PVC’ getting worse

[Gavinppp]

4 years ago I passed out and my Apple Watch showed a flat line. I felt a gurgling in my chest and did an ecg on it and as I passed out it picked up a straight line. Hit my head and was unconscious so rushed to hospital. Did loads of tests and scans and was referred to Papworth. Put it down as vasavagal syncope. They did an MRI, exercise tests, holter and ecg and all fine but diagnosed with Mobitz 1 and PVC’s. Said not an issue and heart was fine and as I was fit mobitz 1 is common. Since then they have been getting more and more frequent and feel tired. Some weeks hardly noticeable, others dreadful. Tests each year say all ok but get tight feelings on my head, feel strange when they are bad and just recently had partial loss of vision for a minute in one eye and now being referred to stroke department! I am convinced everything is due to PVC’s getting worse but consultant at Papworth says nothing to worry about. Burden 5% and resting HR 60 though sometimes 55. Convinced something seriously wrong.

[PoorlyWifeHeart]

Hi Gavin, the initial incident must have been scary.When you say PVCs are getting worse you don't say how often you have them? Before my wife's AF changed earlier this year (and drugs changed etc, long story) she used to get very frequent PVCs (ectopics) and we were told many times by docs they were nothing to worry about. She's had them occasionally for over 20 years but last year they became more frequent. Some days she would be getting bi/trigemini for hours at a time, other days random PVCs would just come on in the evenings immediately on getting into bed. She also has a hiatus hernia which one doctor suggested might aggravate/ irritate the heart and cause more PVCs (and/or AF).

Anyway, I guess I'm saying it can (for some people) become normal to get lots of PVCs and it can be nothing to worry about. Hopefully this might give you a little comfort?

[Gavinppp in reply to PoorlyWifeHeart]

Thanks for the reply and appreciate it. Four years that I know of. Taking magnesium, eating bananas and not sure if they help! Always feeling on edge in the chest. Typically get 2-3 a minute ans occasionally more. Tends to happen a lot when sitting down initially for a few seconds or briefly after working out

[Ppiman]

My "ectopic burden" from a 48-hour Holter ECG was, like yours, quite low, but that was because on day 1 of it, my heart was calm. Since then, the number and frequency has increased a great deal. The specialist who I see is going to ablate the AF (which I also have) and try to do the ectopics at the same time. There's a year's wait up here in Leicestershire, though.

I feel that ectopic beats can be as difficult to deal with as AF, if not more so. People who say they are "benign" and so on, miss the point. The "thud" they create is so different from the way AF feels, and the slight breathlessness and inability to exercise with them can be hard going.

You have my sympathy!

Steve

[Gavinppp in reply to Ppiman]

Thanks Steve. You are just round the corner from me!

[Ppiman in reply to Gavinppp]

They certainly took it seriously if you were sent to Cambridge for your tests. These arrhythmias can be very hard going whether AF or not.

See

[WildIris]

Anxiety is linked to ectopics so try addressing that. Deep breathing, relaxation, meditation, that sort of thing.

Also, if you're motivated enough and out of shape, (as I was when I found out I had kidney problems in addition to afib, etc. ), a Mediterranean type diet and weight loss might calm your heart a lot- it worked for me anyway. If you choose to, try giving up sugar, it really helps reduce your appetite.

[Gavinppp in reply to WildIris]

Thanks. I have changed diet massively but have low body fat ideal BMI and am super fit. 4+ hours in gym and tennis regularly each week.

[Autumn_Leaves in reply to WildIris]

No, sorry it’s not necessary the case.

Ectopic beats which are frequent and persistent are typically caused by an area of errant cells firing off at random. Whilst I agree that relaxation techniques can be helpful, they don’t necessarily have much of an impact where there are these areas of rogue cells determined to do their own thing

It’s great that you’ve found a way forward to benefit your health but not everyone is overweight or eating a poor diet. Once again, it’s great if you’ve seen benefits from losing weight etc, but not everyone needs to and it’s certainly not a cause of ectopics. Not everyone is anxious, either