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What can cause PVC's?
I've been to the doctors had the following tests. X-ray, stress test, bloods, 24 hour monitor and a ultra sound. All came up fine but for over a year now I've been getting pvc's daily. Bending down to pic something up causes them most of the time but they can just randomly happen when I'm relaxing. Don't know what to do with myself. I'm not the same person anymore.
Jim thanks for your input on my previous post. I will tell you what I know so far having experienced pvcs for the past 2-3 years. Ima 30 year old male alwsys have been in shape esalhealthy and never smoke or drank...mine began just one day out of the blue after i got dizzy and blurry vision abd racing heart during a pickup basketball game and ever since they are present whenever i exercise( not usually present at rest but sometimes will feel one or two)
So when these began it would always send me into an attack. The ER doctors told mr 4-5 times thst they are panic attacks and thry very well may be..but i feel like they are attacks of a more physical cause as opposed to anxiety..however i could be wrong about that.
I have done two different 24 hour holters..a 48 hour Holter and a month long holter. I actually had 3-4 of these attacks on thr month long Holter where it was recorded a resting heart rate of 180 and when i took myself to thr ER tbey recorded a blood pressure of 180/106. The er doctor still told me panic attack yet again...
When i got the results of thr Holter monitor i was 99.9% sure it was going to give me answers and something different..however my cardiologist and gp looked at it and said even during the attacks i experienced thr only thing it showed was a few pvcs and pacs.
So here i am today still unable to exercise with them..i am currently on low dose propranolol as needed. Metoprolol didn't work for me and made things worse. My cardiologist said i could try a new beta blocker called nebivolol(bystolic) however reviews online were not too good and in fact some said caused additional symptoms that never went and away so i havr not yet tried the nebivolol.
The propranolol does seem to work for me for thr most part but gets no wherr near curing them or allowing me to work out.
If i go through a normal day i feel maybe only 2-4 pvcs unless i eat a big meal or unhealthy food then it will be much more.. As long as i dint exercise or run they r much better however i question how much worse a sedentary lifestyle is hurting my health much more than these pvcs. Im still waiting for a solution..however i see absolutely no relief or solutions on the horizon
So when these began it would always send me into an attack. The ER doctors told mr 4-5 times thst they are panic attacks and thry very well may be..but i feel like they are attacks of a more physical cause as opposed to anxiety..however i could be wrong about that.
I have done two different 24 hour holters..a 48 hour Holter and a month long holter. I actually had 3-4 of these attacks on thr month long Holter where it was recorded a resting heart rate of 180 and when i took myself to thr ER tbey recorded a blood pressure of 180/106. The er doctor still told me panic attack yet again...
When i got the results of thr Holter monitor i was 99.9% sure it was going to give me answers and something different..however my cardiologist and gp looked at it and said even during the attacks i experienced thr only thing it showed was a few pvcs and pacs.
So here i am today still unable to exercise with them..i am currently on low dose propranolol as needed. Metoprolol didn't work for me and made things worse. My cardiologist said i could try a new beta blocker called nebivolol(bystolic) however reviews online were not too good and in fact some said caused additional symptoms that never went and away so i havr not yet tried the nebivolol.
The propranolol does seem to work for me for thr most part but gets no wherr near curing them or allowing me to work out.
If i go through a normal day i feel maybe only 2-4 pvcs unless i eat a big meal or unhealthy food then it will be much more.. As long as i dint exercise or run they r much better however i question how much worse a sedentary lifestyle is hurting my health much more than these pvcs. Im still waiting for a solution..however i see absolutely no relief or solutions on the horizon
5 Comments
I feel the exact same way. I'm worried there is something wrong with me other than anxiety. I feel like my anxiety is caused by the pvc's but the pvc's are causing more anxiety. It's a vicious circle. I'm still thinking the doctors are missing something. Maybe we are crazy lol
Anxiety definitely can and does make PVCs worse. The adrenaline you pump out with fear has a huge effect on blood pressure, heart rate, and general twitchiness of the heart muscle. It is, as you say, a vicious circle.
That's why it's a good idea to get specific treatment for anxiety and panic: It decreases the frequency and severity of PVCs.
Nope, the doctors are not missing anything. They actually know a LOT of stuff, and when it comes to heart disease, they don't miss much. But irrational fear *cannot* accept that simple, logical fact--and it's why this kind of fear is called irrational.
The truth is that most of us cannot outsmart our irrational fears without professional help.
That's why it's a good idea to get specific treatment for anxiety and panic: It decreases the frequency and severity of PVCs.
Nope, the doctors are not missing anything. They actually know a LOT of stuff, and when it comes to heart disease, they don't miss much. But irrational fear *cannot* accept that simple, logical fact--and it's why this kind of fear is called irrational.
The truth is that most of us cannot outsmart our irrational fears without professional help.
What about muscle relaxants? Could that be any help? I tend to be tense a lot. I've heard that pvc's can be caused by being too tense?
I've also heard about things like valerian etc, but never rlly tried things like that due to not wanting to cause any med interactions between it and my beta blockers.
Jim, you're tense because of what's going on in your head. The answer is treatment for that--not muscle relaxants for a back injury.
First, inform yourself about premature ventricular contractions. There are lots of sites like this one
http://www.medicinenet.com/premature_ventricular_contractions/article.htm
which are designed to help ordinary people learn about what is happening in a PVC. Given that your heart has been thoroughly checked out and found to be healthy, the more you learn, the less panic you will feel about these uncomfortable beats.
Here are some things you will learn:
(1) Everyone--everyone--has them, but *not* everyone feels them. Just those with a sensitive temperament.
(2) In most otherwise healthy people, PVCs are annoying and scary, but essentially harmless unless there are more than 10,000 per day over a long period. I myself have had 4800 per day for months at a stretch.
(3) In otherwise healthy people, no one knows for sure what causes PVCs. People try all kinds of remedies, things like mineral supplements, herbal supplements, snake oil, meditation, various medications, and so on. Many claim to see a good effect--for anywhere between a week and three months (sometimes regarded as the average duration of the Placebo Effect), but then the PVCs are back.
(4) If you get PVCs, they are very likely to remain part of your life, at least off and on. If you remain generally healthy, PVCs will not shorten your life. They will just make your life SEEM longer.
(5) I have found that the best way to deal with the anxiety caused by PVCs is to treat the anxiety. That *can* be done, by seeing a good psychiatrist--not a GP--who specializes in anxiety. Peer-reviewed studies have generally shown that a combination of cognitive-behavioral therapy plus medications like SSRIs (you can google this) provide the best relief.
I have gotten such therapy, and I can tell you that you can move these uncomfortable sensations to the background and have a normal life, even a fun life, once again.
http://www.medicinenet.com/premature_ventricular_contractions/article.htm
which are designed to help ordinary people learn about what is happening in a PVC. Given that your heart has been thoroughly checked out and found to be healthy, the more you learn, the less panic you will feel about these uncomfortable beats.
Here are some things you will learn:
(1) Everyone--everyone--has them, but *not* everyone feels them. Just those with a sensitive temperament.
(2) In most otherwise healthy people, PVCs are annoying and scary, but essentially harmless unless there are more than 10,000 per day over a long period. I myself have had 4800 per day for months at a stretch.
(3) In otherwise healthy people, no one knows for sure what causes PVCs. People try all kinds of remedies, things like mineral supplements, herbal supplements, snake oil, meditation, various medications, and so on. Many claim to see a good effect--for anywhere between a week and three months (sometimes regarded as the average duration of the Placebo Effect), but then the PVCs are back.
(4) If you get PVCs, they are very likely to remain part of your life, at least off and on. If you remain generally healthy, PVCs will not shorten your life. They will just make your life SEEM longer.
(5) I have found that the best way to deal with the anxiety caused by PVCs is to treat the anxiety. That *can* be done, by seeing a good psychiatrist--not a GP--who specializes in anxiety. Peer-reviewed studies have generally shown that a combination of cognitive-behavioral therapy plus medications like SSRIs (you can google this) provide the best relief.
I have gotten such therapy, and I can tell you that you can move these uncomfortable sensations to the background and have a normal life, even a fun life, once again.
2 Comments
And that's a duplicate post. Sorry about that.
Its okay. Thanks for the information
First, inform yourself about premature ventricular contractions. There are lots of sites like this one
http://www.medicinenet.com/premature_ventricular_contractions/article.htm
which are designed to help ordinary people learn about what is happening in a PVC. Given that your heart has been thoroughly checked out and found to be healthy, the more you learn, the less panic you will feel about these uncomfortable beats.
Here are some things you will learn:
(1) Everyone--everyone--has them, but *not* everyone feels them. Just those with a sensitive temperament.
(2) In most otherwise healthy people, PVCs are annoying and scary, but essentially harmless unless there are more than 10,000 per day over a long period. I myself have had 4800 per day for months at a stretch.
(3) In otherwise healthy people, no one knows for sure what causes PVCs. People try all kinds of remedies, things like mineral supplements, herbal supplements, snake oil, meditation, various medications, and so on. Many claim to see a good effect--for anywhere between a week and three months (sometimes regarded as the average duration of the Placebo Effect), but then the PVCs are back.
(4) If you get PVCs, they are very likely to remain part of your life, at least off and on. If you remain generally healthy, PVCs will not shorten your life. They will just make your life SEEM longer.
(5) I have found that the best way to deal with the anxiety caused by PVCs is to treat the anxiety. That *can* be done, by seeing a good psychiatrist--not a GP--who specializes in anxiety. Peer-reviewed studies have generally shown that a combination of cognitive-behavioral therapy plus medications like SSRIs (you can google this) provide the best relief.
I have gotten such therapy, and I can tell you that you can move these uncomfortable sensations to the background and have a normal life, even a fun life, once again.
http://www.medicinenet.com/premature_ventricular_contractions/article.htm
which are designed to help ordinary people learn about what is happening in a PVC. Given that your heart has been thoroughly checked out and found to be healthy, the more you learn, the less panic you will feel about these uncomfortable beats.
Here are some things you will learn:
(1) Everyone--everyone--has them, but *not* everyone feels them. Just those with a sensitive temperament.
(2) In most otherwise healthy people, PVCs are annoying and scary, but essentially harmless unless there are more than 10,000 per day over a long period. I myself have had 4800 per day for months at a stretch.
(3) In otherwise healthy people, no one knows for sure what causes PVCs. People try all kinds of remedies, things like mineral supplements, herbal supplements, snake oil, meditation, various medications, and so on. Many claim to see a good effect--for anywhere between a week and three months (sometimes regarded as the average duration of the Placebo Effect), but then the PVCs are back.
(4) If you get PVCs, they are very likely to remain part of your life, at least off and on. If you remain generally healthy, PVCs will not shorten your life. They will just make your life SEEM longer.
(5) I have found that the best way to deal with the anxiety caused by PVCs is to treat the anxiety. That *can* be done, by seeing a good psychiatrist--not a GP--who specializes in anxiety. Peer-reviewed studies have generally shown that a combination of cognitive-behavioral therapy plus medications like SSRIs (you can google this) provide the best relief.
I have gotten such therapy, and I can tell you that you can move these uncomfortable sensations to the background and have a normal life, even a fun life, once again.
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