Ventricular Bigeminy

[Blackwolf_7619]

Hi all, I hope everyone is doing okay.

I'm just wondering if anyone has ever, or is suffering from ventricular bigeminy?

That is my current diagnosis, and it started out of nowhere in November last year. I have episodes that last for weeks. My last episode lasted for 8 weeks and my ecg shows my atria is beating normally but every ventricular beat is an ectopic. My cardiologist says I'm fine. My body doesn't feel fine. I get crazy exhausted

I can find barely anything on VB, and my cardiologist hasn't really told me anything.

I have no idea why it started suddenly last November, why I have episodes that last for many weeks and why it stops as sudden as it started. I'm always terrified that the episodes won't ever stop. My quality of life with this is pretty much zero because its so constant when it happens. I've told my doctors I feel suicidal during these episodes because of the effect from this.

Does anyone else ever suffer with this?

Thank you

[Captain_Birdseye]

Have you tried taking the medication that was prescribed to you? Your last few posts mention that you were reluctant to try this.

I would start with that and hopefully this will bring the episodes under control.

Next I would contact your GP and ask to be referred to a mental health specialist. Tell them what you told the doctors.

Cardiac problems almost always come with severe anxiety and can lead to depression or PTSD. You haven't said if you are actually suicidal, have suicidal thoughts, or if you have only told doctors that you are suicidal - but in any case it's really important that you seek out appropriate help for this independently of the cardiac team. Mental health is an extremely important part of your overall health and this needs to be addressed to help you manage the 'physical' part of your health.

[Blackwolf_7619 in reply to Captain_Birdseye]

Thank you for your reply, but I'm really just reaching out to see if anyone else has the same problem.I got my medication just as the last episode was coming to an end. When it starts again I will be taking my meds. That's why I was asking about flecainide and about others experience with VB.

I already spoke to my doctor. I've been on the waiting list for my mental health for 6 months already, but no mental health treatment can make me feel well during episodes.

[Hatchjd]

My husband 66y/o was diagnosed in May with this. We discovered his pulse was irregular when comparing heart rates after a 4-mile walk. I am a retired RN so had checked it previously on numerous occasions. He had no symptoms and in the past year has lost 30lbs and is fairly fit swimming 3 times a week, so this was a surprise.

He saw a cardiologist privately in June who did an EKG, Echo, and a cardiac stress test. ( He had a CT angiogram 3 years ago which showed the heart vessels to be clear). The Echo and EKG were both normal. During the stress test, he had runs of ventricular bigeminy but it was normal otherwise. The cardiologist was not concerned with the results and no treatment was advised.

My husband has a very stressful job and is competitive. He was pushing himself physically on his fitness when first diagnosed and had the virus that can't be mentioned for the first time 6 weeks prior, although a mild case, we don't know if this was a factor.

Like you, the episodes of bigeminy would come and go for no apparent reason.

He reduced the work stress and relaxed the pace of swimming and walking for a couple of months and the number of episodes of bigeminy and irregular beats (PVCs) has gradually reduced.

[Visigoth]

I know how you feel because I had months of bigeminy and trigeminy before I was diagnosed with AF. I felt terrible and my quality of life was zero. I’m not a particularly anxious person so I don’t think anxiety contributed in any way. I found it so frustrating just to be told that it was harmless when I couldn’t live a normal life at all! Fortunately once I was put on medication for AF the ectopics disappeared along with the AF - now I only have the glimmerings of palpitation before they stop. So I do hope the medication will work for you.

[Blackwolf_7619 in reply to Visigoth]

My bigeminy is coming from the ventricles so I never had any AF. I'm so angry because every time I have an ECG I don't have any. Also, literally in the middle of a 8 week long episode I had an echo. I had to lie on my left side too which causes more ectopics. I had absolute zero ectopics during my echo, but the ectopics continued on my way home!For so long they said nothing was wrong, so I also ended up almost diagnosising myself through my Kardia machine being able to catch what they couldn't. I also had a stress test which occurred after my last episode so it resulted my cardiologist telling me I didnt have any ectopics so im fine...

My cardiologist said it won't cause any problems unless it's continuous for 6 months.

It's so difficult too because in order to contact him I have to pass messages through his secretary and after about 2-3 weeks he'll write to me so I don't even have an opportunity to ask questions. I literally have zero quality of life because it is all consuming.

[honeybubs]

hi Blackwf_7619

Yes I have ventricular Bigeminy. Everyone is different so you may not be the same as me. I had a bad episode and was admitted to hospital by ambulance and was in for 8 days.

I was told ‘normal’ was 100,000 beats a day and I was having 134,000 beats while wired up in hospital. My cardiologist said that’s like climbing up Mount Everest. Whilst in hospital I had MRI’s, Echocardiogram tests etc My trops were up and I had Myocarditis and Pericarditis and heart tablets were tweaked

I had already been diagnosed with Dilated Cardiomyopathy in October 2022 and this was February this year.

Like I said yours could be different.

I’ve now had a CRT-D Cardiac resynchronisation Therapy Pacemaker Defibrillator fitted 3 weeks ago. I feel so much better and it’s set up to keep my beats regular.

I always say they are the experts but we know our own bodies so keep going to your doctor or cardiologist to get to the bottom of it.

Good luck and hope you go on ok.

Joy

[Blackwolf_7619 in reply to honeybubs]

I think I was having a lot more ectopics than that. It feels like it anyway! My echo came back mostly normal. I had an echo back in January which was perfect, but I had one in July, now showing regurgitation in all my valves except for my aortic valve. That's significant change in a short amount of time, but of course my cardiologist isn't worried. I'm thinking about going to a different trust to have 2nd opinion. I'm so sick of doctors not giving a damn.

[C2sam in reply to Blackwolf_7619]

Hi, I replied to one of your other posts about flecainide for ventricular bigeminy and just saw you have some valve regurgitation which I also had a bit of back when I had things checked months ago. Did you not have it previously and you've now picked up on it as a newly developed thing?

My ectopics have gotten worse again and coupled with vertigo lately so wondering if I should be checking for worsened regurgitation if that's something you found can develop within months

Hope you're on your way to finding answers 🙏

[honeybubs]

I know how you feel I had the same problem. I believe in ‘preventative’ but they don’t do anything until it’s got past first symptoms which is quite annoying. Anyone would be stressed and ‘anxiety” because you feel drs don’t believe you. You’ve just got to keep on at them if you are feeling unwell and you know there is something wrong. Best of luck and let us know how you get on. X

[HeartyJames]

Yes had that for two years and trigeminy. 2 lead Pacemaker insertion then solved it mostly