PVC Help

[rayc99]

Hi, been getting a lot of PVC’s last 3 days and really finding it difficult. Had ablation for PAF last March and had no af since but still on apixiban. The pvc’s are there more often than not since Wednesday and symptoms are kind of similar to afib, feel extremely nauseous when there. I have tried the breathing techniques but to no avail. Have a kardia 1 lead which diagnoses the pvc’s each time, with a few unclassified. Forwarded the report to doctor who confirmed a lot of pvc’s. Waiting for a monitor and an ablation follow up app but who knows when either will happen! These are really making me feel terrible. Does anyone know of flecainide helps pvc’s? Or any other advice would be much appreciated. Thanks

[meadfoot]

I have these and they are very distressing. I am sorry you are having them. Yesterday mine were driving me nuts and on a long journey across the country i was really wound up about them in case they threw me into afib. I know we are told not to worry about them in the main, but they are horrid critters and can make us feel awful and constantly aware of our hearts. I felt breathless.

When i had days and days of them constantly i contacted my arrhythmia nurse and GP and was told fkecainide which i have as a pill in the pocket wouldnt help and my beta blocker stood a better chance. However i have found unless they throw me into afib and i then take flecainide to stop that they have no effect on my ectopic beats in isolation. Thats my experience but i am not a medic so can only follow medical advice i am given. I just wish medics understood how distressing ectopic beats can be. Best wishes.

[rayc99 in reply to meadfoot]

Thanks for the reply. They really are bloody awful, the symptoms are very similar to AF.

[EctopicAnnie]

I am so sorry that you are struggling.These really are horrid.l do sympathise.l took flecanide temporarily after my PVC s became intolerablefollowing an adverse drug reaction,It did help.l took it with a betablocker and only a few times just to give me a break from the constant irregularities.Obviously we are all different in how we respond to drugs,Can you discuss it with someone medical?

[rayc99 in reply to EctopicAnnie]

Good to hear the flecainide worked for you. Afraid don’t have anyone medical I can ask, wish I did. Due to the state of the pandemic I think I will be waiting a long time on the cardiologist calling

[Ppiman]

The odd one is normal and okay but when I get a few in a row, or worse, runs of them, they can be very hard going and bring on unpleasant anxiety. When I get them like that, I can’t tell the difference between them and the occasional AF I get, especially when they happen alongside tachycardia.

I haven’t found any way to stop them. You have my sympathies - what a life, eh?

Steve

[rayc99 in reply to Ppiman]

I know. They do indeed feel like AF, it’s really quite distressing. Hoping they go away

[Di8504]

Yes I’m sorry you are suffering with PVC’s . I commonly have runs of PVC’s when I lie down at night. They have gradually increased over the 18 months since my 2nd ablation but fingers crossed remain AF free. When they continued nightly for over a week, like you I was feeling lousy so contacted my cardiologist who recommended that I start back on flecainide 50mg bid The PVC’s did settle down within a few days so I actually weaned off, ( as it seems to blur my vision with prolonged use. )I’m now only taking 50mg at night if I have a couple of disturbed nights in a row. I think knowing that the PVC’s responded so well to the flecainide and being told they would not do any harm, stopped me worrying about them so I don’t tend to lie awake monitoring them as much now. I hope it can help you too.

[rayc99 in reply to Di8504]

That’s good to know that you only pop a 50mg flecainide when you feel the ectopics. Did your cardiologist or EP recommend to do that?

[blulla1]

You can try this protocol. If it's going to work for you, you should get noticeable results with regard to PVC's, i.e. ectopic beats within a week if you are serious about it.

carrafibdietinfo.com/

[Browncoat]

Hi rayc99, so sorry to hear you're being troubled by PVCs - they are not nice!

For me, the short answer is YES - flecainide helps control PVCs ( seem to remember reading that this is one of its main aims; ie. not 'just' AF)

I'm in a VERY similar position - succesful ablation one year ago (January 2021) for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, which was becoming more and more frequent. After the procedure I was able to stop my flecainide... for about 6 months when I was 'hit' with a bad bout of PVCs. Sometimes these became very frequent lasting off-an-on for several days with up to 6 or 7 a minute. I had one occasion that left me feeling worse than any attack of atrial fibrillation ever did.

After some 'experimenting' with a pill-in-pocket approach (which I had used for the AF), I found it neccessary to revert to a constant 50mg twice a day to keep the PVCs under control. This has worked succesfully so far (fingers crossed). This was, of course, cleared with the arrythmia team at the hospital that did my ablation.

I hope you find the same relief.

[rayc99 in reply to Browncoat]

Sounds like I get them the same as you did. That’s good the daily dose of flecainide keeps them at bay. Was this your idea or did the arrhythmia team advise you do this? Reason I ask is don’t think I will be getting an app anytime soon so could maybe suggest to doctor

[Browncoat in reply to rayc99]

Well, I took a 100mg after a bad bout and it seemed to settle it. I telephoned the arrythma unit at the hospital the next day and they agreed that a smaller daily dose would be a good idea. This was relayed to my cardiologist, who later notified my GP. Hopefully the hospital that carried out your ablation give you post-op contact details - perhaps give them a ring?

[rayc99 in reply to Browncoat]

Thanks for the reply. Can I ask if you take a beta blocker too or just the flecainide?

[Browncoat in reply to rayc99]

No... just the flecainide.

I am glad not to be on beta blockers; I remember reading somewhere that they can actually exacerbate vagal paroxysmal atrial fibrilation. I only went into AF when my heart rate dropped - sleep, relaxation etc so that seems to make sense.

I am not on any anticoagulants thanks to a zero CHA2DS2VASc score (for another few years, anyway!).

[Pooble]

Hi RayUnfortunately meds didn help . Don't think I tried Flecinade. Was on Amiodarone for years and still am

Had my 2nd ablation and in sinus rhythm now. Sorry you are going g through this