Ectopic beats

[Gwersey]

I've just read an article in the European Medical Journal entitled Ectopic beats- how many count? It has scared me witless! Wish I was internet-savvy enough to put it on here but I'm not. It contradicts what I've been told numerous times by GPS, nurses etc, that ectopic beats are mainly harmless. Wish I hadn't read it, I'm anxious enough as it is.

[jeanjeannie50]

Is this what you read. l don't get ectopics, so have only glanced at it:

emjreviews.com/cardiology/a...

[Gwersey in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Yes that's the article.

[Gwersey in reply to Gwersey]

I'd like Sanjay Gupta's take on the article. Trying to send it to him. Failing miserably!

[Kaz747]

Is this the one?

emjreviews.com/cardiology/a...

[Gwersey in reply to Kaz747]

It is.

[Hidden]

I've just skimmed through it...can see why those with a high burden of ectopics might be concerned.

[BobD Volunteer]

I find that trying to read such articles without proper understanding of the underlying facts and problems usually causes worry which is why I only read stuff approved ny AFA and NHS England. Nothing like the internet for spreading fear is there? Research any condition there and you will think you are going to die any moment.

[hock217 in reply to BobD]

Thanks Bob...just read the article and became anxious. I was awakened at 1:00 am by a screaming male neighbor. He apparently went to sleep again but at 3:30 am I am still awake and have Yoga followed by Physical Therapy at noon. I think we need to have a chat. He is the Superintendent.

[Buffafly]

I'm sorry the article made you feel anxious but in a strange way I am quite pleased! I have always thought (having had some pretty extreme episodes of ectopics at times), first, that they must be an indicator of something wrong, second, that they do tend to morph into AF, and third that they can't be doing you any good! So now, in much the same way as researchers have spent many hours proving what mums always knew - that the way to talk to a baby is repetitiously in a high voice, these researchers have shown that what patients instinctively felt is true!!! And now they know they can act accordingly to protect us, all good news.

However, Gwersey, you have now discovered why 'consulting Dr Google' is such a bad idea for some people. In the old days doctors told you nothing except what they thought your complaint was (not even that if they thought you'd be upset) and whether they thought they could fix it or not, indeed many today still do. I sometimes like to know the worst but at other times I don't which is why my husband is no longer welcome to come as my companion to consultations because he once chipped in with a question I didn't want to know the answer to. I think you have to hope that doctors will treat you reasonably well but perfect treatment is something money can't buy (my sister in law had 'Gold' level health insurance and consulted several doctors but still died of undetected advanced bone cancer) so you need to work on accepting that.

Try to think of this as good news because it is a story about scientific advancement but in future stay away from internet research unless you can cope with the answer 😊

[Gwersey in reply to Buffafly]

The article came up in a sidebar while I was searching another subject. I had to read it , I was caught like a rabbit in headlamps. I'm heavily burdened with ectopic beats throughout the day and night. I'm not trying to elicit sympathy but they make my life miserable and I always feel there's more going on so I research it endlessly. I thought I would point it out to people on the forum, it's up to them whether they want to download and read it. My anxiety is firmly entrenched so this article only serves to strengthen it, if that makes sense.

[Hidden in reply to Gwersey]

What is your burden, have they fitted you with a monitor, I think general rule is anything under 10% of your daily beats can be absorbed by the heart, having read again it is an article that states a high burden, which I took as over the 10%, meaning something like 10,000 per day, however I will question this at the Brompton on Thursday when they fit me with a holter monitor

[Gwersey in reply to Hidden]

I'm to be fitted with a monitor, and have an electrocardiogram within the next 6 weeks, or when my hospital decides to send me the appointments. I too will ask that question when I have it fitted.

[Buffafly in reply to Gwersey]

Oh yes it does, I can understand that, and I do sympathise about the ectopics - they are scary and more disturbing than AF!

[Hidden]

Hmmmmm not great reading I must say

[Angie06]

Hi I was was diagnosed 8yrs ago with AF after one random attack and put on flecainide. This has worked well for the first 7yrs but now I have plenty of ectopics, in fact if I go a day without any it's rare. Most days they are pretty constant sometimes every 3/4th beat and other days less frequent but even at night they continue. I don't have a follow up appointment with my cardio as they signed me off after I had my LAAO device fitted earlier this year so now I'm wondering if I should make an appointment to get checked out again, I haven't read this article yet as I'm feeling a bit nervy, I thought ectopics were harmless.

[Bmwpaul1971]

Hi. Gee I sound exactly like you. Word for word. Symptoms, anxiety etc. I am not reading it as I know I will stress out big time. It is a horrible, scary thing. My cardiologist told me ectopics are benign and he doesn't treat them lol. What an idiot!!!

[Gwersey in reply to Bmwpaul1971]

To be honest I wish I hadn'the read it, have had a terriby anxious night, hardly any sleep. With hindsight, I should have ignored it. It was masochistic of me!! I'ĺl leave such articles alone in future. I hope!

[Bmwpaul1971 in reply to Gwersey]

I can't preach about reading articles to get some relief that never comes and makes you worse........ but.... I am having to as I will make myself ill. Best of luck

[cjsabc]

As I mentioned before, ectopic heartbeats do of course have serious dangers if they get frequent enough - I was sometimes counting 15-16 missed beats per minute. Gave me sensations of vertigo. No wonder; 25% blood flow out of kilter. My normal doctor and naturopath both told me it's potentially fatal if it doesn't somehow improve. Months of the docs usual tests n meds failed. As I said prior, I got it fixed with great diet n plenty exercise. I also lost superfluous kilos n felt wonderful.

Don't be scared. Just try to make whatever lifestyle changes you can (small beginnings...) while taking whatever meds you're comfy with.

[Hidden in reply to cjsabc]

Easier said, mine lately get worse with exercise especially at start, as intensity goes up they ease, hasn't been case since ablation two years ago, in fact I got fitter, lost three stone and did a 10km run, however two weeks ago out of blue, I had one big one that made me light headed and haven't been able to shake them since, took dig for walk last night, jogged for last 50 yards, when I stopped my heart was flip flopping all over place, felt like every other beat for around 10-20 secs

[Barb1]

I have recently developed ectopics. My EP doesn't seem concerned and has even halved my BB. My BP monitor keeps telling me that I'm in AF though

[Pikaia]

Interesting article, thanks for posting. I don't know if it really says anything new. As I understand it, ectopics are a sign that the heart isn't happy in one way or another, and are pro-arrythmic. Therefore, having any PACs or PVCs increase the chance of having an arrhythmia, particularly in a structural abnormal heart, which increases the chance of stroke or death. That's why the stats sound scary. However, having ectopics is better than actually having AF or VT/VF, which is where the stats get really scary, so I guess that's why cardiologists are less concerned about them.

It's hard not to be anxious when I get them, but I also feel relieved when it's just one or two rather than a run that can turn into something else. I also know that beta blockers can actually increase the number of ectopics as the heart adjusts to having less adrenaline, which is something I want to mention to my cardiologist as my ectopics have increased massively with medication, which surely can't be a good thing. Be well.

[philologus]

I was having up to 40,000 ectopics a day and my GP and EP said I was OK and, although it was uncomfortable, it was not a "real" problem.

What a load of bovine faecal solids!!

My ticker was getting so many signals when to beat it didn't know what to do.

I was later diagnosed as having Heart Failure at level four and was told that it was "probably" the ectopics that had caused this.

I was then listed for an ablation to try to reduce the ectopics but, because of other health issues, I was unable to go ahead with this.

Surely, common sense (very un-common apparently) says that if your heart is getting too many signals to tell it when to beat this is going to cause problems.

I read the article and kept nodding my head as I read what I have known all along!

(My previous posts on this subject will verify this.)

[Gwersey]

Goodness! The more people agree with the article, the better I feel. And the worse!! Better because I was justified in sharing it and worse because it confirms my worst fears.

[Larry0304]

Since PVC's are my problem, this article was terrifying. Just saw my ablation dr and he said a 3rd ablation will not help as my PVC's are coming from different places on my heart. Has anyone found any success with medication for PVC's? It seems all the pills have serious side effects which worries me. Any exertion makes my shallow breathing increase and is very uncomfortable in my chest. They keep pushing a defibrillator but I have decided against it. Fortunately I do not have them lying on the couch watching tv so maybe it's better just staying put.

[Gillie12]

Hi, I have only just seen your post and have subsequently read the article after deliberating over whether it was a good idea fir me to read it or not. I have been plagued with ectopic beats for years, they are scary, and it makes life miserable. I am

In slow release propranolol for frequent ectopics which on the whole lessen the burden of them but without the medication they come back with a vengeance, I suffer from bigeminy which is every other beat. I am an active busy person, go to work as well as look after my 2 year old granddaughter so I need to be well. The article is quite alarming but have read similar before. I have emailed and printed a copy and when I next see my cardiologist in January I will take a copy and ask for an opinion which I guess will be dismissed as usual and be told nothing to worry about basically. I can’t have an ablation as apparently in a difficult area to reach in the left ventricle so I feel quite uncertain about the future with this condition. I feel very lonely with this problem and an grateful for support on this site although sometimes wish could meet the people at a support group rather than being so virtual!

[Gwersey in reply to Gillie12]

Hi Gillie. I can relate to your feelings of isolation and uncertainty. Some days I'm quite philosophical and think" que sara, sara". Other days I'm in the pits of depression, wondering "will I wake up tomorrow morning". All very unhealthy thoughts I know....

Wish I could give you words of wisdom and make you believe them but I'd need to apply them to myself first 😁😁.

[Snowshill in reply to Gwersey]

GP told me lots of people get AF, nothing to worry about, no signs on ECG of anything worrying, continue doing Valsalva to make it stop. Not wanting to be a nuisance I duly went away and shut up. Put up with it for years.

Started a job in hospital and ward sister said don’t make the AF stop, go to A&E. Instantly got taken seriously. Off to cardiologist who said I was born with Wolff Parkinson White and needed ablation at the John Radcliffe. Had that in June 2018..AF gone but still these lurches in heart rhythm. Think they are ectopic beats. In December 2018 I had an MI caused by a SCAD. Trying to get back to normal but what I think are ectopic beats are more frequent and feel bigger. Have emailed my consultant asking for a follow up appointment and to be referred to research consultant in Leicester.

Thank you for bringing this article to my attention. Yes it’s a bit alarming because it’s aimed at medics in the know. It’s never a bad thing to go armed with a suggestion of diagnosis and way forward when seeing a doctor though. I shall be a bit more confident in my appointment having read the article.