PVC’s or ectopic beats

[rayc99]

Hi, I was diagnosed with paroxysmal afib at 43 in 2017 and had catheter ablation in March this year. Afib returned for a couple of hours twice but was in the 3 month blanking period so was ok. Stopped the flecainide and verapamil 2 months after procedure as advised by surgeon and need to say it feels great not being on them anymore. My concern is I get a lot of pvc’s or ectopic beats, sorry I really don’t know the difference, on a daily basis for past couple of months. Heart skipping and a thumping sensation and can feel bit sick sometimes with it. Still awaiting cardio follow up. Is it normal to have this? Still on apixaban. I want to get the Covid vaccine but hesitant because of this and don’t want to make things worse. Any advice would be most helpful, thank you.

[BobD Volunteer]

There is no difference. Ectopic just means out of place so premature ventricular contraction or premature atrial contraction are all ectopics.

As we say in our fact sheet this is common post ablation but since they are benign they are not genrally treated. Many of us have found that slow deep breathing using diaphragm not shoulders and slowing to six breath a minute or less is a great way to terminate them

[rosyG]

Take doctor's advice re vaccine- it didn't set off AF for me and many others. Present Covid variant is ultra infectious

[TracyAdmin Partner]

Hello there! All our members here will offer great advice I am sure based on their own experiences, but as per BobD's message, please download the 'Recovering from an Ablation' factsheet or 'Ablation for AF' booklet, from the website : heartrhythmalliance.org/afa... You are also invited to join us for our 'Virtual' online Patients Day 2021 event taking place from Sunday 3rd October. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the A F Association direct. Take care, Tracy

[Dodie117]

I had ablation in 2013 and took 5 months for heart to settle. Recently I’ve started having PVCs. I had the vaccine with no ill effects. All is fine.

[rayc99]

Thanks for the replies. Do many people get these ectopic beats for a long time after the ablation procedure? Has anybody had the vaccine whilst having ectopic beats?

[JohnEagel in reply to rayc99]

Hello mate,from personal experience I can say yes. I had my ablation in 2017 for Afib and Afl. Knock on wood it sorted it but the ectopic beats are with me all the time. Sometimes all day sometimes they are gone but come again. Over time you learn to live with them. So I had my J&J last Sunday but it did not change my ectopic beats. They come they go and come again.

Hang in there you will be fine.

And you can always get a lot of support from this awesone crowd here.

Cheers

J.

[rayc99 in reply to JohnEagel]

Thanks J, you have put my mind at ease somewhat. It’s so good to hear other people’s experiences/stories, let’s me feel not on my own with this. Wish I discovered this forum sooner

[HANDY1 in reply to rayc99]

Ive have ectopic beats all the time for the past several years. I have no issues other than feeling these ectopic beats. I had every test under the sun and the specialist (cardiologist) I was dealing with told me that these ectopic beats are no issue and he has them too. I am so use to them now that they do not bother me. I powerwalk almost every day, 8.5 km and I have never had any ill affects from my ectopic beats.

[Loulou2013 in reply to rayc99]

Hi I was suffering with PVC’s and had my first dose. Only thing I had to do was tell them what medication I was on. Tbh I was fine afterwards except a dead arm and felt towed for a few days.

[Loulou2013 in reply to Loulou2013]

Tired lol

[Lucymoo in reply to rayc99]

Hi I have had ectopic daily before and after my ablation which was in may 2021. Have had both my vaccines during this period no problems at all. Go for it…..vaccine better than COVID

[Sfhmgusa]

Hi there I had an ablation in November last year and have had no afib since. But I do get ectopic beats 8 months on and they show no sign of going away. As a nervous pessimist unpaid to wear a 48 hr monitor that showed around 2% ( one in 50 ) of my heartbeats were pvcs with just a few pacs. My EP stressed that this did not concern him at all. Sometimes I still get occasions where there are more one in 5 beats is “ off” these make me feel a tiny bit wobbly but go away with deep breathing and by simply thinking “ sod it!” And ignoring them.

Today I can feel no ectopics after a few days of more than usual.

But the great news is I am not in afib, not on any drugs other than apixoban and planning an active day of walking car mechanics and gardening

I’m sure your ectopics will fade from your radar even if they don’t go away

Steve

[Jetcat]

Hi rayc, Iv undergone three PVI ablations and still get ectopics sometimes, my EP told me they are common and not a cause for concern. They are a nuisance though sometimes I must admit especially whilst I’m trying to talk with a customer at work and concentrate while my heart is giving me the thump and missed beat etc.!!!!! Don’t let it put you off your vacation you’ll be fine. Take care mate.

[KMRobbo]

Yes I get ectopics on and off all the time. They seemed to start 6 or 8 months after my ablation in Jan 2018 . I just ignore them which I now find quite easy to do until they are more frequent than 1 in 20. They don't stop me doing anything. I can run , climb mountains, cycle. In fact i think they go away when excercising but maybe they are just hidden as the heart rate is so high, or focussing on what i am doing makes it easier to ignore them. I can have them for days , but then they disappear for weeks. ( or are so infrequent I dont notice more likely).

What I do know is worrying about them makes them worse. So Dont ! You need to decide that they are not dangerous with your medics help if necessary then forget them.

You always had ectopic beats, its just as in that happy pre AFib world you were not so sensitive to your heart beat and did not notice! I am not saying you had as many pre afib but you certainly had them.

Not medically trained.

Best wishes.

[Ppiman]

I think "ectopic" means that the beat is out of its normally expected place, whereas "PVC" and "PAC" localise, a little, just where that ectopy is actually occurring. PVCs are apparently far more common that PACs but both are usually benign and most, maybe all, people have them. They are troublesome when they create anxiety, or when they are (occasionally) a sign of something more important. PACs can spark off atrial fibrillation, I was told.

Steve

[DIB69]

I had my ablation in 2013 for paroxysmal AF. Like you say it was wonderful to be free of the meds I'd had to take up until then. Ablation generally worked very well but I have experienced a couple of bouts of AF subsequently and, like you, regular ectopic beats, particularly when I lie down to sleep at night. Magnesium has helped to some extent and interestingly so has taking digestive enzymes and probiotics.

[rayc99]

Thank you all for sharing your experiences, it has certainly put a mind more at ease. Going to get the vaccine sorted too. Sorry but one more question. Does anyone have these beats daily and not on an anti coagulant? I’m still on apixaban but worried in case cardio takes me off them

[Shazmoz]

Hi, I've just searched for flutters post ablation and come across your post. I had my ablation in April and had 4 or 5 AF episodes before settling down or so I thought. Now I have had 2 bouts of flutters. They don't seem much really, but my monitor shows high readings. How do you know it is ectopic beats and not AF again? Thanks.

[Palpman in reply to Shazmoz]

Ectopics such as PAC's and PVC's are felt like hiccups in the chest. Sometimes if severe it can feel like a fish out of water flopping about in your chest.They are single events or can be in groups of successive strange beats lasting seconds and can continue for months.

Most people with AFib don't know they have this. It can last for a few minutes of fast heartbeats to permanent AFib.

AFlutter is almost the same tachycardia as AFib but cannot be tolerated. It is fast and strong heartbeats and usually accompanied by nausea, dizziness and anxiety.

I personally cannot tolerate AFlutter and have to lie down or phone 911.

[Lonelytraveller]

Hi All!

Very interesting post. With the risk of a repetition, I will raise the same issue. Maybe some of you still hang around here and can give me an update of the ectopic issue with yours current AF state.

I also had Afl and AF ablation last month. My EP’s initial assessment was “success”, and I am due for the 3 month follow up. Now I am having occasional ectopics. I might be wrong but I have not felt them before the ablation. It seems as if they are post-ablation emergences. My pulse if normally 75-85 but falls to 60s when ectopics arrive and they may be unpleasant at times. On an optimist note, can it be a sign of healing ? 😊

Finally, I have read two articles arguing for a correlation between post -ablation ectopics and a recurrence of Afib in the process. The more ectopics the less likely one benefits from the ablation they argue. For sure this may be limited close-system study.

Anyway, it is great to self-reassure by hearing/ learning from others on this site. Thank you and best of health to all.