ectopic beats

[marychris]

my husband had a successful ablation march last year and has had a few ectopic beats which he can cope with but over the last week or so he has really big ones like a thumping in the chest ,.He saw arrythmia nurse 2 weeks and all was well, these ectopics can last for a few mins or hours ,anyone else had this problem and how to cope with it . t.i.a

[pottypete1]

To me it sounds a bit more than the standard ectopics. I get them regularly but would not describe them that way.

Might be worth checking again with the Arrhythmia nurse.

Pete

[marychris]

marychris

[ThomasM34]

Hello,

well, I too had my ablation last year and still get some ectopics. Sometimes its just a few and sometimes its for hours. It seems they are brought on by a reaction of the nervous system (excitement and stress/anger). They are not Afib but it feels like they would go into Afib any moment, but they dont. Could be sign of a successful ablation. They are stressful, laying down sometimes helps but not always. I just bite it through till my nervous system calms down and then its usually ok. If they come as single PAC its easier but if they come as every other beat then its really stressful. On Pradaxa and Diovan 80mg 2x day and 50mg metoprolol which keeps HR on average 68.

Relaxing and deep breathing helps, sometimes but not always.

Reckon we all have to find out individual best solution.

Cheers

T

[Bob56]

Hi First of all, if you are experiencing any new symptoms which have not been previously addressed by a cardiologist or EP then it might be worth getting this checked out probably via a 24 or 48 hour monitor. Having said that ectopic beats can be atrial ( PACs) or ventricle (PVCs) related and can differ in their frequency and nature, and it's more then likely this is what's happening to your husband. It's also perverse that the more anxious you get about them the worse they often feel. Trying to relax, deep slow breathing, and making sure you're well hydrated could be helpful. Magnesium supplements are recommended by many on this forum, and some of the medications we use to combat AF are also regularly prescribed for ectopics , such as Bisopropol, Flecainide and others. I have suffered more with ectopics sibce my ablation than before, but there are coping mechanisms and they can definitely help ( also check out York Cardiology/ Dr Sanjay Gupta's videos on You tube which address this subject)

[cbsrbpm]

I had my 3rd ablation last February and after a period of tachycardia for around 6 weeks things seemed to settle somewhat for a while but I am now suffering ventricular ectopics, I would say around 3/4 a minute and as you say a lot of them are a real heavy thump in my chest the EP says they are harmless but I find them really unpleasant and sometimes quite distressing. I cope with them by just trying to keep busy as they are not as noticeable while I am on the go and they seem to ease a lot when I lie down. The EP upped my Diltiazem a little which did work for a while but I am now back to square one. I hope he gets some answers soon.

Brenda🐝

[sdalen in reply to cbsrbpm]

I had them 24/7 for about 2 months. Then gone. However, I think they are quite frequent after any heart procedure, at least for awhile and then they can reduce or disappear (my friend had open heart surgery). Let's hope this is the case! Stress definitely aids and abets them, as does excess weight around the gut, as the vagal nerve can create them as well.....so good to address and guts problems....even down to the good vs bad bacteria in the intestines. I take 3x per week a 30 billion multiple probiotic, 600mg absorbable magnesium, and walk (except I have a soft tissue injury so can't quite make my usual routine there). R u on a blood thinner? These can at least make you feel protected, as they did me. The calcium channel blocker did nothing except drop my pulse to 40 bpm...so quit. They are very distressing and you are not alone there......try to focus on them being benign for the most part...hard to do, I know....and try some of the calming teas like chamomile, passionflower...and bad to say, I found the occasional ativan helpful. It took the anxiety away from them at least. Your EP may try to find the source of the ectopics and try another ablation of these. Wishing you well.....these things are awful.