ectopics

[Rdiehl01]

hey guys hope all is well…I’ve had some ectopics tonight and am getting more anxious…any recommendations?

[BobD Volunteer]

Do the slow deep breathing trick and relax. Stay well hydrated. Ectopics are annying but generally benign.

[Jewelsjem in reply to BobD]

Yes, deep breathing and lots of water, like a whole glass at once.

[Iamfuzzyduck]

Are you taking any beta blockers? I have had ectopics for three weeks (PACs and PVCs) and just restarted a baby dose of metoprolol because the ectopics were driving me crazy. Today has been the best day with not so many except my pulse and blood pressure are dropping so I can’t tolerate the meds for too long. Apart from that I agree with the breathing exercises…

[bean_counter27]

Do you have a portable ECG/EKG device? If so, test yourself for AF. If not you should consider getting one.

If only ectopic then not really an issue so I presume you are concerned it might be the start of an AF episode? That's one of the reasons why I have my devices i.e. use my device(s) to check and if not AF then I ignore and get on with whatever I was doing. If I am having AF episode then I keep track of episodes for when I see cardiologist and document the circumstances to help me identify triggers.

[Samazeuilh2]

Magnesium taurate (or citrate) is said to help by some people and so worth a try. I was told by a cardiologist that unless they are consistently more than 10-15% of the total heartbeats they are not problematic- if they are it’s possible to do an ablation for them (this being completely different from an ablation for AF). Apparently, they can damage the heart if they are sustained at that percentage for a protracted period. You could ask for a 24 hour Holter to determine how frequent yours are. My experience of them has been that you can have a lot of them for a few days, then they tend to pass. Relaxation exercises can help, but don’t expect them to work immediately.

[Tellingfibs]

Hi. I get a LOT of ectopics ( so diagnosed by Kardia ). And although i feel ok with them, I eventually went to the doctor because I was worried they would damage my heart. Obviously I get Afib too but I take 10mgs Bisoprolol so my heart rate is normal. The ectopics are noticeable when I am sitting quietly, but not so much when physically busy. Kardia tells me I often have about 4 - 8 ectopics per 30 seconds, but I do revert to normal sinus rythmn in between and I don’t get them persistently - just frequently. However, they worried me enough to see doc and he said that if I had no chest pain, no breathlessness and no swelling of the ankles, my heart is functioning well and not to worry or dwell on them - that could make them worse !

Annie.

[Qualipop]

Ectopics are very common and usually harmless. Anxiety will make them much worse. Do relaxation exercises, slow deep breathing. Then ask your gP for a holter monitor to check where they are coming from to prove whether they are harmless. They are not missed beats. It's just that one beat is slightly late , meets up with the next beat and you feel the bump. Your electrics are just having hiccups. I've had ectopics for over 15 years. Mine are harmless and often caused by an irritated vagus nerve. Getting my husband t o massage just between my left shoulder blade and my spine, pointing towards the shoulder blade usually stops them for me

[listerines]

If you can feel them, keep a journal of frequency and show this to your heart specialists. Based on frequency they may suggest heart monitoring over 5-7 days to determine your ectopic burden. If high they may suggest possible daily medications to help (beta blockers first and then antiarrhythmics if more severe or stubborn - ablation possible but only in challenging cases of high burden or where PACs/ PVCs are triggering AFib).There is some debate though as to how benign ectopics really are if you are having daily episodes of long duration - so definitely bring this up for discussion with your specialists if for nothing else but to put your mind at ease. Keep safe