Ectopics keeping me up, cause sweating and headaches, do other experience this?

[Chris267]

I'm having trouble getting my doctors to pay attention to the symptoms that are really impacting the quality of my life. I started getting PAC's years ago which became AFib in November of 2018. I've been getting runs of bigeminy (second abnormal heart beat immediately after a first) which cause a lot of secondary symptoms that make me miserable. I break into sweats, cannot get back to sleep and have terrible headaches and am now for the first time experiencing signs of visual migraine aura during the day. It appears to me these symptoms are caused by the adrenaline released when I get ectopics (PAC's, Bigeminy). My docs seem to make no connection to these symptoms or indicate at all that these are related or have any treatment plan for me past the ablation. They have done what they can do but I have terrible quality of life and don't know what to do going forward.

Do other people experience adrenaline release, headaches or sweating ectopic heart beats? Where can I go from here?

[Westy75]

Chris, I’m literally going through the same thing. I had PACS with SVT which wakes me up after around 2/3 hours of sleep. I’ve suffered for 7 years but the last 2 months have been the worst. If I get 4 hours I’m happy. I’ve just seen a cardiologist who has told me to take magnesium for 8 weeks to see if it makes a difference. I’ve been taking it a week, tbh, the SVT has stopped, however the ectopics are still there, feel slightly different. If there’s no progression in 8 weeks he wants to do an EP study leading to a possible ablation. Mate it’s horrible because no one can see it, so they think you’re ok. The only moral support I’ve got is the wife who I feel sorry for. I’m not ashamed to say I’ve been depressed and often find myself crying for no reason. It’s horrible, just try and get to see a professional sooner rather than later, GPs really don’t have a clue, as long as you’ve got one that listens you’ll make progress.

[BobD Volunteer]

Use the search box to find "Ectopic breathing exercise. " Plenty of posts on this subject and many people find the exercise most efficacious .

[bantam12 in reply to BobD]

I'm interested in that but the search doesn't work, comes up with a load of random unrelated posts.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to bantam12]

OK strange but heh ho. Try this.

Lay on your back and relax. Breath in slowly to the count of ten using your diaphagm not your shoulders, (from your stomach). Breath out equally slowly until your stomach is nearly touching your spine pushing your diaphragm right up. Repeat keeping to six or less breaths per minute. Keep this up for AT LEAST five minutes. With practise this is an easy exercise to perform. After a week I got down to 3 and 1/2 breaths a minute quite easliy controlling my diaphragm and actually fell asleep after about ten minutes.

It is all about relaxing and re-setting the vagus nerve I think. You might get the same results from Bowen treatment, hypnosis or meditation.

[bantam12 in reply to BobD]

Thanks I will try that, now need one I can do when I'm out and about and getting pauses !

[BobD Volunteer in reply to bantam12]

stopped them completely for me.

[avma in reply to BobD]

Hey BobD,

Very interesting to know. Do you have to lay down to do the exercise or is it also possible to do it while sitting down?

Thank you for your reply.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to avma]

Depends how well you can relax. The critical point is to use your diaphragm not you shoulders to breath which may not be so easy if sitting especially if you like me are not a racing snake. I have a recliner chair which works quite well.

[avma in reply to BobD]

Thx BobD.

When you say it stopde them completely for you, do you mean by that, that you stopped at the moment you did them or do you mean that if you do this regularly you don’t have them anymore period?

[BobD Volunteer in reply to avma]

After a week or so they stopped. Very occasionally I may have a few but restaring teh exercise kills them.

[avma in reply to BobD]

Wow 😮 that is incredible. Worth trying. I presume by exercising each day you start breathing the right way? How may times do you practice this each day?

[BobD Volunteer in reply to avma]

Usually when I wake up in the morning.

[bantam12 in reply to BobD]

Just tried this exercise, I hadn't twigged until doing it that it's the same as used in Pilates, trouble is it makes me dizzy and lightheaded ☹️

[BobD Volunteer in reply to bantam12]

Your not supposed to hold your breath. Just breath very slowly. We all tend to use only a small percentage of our lung capacity and this helps us to increase that. I found it made me cough to start with as bits were woken up that had been unused for years.lol Never made me dizzy.

[bantam12 in reply to BobD]

Not breath holding, used to make me squiffy when doing it at Pilates class, I think I'm just odd ! I will persevere.

[Barb1]

I have found that magnesium taurate has helped my symptoms.

[Bertiedette]

I can't believe seeing your post it's identical to my symptoms right now.

I have been getting ectopic for the last few days..This morning on arising I developed an aura migraine and am now suffering a really bad headache .

I am so sensitive to light it's painful. I am on 2.5 Nebivolol . Wanted to add on more but my pulse is showing slow irregular on my monitor.I don't need my heart rate to go slower. Sorry that I can't help you ,have turned down an Ablation through fear..

[Buffafly]

Are you on any medication? I get headaches and flushing but have been blaming my meds.

[hquickel]

The BIG game changer in eliminating PVC/PAC horrors for me has been increasing my potassium. I take magnesium too, which helped, but getting potassium out of food and drinks has been a game changer for me. You can also use electrolyte powder and mix it with water. I recommend the Naked brand for drinks. LOTS of potassium...or simple V8 low salt vegetable juice.