How to live with pvcs?

[emy87]

I used to get the occasional skipped beat when I was younger, actually it was pretty rare, but all of a sudden now that I’m 30(female) they have got much worse. I’ve seen a cardiologist and have been through many tests, monitors, you name it, and my heart is normal and everything came back normal. Apparently I’m just one of those people who gets pvcs. I only get a few a day on a regular basis. Every once in a while I go a few days without much of any. And the most I’ve ever had in a day was maybe 20 or so. I know that doesn’t seem like a lot but they’re so forceful that I feel every single one of them. I take a low dose of metoprolol but it doesn’t seem to help much. I hate being on any kind of med but I can’t get by without it. They affect me so bad that I can’t always work or take care of my kids. My question is how am I suppose to live with these things? My regular dr. asked why I worry so much about them if I know my heart is normal and that I’m not going to drop dead. It’s impossible to just ignore because like I said they’re so forceful that they catch me off guard and take my breath away for a second. They’ll stop me dead in my tracks. How are you suppose to ignore that? It feels like your heart stops sometimes. My quality of life has been totally shot because I don’t know how to get past this. For a while I was living in fear. Even though it’s nothing serious they’re still ruining my life and they’re annoying. And even though they might not kill me they still scare me and always will. Any insight, support or extra reassurance on this would be greatly appreciated.

[Losingmymind47]

I hear you. I don't really have an answer other than that I find I am slowly adapting to them - my story dealing with them is very similar to yours - a few here and there and then about a year ago (roughly same age) they decided to strike.  The better you feel about them the less of them you will get and the less you will feel each one (it doesn't mean they will go away). You need things to look forward to and you need to stay busy without getting too stressed.

If I get more than usual though or in a different pattern it can still send me into a tailspin that will take me a day or two to get out of.

[emy87]

Thanks for the reply! Our situations seem very similar. I’m trying not let them bother me also, I’m slowly getting better, unless I have a bad day with them then I get brought back down and get stuck in this rut. Especially if I go days without much of any, I start to feel better and worry less, but it never fails they always fire back up and come back to haunt me. It takes me a day or 2 to get out of too! It’s such a frustrating thing to have to deal/live with. I always think I wish I had some other sort of problem rather than heart palps because it is that awful. And the fact that there’s nothing that can be done to help it much or eliminate the problem and the fact you have to live with it is like living in a nightmare. Do you take anything to help? I’m wondering if taking metoprolol the rest of my life is ok. I want more babies and like I said I hate to be on any med but I can’t get by without it. I’m worried the med will just quit working, like my body will become immune to it, if I’m on it too long. My dr. made it sound like I’m only gonna need to be on the med for like 6 mo to a year, but I don’t foresee these damn things ever going away.

[Losingmymind47]

I'm not on anything and like you don't want to start anything - I've never liked medicine but now I'm also paranoid that any medicine will somehow make them worse and turn them into a lethal arrhythmia (this likely is not at all logical). I was taking something for anxiety but discountinued it due to other side effects.