arts, sprinting, etc, than aerobic exercise like jogging or cycling. I can explain why if you're interested but for now I'll just leave it to this statement. "

I mean.... just to get more info on it.

But yeah, feel that the reflux and extrasystoles really go hand in hand at times.

And yeah..... I keep thinking that if it was anything serious, it should have revealed something after so many years. (6-7 years and no further issues).- Just hard with this angst mind of mine heh.

[is_something_wrong]

Well, I guess you are not alone. Like I told you before, everyone have those premature beats, the only difference is that most people don't recognize them or even if they do, they don't care. At some point in the life, some of us start to notice them, where still the majority don't care. Some of us get nearly obsessed with them. I guess we are two of those :)

To be honest, if you passed a stress test, your Holter revealed little or no premature beats and you have the exercise capacity you describe, that's more reassuring than an echo. It's extremely more common to get premature beats (a.k.a extrasystoles) when you do activity like football, martial arts, sprinting, etc, than aerobic exercise like jogging or cycling. I can explain why if you're interested but for now I'll just leave it to this statement.

I assume your cardiologist did listen to your heart and lungs and that your resting EKG was normal. If everything is normal, well, an echo can't provide so much more info except explaining normal results in detail, and why would you want that except for academic reasons :p

Yes, burping or stomach issues are great triggers for PACs. The reason is that your left atrium is right in front of the esophagus and is a bit affected by it's neighbour, it's getting a push when you burp or eat, or it's affected by cold or hot temperatures when you eat or drink. Most people get a PAC (or more) when they drink a glass of ice cold water if they are a bit stressed.

You really should quit smoking. What you should do: Quit smoking and after a month you've saved enough money to pay for an echo. And your premature beats are likely to go away. That's a win win.