PVC's, Panic Disorder and ECHO test

[iamfaithful]

Hi all.  I have suffered from PVC's for years now and used to post on this forum regularly.  After numerous cardiology appointments and the great support shown here I was able to convince myself that they were benign.  NOW fast forward several years later and my anxiety has come back with a vengeance!  I have now developed Panic Disorder-which I would not wish on my worst enemy.  Went to see my GP back in October of this year and she put me on Zoloft which I could not handle because of the side effects.  So here we go... back to the ER twice in 30 days because of anxierty and they did the usual, blood work, chest x-ray, EKG and sent me home.  I went to my see my cardiologist last week and he put me back on Motoporol (sp?) 50 mg because I am so stressed that my BP is high as soon as I see a bp machine and of course my darn PVC's.  Well we did an Echo and then scheduled me for a treadmill stress test today but they just called to reschedule.  I was already having severe anxiety thinking this time they were going to find something on the ECHO and now I have to wait another 2-3 weeks for the results!  How in the world can they make someone wait so long when it has to do with the HEART.  I have had these tests before-several years ago but my anxiety and panic is so bad I can hardly focus.  Has anyone had to wait weeks for results and if so how did you do it?  I would hope if they found something concerning on the ECHO they would call?  Please help anyone!

[achillea]

You have had enough recent testing to believe that your heart is OK.  As you have stated, the biggest problem is anxiety plus bouts of panic.

Your PCP made a nice effort in trying Zoloft on you (this is the best long-term medication I have found for my own panic attacks).  But there are at least two problems here:  one is that *all* the anti-panic meds have side effects, and (2) that general practitioners just do not have enough specific training and experience in the best pharmacology needed for treatment for difficult cases, which you are.

My advice:  make an appointment with a real psychiatrist with a specialty in panic disorder.  A good shrink will stay in close contact with your treatment, will anticipate side effects and help you handle them (most ease up with time), and will offer you other solutions for short term crises such as you are experiencing right now.

Please don't delay on this. You don't have to be a slave to cardiac fears.  There really is help for you.  You just have to find the right specialist in the treatment of anxiety.

[iamfaithful]

Thank you very much for responding. I agree with your suggestion and I am looking into getting counseling as this is no way to live your life. Panic Disorder can be SO crippling!!!

[JimLad93]

I have pvc's and pretty bad anxiety. I did try medication but only for a couple of months. It did nothing for me.. I learnt how to deal with a panic attacks. I get them but I can shut them down in about 15 seconds. Panic isn't actually your enemy. It's your friend. It's there for dangerous situations. You just need to know that these pvc's are not going to kill you. Our hearts can deal with twenty thousand a day.
I still worry about them and have pretty bad anxiety because of it but I've had all the test done and I'm fine doctors say. However I'm worried they are wrong. However if we was to die from it we wouldn't suffer. It would be like falling to sleep.

[bchambers05]

Jim what is your tactic to shut them down?

[JimLad93]

Don't really know the tactic. When one comes over me I just stop what I'm doing, get up if I'm sat down and walk it off. Get myself a glass of water. I often tell myself there's nothing wrong with me... I think the main thing is knowing this panic attack is not going to hurt you. It's there for when you actually need it. Like if we was to get attacked by a animal or another person. The same fear will come over us but we don't think about the fear. We think about what we are doing with the threat.. with a panic attack we aren't sure what the threat is all we see is the fear.