PVC, very scared

[Mclaughs]

Hello for the last 2 weeks I have been having episodes that I can best describe as feeling like someone just scared me to death, my heart pumps really hard and it feels like the air is being pushed from my lungs. I finally went to hospital today and they said I had a PVC and to follow up with a cardiologist. They prescribed me a low dose beta blocker. My question for those who have experienced this is it "normal" to have so many at a time, I'm having them about every 3 mins, it is really frightening and sometimes causes me to cough. I want to drive straight back to A&E but they seemed so confident today that I could wait to see a cardiologist. I need some reassurance that someone else has survived this.

[PaulDB]

I have some thing similar and I have AF. I get it if I'm woken up whilst being in a deep sleep, that's my trigger. Have a read on some web pages it doesn't seem like it's much to worry about but of course the more you worry the more you'll think about it.

[Mclaughs in reply to PaulDB]

ya, the more it happens, the more worry/anxiety comes - like a domino effect

[Jonp]

PVCs are very common, nearly everyone gets them at some time. Some people don't feel them, others feel them strongly. For years I have had them every day, occasionally all day, up to 25,000 a day if I am really stressed. I hardly feel them but they make me unwell. Beta-blockers help, I am sure your cardiologist will reassure you. My triggers are wind and stomach upset, I avoid fizzy drinks and big meals but the main cause is stress. Find ways to relax.

[Mclaughs in reply to Jonp]

thank you so much for replying to my post. It honestly makes me feel so much better to know that other people experience this and have learned to cope.

[afablation94 in reply to Mclaughs]

Don’t worry about it my friend. I’m 25. I have PVC’s daily. Had AF at 22 and cardiac ablation helped tremendously. However, my heart rate is still high and I have PVCs. Just listen to your cardiologist.

[Padayn01 in reply to afablation94]

How are your PVC’s now?

[sh4166]

I know that it can be scary and it can consume your day if you let it. I have had pvcs for a very long time. I had a 24 hr. halter monitor in 2017 and it picked up over 1,100. I have been on a beta blocker for over 20 years now. For the last month and a half, I have been experiencing 2-8 per minute. Sometimes I barely feel them, other times it feels like a loud hard thump in my chest, and sometimes it feels like a fish flip flopping in my chest. I feel like mine are getting a bit better since I have been eating better and eliminating refined sugars in my diet and taking a multivitamin daily. Try not to worry about them. Hope you get some relief.

[Mclaughs in reply to sh4166]

oh bless, that is so many and for so long! thank you for replying to me, I will try my best to keep myself distracted during the day so I'm not so focused on them

[JoyV]

I had a suspected episode of PAF (very frightening) over 2 yrs ago, linked to stress I'm sure. Not caught on monitor but PVCs were and cardiologist seemed unconcerned by them, Like Jonp I get them and feel they are related to my digestive system. I do avoid certain foods at times and large meals certainly make me more aware of them. Have just learned to live with them. Take care and try not to worry.

[sh4166]

I finally got in to my cardiologist on Wednesday. After wearing a 30 day event monitor for 20 days, he finally said that I can take it off as he sees everything that he needed. I definitely am having pvcs with ocassional bigymeny. With an event monitor it allows you to push a button if you feel anything unusual. I pressed it several times while wearing it. He saw the pvcs and also a run of atrial fibrillation/flutter for a 3 second run. He is not concerned with the amount of pvcs that I am having, but he wants me to start taking a baby aspirin daily for the afib. He also suggested flecanaide as well, but I did not want to take it unless it gets more frequent. He said that would be fine and to give him a call if I decide to start taking it. The weird thing is, is that I have had these episodes of 3-5 seconds of very fast beats and then it goes into a normal rhythm on it's own or when I cough. I always thought it was my svts that I was diagnosed with 20 years ago. Over all of these years I guess that it was afib this whole time. I also had an echo on Friday, but I will not get any results until next week. So, if any of you are experiencing a lot of pvcs (diagnosed by your doctor)....don't worry. Even when I told him that I am still having 2-3 pvcs a minute he was not concerned. It sure is annoying though. I will post my echo results when I receive them.

[Claire1994]

I have now experienced them since christmas I got big stress ... sometimes I got all week then one month quite and then again ... those which I can feel is maxium 5 of them per day ... but still is scaring me ... they told me can be cause of back problems also