Ok let me start off by saying, i have only gotton 3 1/2 hours of sleep in. went to bed at 6:30 am and woke at 10:00 am. all day i felt pretty fine, the usual pvc here and there, did not bother me even when they were everyother and every two beats. well i finally decided to take a tap and get some rest at 4:30. i went down in my very cold basement and covered up. I just woke up at 6:00 and feeling like crap! My heart was kinda racing and pvc's every second thrid now every fourth beat. my temp is ok and my paulse with the pvc's is 91. Could this be just because of the lack of sleep?

Ok let me start off by saying, i have only gotton 3 1/2 hours of sleep in. went to bed at 6:30 am and woke at 10:00 am. all day i felt pretty fine, the usual pvc here and there, did not bother me even when they were everyother and every two beats. well i finally decided to take a tap and get some rest at 4:30. i went down in my very cold basement and covered up. I just woke up at 6:00 and feeling like crap! My heart was kinda racing and pvc's every second thrid now every fourth beat. my temp is ok and my paulse with the pvc's is 91. Could this be just because of the lack of sleep?
It sure can!

Yugokid, and everyone else on this board that has "PVCs", I want to ask you a serious question. I've notice in the past year that the most common type of post in this particular thread in the forum has to deal with either PVCs, palps or both....I have a question for all of you (just because I haven't ever experienced it) what is it about the PVCs and palps that upsets you the most? I mean, when I go running hard, I can also feel my heart beating in my chest, or when I'm really scared or stressed, I can feel it pumping too; however, this isn't upsetting for me. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I want to understand exactly what it is about the condition that makes it so bothersome.

its fear, no matter how many times the docs told me that i was fine, im still scared. like today when i took that nap. i could feel my pvc and not even touch my wrist or chest, that pause just bugs me. that and everytime i may get a little pain in my arm or chest...goes right back to the pvc...its a pain in the arse

its fear, no matter how many times the docs told me that i was fine, im still scared. like today when i took that nap. i could feel my pvc and not even touch my wrist or chest, that pause just bugs me. that and everytime i may get a little pain in my arm or chest...goes right back to the pvc...its a pain in the arse
See, I understand you're scared, but scared about what? What are you scared is going to happen?

I'll try to answer your question as best I can. My skipped beats(I simply sum them up as that though I know there are many different kinds that I get), range from mildly bothersome to feeling like I'm at deaths door. It feels like your heart is stopping for a second then you get this big THUD as the next beats starts. I get ones that feel like a flutter, and get some that cause chest pain. If I get alot in a row, or I get one that causes a long pause I will start to feel like I'm about to passout-weak, lightheaded etc.

The ones that bother me the most are the ones with the long pause then the THUD. It isn't the thud that scares me, its the feeling that my heart isn't going to 'kick in' again.

Everyone probably experiences them a bit differently, and many people don't even know they get them, others are more sensitive to them.

As far as the palpitations go, we expect our heart to race after jogging etc, however when you are trying to sleep, or watching tv and you can feel your heart beat without taking your pulse and can hear it pounding in your ears it is quite uncomfortable and scary. Fortunately I don't get this too often.

For those with PVC's, skipped beats etc......
Beta blockers often help, as well as some 'home remedies' for getting your heart back into normal rythym...ie...baring down, sneezing, coughing, rubbing your eyeballs gently, dipping your face in cold water just to name a few. Others have said that a daily dose of magnesium works wonders, I have yet to try it though.

Hope this helps clear this up some.
Abby

I have palps and first started having them with my first pregnancy 26 years ago. They have always caught my attention but I wouldn't say they scared me(though at first they did) until I was told they were harmless. They feel like a fish flopping around in your chest and for just a quick moment you sort of feel like you are sinking. At least that is how they feel to me. It used to feel like my heart was beating out of my chest, but much different than when you run butterflytrans. They still catch my attention but I don't obsess over it. There is still just a bit of fear when it happens and you just are afraid you are going to either have a heart attack or that it's not going to stop.
I think the people who obsess over it are alot of times people with panic disorder and severe anxiety.

Butterflytrans, I agree with Abbygirl. There is a big difference when you work out :bouncing: and your heart beats very hard and fast, that is normal. But when you are relaxing in your chair and your heart starts racing up to 140 beat a minute from your normal resting pulse of 65, that is scary. Or all the pvs's where your heart pauses for a moment. You do worry if it will "pause" too long one of these days.

I suffer from tachycardia, atrial fibrillation and pvc's for many years now. Was tested by a cardiologist, my heart is okay and he told me not to worry about my episodes. But I still feel a little panicky every time I get an episode, wondering if it will stop again, will I have go to Emergency? Will I have to call 911?

Butterflytrans, so consider yourself lucky you don't know what it is all about. I'm a senior and have a few other healthproblems, more serious, but to me my palpitations are my number one worry. I must say though, over the years I learned to ignore them as much as possible. I live alone and years ago I would stand outside my home during an episode so they would "find" me in case something happens.

Butterflytrans, I agree with Abbygirl. There is a big difference when you work out :bouncing: and your heart beats very hard and fast, that is normal. But when you are relaxing in your chair and your heart starts racing up to 140 beat a minute from your normal resting pulse of 65, that is scary. Or all the pvs's where your heart pauses for a moment. You do worry if it will "pause" too long one of these days.

I suffer from tachycardia, atrial fibrillation and pvc's for many years now. Was tested by a cardiologist, my heart is okay and he told me not to worry about my episodes. But I still feel a little panicky every time I get an episode, wondering if it will stop again, will I have go to Emergency? Will I have to call 911?

Butterflytrans, so consider yourself lucky you don't know what it is all about. I'm a senior and have a few other healthproblems, more serious, but to me my palpitations are my number one worry. I must say though, over the years I learned to ignore them as much as possible. I live alone and years ago I would stand outside my home during an episode so they would "find" me in case something happens.
I do want to get one thing across here. I don't want anyone to think that I don't agree with or believe what any of you are saying. The truth is, I don't understand what you are saying and I WANT to understand.

Okay, so the main thing about the tachycardia is that you are afraid that, at some point, your heart will stop beating and you will essentially have a heart attack and die.....i.e. the constant fear is that of dying.

Is this fair to say?

Grr, I just typed up a whole pile of info on arrhythmias and palpitations and lost it all, I will try again later.

Butterflytrans
I didn't think you were disagreeing...I knew what you meant. :):):):):)

Take care
Abby

Grr, I just typed up a whole pile of info on arrhythmias and palpitations and lost it all, I will try again later.

Butterflytrans
I didn't think you were disagreeing...I knew what you meant. :):):):):)

Take care
Abby
Thanks abby! Yeah, I know that people with this kind of problem can be dismissed because there is an anxiety component to it. I, however, see that this can cause so much distress in people that have the problem and I want to be able to sympathize without being dismissive.

ok here goes, again

Arrythmias- There are several different types.
PVC's(Premature Ventricula Contractions, Premature Ventricular Complex, Ventricular Extrasystoles, Ventricular Ectopics, Benign Ventricular Ectopics)
A PVC occurs when the ventricles fire early (prematurely), before the atria. They may be caused by fatigue, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine or a variety of other factors. In many cases, the cause of PVCs is unknown. Some people may feel skipped beats or galloping palpitations, and other people may not notice PVCs at all. In general, these irregular beats are harmless.
Tachycardia(Heartrate above 100bpm)
Bradycardia(Heartrate below 60bpm
Ventricular Fibrillation-When the heart doesn't beat but quivers instead, upto 350 times a minute or more...very serious.
As well as others.

Palpitation is an awareness of a strong, fast, irregular, abnormal or “galloping” heartbeat that tend to be unpleasant. While typically lasting only a few seconds, they may be forceful or even violent.

Associated Symptoms
Sweating, Chest pain, Dizziness, Shortness of breath, Nausea, Lightheadedness


I get PVC's and who knows what else. I seldom get tachycardia, and sometimes palpitations.

Tachycardia can be frightening, they all can, but I generally don't fear I am dieing, I really just hate the way I feel-lightheaded, weak, short of breath. Often I fear that I will pass out.

The PVC's are more bothersome for me, they sometimes cause me to feel really faint. They also sometimes cause my chest to ache and/or feel like my heart is flipping over. UGH. Stops me dead in my tracks.

I can see how someone with exteme tachycardia or someone who isn't accustomed to how it feels can get scared though. I would guess the fear would be that their heart wasn't going to revert back to a normal pace...or possibly they fear having a heart attack.
Palps , pvc's and tachy can all be associated with anxiety, that too is why it can be scary. If you have symptoms of a heart condition and the Dr's are telling you its anxiety its hard to feel comfortable with that.

If we can get past the fear issue, the worst part is how you can feel so unstable when your heart is doing weird things.
Okay, that is finally it....hope I helped a wee bit.

Abby..Wow, sorry this is sooo long. :eek:

butterflytrans

One more thing I forgot to add, its great that you are trying to understand something that you don't even have, you must be a great person.
Hope you are doing well.
Abby

butterflytrans

One more thing I forgot to add, its great that you are trying to understand something that you don't even have, you must be a great person.
Hope you are doing well.
Abby
Thanks for the kind words abby! To do I do, it is very important to be able to at the very least understand what people are going through if you are to offer advice.

Quick thing....a bradycardia is usually defined as below 60bpm like you put, but no one really gets excited unless it's below 50...at that point, there is suspicion that your heart is being paced by your ventricle (i.e. below the AV node), or there is something wrong with the sinus node, which is obviously not normal

sometimes bradycardia is caused by beta blockers.

but about pvcs, i get them any where from everyother beat, every two beats every 5 and sometimes minutes with out any at all.

i do have a question, is it ok if i take vicks nyquil for my cough with out it doing anything to me? it dont have antihists. heres what is got
Acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, doxylamine, pseudoephedrine.... i took Robitussin Dm maybe 3 hours ago and its not gettin better, should i take it or not?

sometimes bradycardia is caused by beta blockers.

but about pvcs, i get them any where from everyother beat, every two beats every 5 and sometimes minutes with out any at all.

i do have a question, is it ok if i take vicks nyquil for my cough with out it doing anything to me? it dont have antihists. heres what is got
Acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, doxylamine, pseudoephedrine.... i took Robitussin Dm maybe 3 hours ago and its not gettin better, should i take it or not?
You're totally right...beta blockers can cause bradycardia...that's the point of them in some cases! and yes....it is totally okay for you to take nyquil for your cough....it won't do anything to you. Sudafed or other decongestants might make you have palpitations, but they won't hurt you. Robitussin might make your cough stop, but if it doesn't, that doesn't mean you're going to die....just wait it out, and eventually the cough will stop. I know that sounds "old-fashioned", but if you were REALLY sick with the cough, you wouldn't be posting on this board! :)

butterflytrans,

Let me add my $.02 to the whyfore of the discomfort of the PVC (I'm a chemist and my first thought is ALWAYS poly-vinyl-choride......:D).
Anyhoo, I get them occasionally maybe one or twice a month for 5 minutes or less.

The SCARE component (please God, not a heart attack) takes over at first but after you learn by experience they don't kill you, that passes. I think what remains forever is the physiological reaction, that to me feels just like a dose of adrenaline which will elicit panic, fear, and a fight-or flight response and all the mind's reassurance that nothing will happen doesn't stop the chemical action of adrenaline and noradrenaline. Maybe there's some way to stop the adrenals from acting this way, but my guess is that it's wired in as part of our lower mammalian survival functions and I'm sure that cats, dogs and chimps react the same way (they just can't POST about it on a forum :D:D!)

These chemicals WILL keep a heart from stopping and have often saved our lives! Thus they are among our best friends but that doesn't stop them from making us feel like Hell!

An aside:
One of the real dangers of beta blockers is the partial blockage of the cardiac receptor sites for these catecholemines. When a blockaded heart begins to malfunction suddenly, without the survival mechanism operating on both barrels, the heart attack is more likely to prove fatal. That grim warning is always in very fine print at the bottom of the prescribing info...:(

Hi, I would just like to put in my experience with PVC's and hope it helps you to understand. Like many other things, it's hard to understand something unless you go through it yourself. I remember I used to be in pretty good shape, and I would always wonder why people that were overweight couldn't just loose weight, and now that I am one of those people, I can understand all the issues that are tied up in weight loss; emotions and anxiety, etc. I started getting PVC's and PAC's over ten years ago, and I remember when I felt my first "big" one, I was driving with kids in my car going home, and I thought I was going to die. I could feel my heart beating irregularly, and never had experienced this before, and went home and called '911'. Since that day, it's been a roller coaster ride for me. These PVC's caused me to have terrible anxiety attacks, to the point where I wouldn't go more than a few blocks from home. They have created a situation for me in which I have made major life decisions because of them. We live in a town that is a planned community, and it feels very safe, and very much like a 'bubble' and I resist moving anywhere else because of the safe feeling I have here; hospitals nearby, people I know, and generally it's easy to get around here, and everything you need is within ten miles or so. The thing is, even if you know for sure that they PVC's are not dangerous, it just makes you feel so much on edge to get them. I don't think this response is totally within our control. Sure, I can try to relax, but there is this response that I think is a natural one that your body becomes kind of tense, and even my breathing is different. For instance, I can feel most of my PVC's (which occur anywhere from every couple of beats to once every 30 beats or so for me) when I am sitting down watching tv or something, but if I'm up doing things, like just running around in a hurry, or doing dishes or something, the one way I can tell I am having them is if my breathing is different, like I can just tell that something is not right. I think the thing that scares me the most, is that it feels like my heart is just "screwing up" and that it could at any second lead to sudden death. Also, I have heard that PVC's are mostly benign, but that too many of them can lead to CHF and other problems, and I was once caught on a moniter with Atrial Fib (a short run), so I worry about the potential for other heart arrythmias. It's just a horrible feeling, and disruptes whatever you are doing. I have become comfortable having them every few beats, but they are always on my mind, and I would like to see anyone sit through a nice dinner with friends, or a movie, and have them that often, and not have that cause some anxiety. I try to just get on with my life, but I always wonder what it is that causes these for me, and if they will ever go away. Just as out of the blue as they came upon me, I worry that some other, more dangerous rhythm, will suddenly pop up, especially if I'm prone to these things. So, as you can see, this is a vicious circle of anxiety with these things, and there is no good answer, the doctors don't seem to have any answers. I tried medication, and one type helped for a while, but then they started coming on stronger again. I try to stay away from any medications since I read in several places that if you can deal with them on your own, then to try to do that, since every single medication out there has the potential to make the problem worse, and that in studies, sudden death actually increased among patients that were taking beta blockers versus those that weren't. I just try to not fool around with them. I do take an aspirin a day, since I had that episode of atrial fib, I was wondering if any of you do that because of PVC's? Well, thanks for letting me go on here, and good luck! Val

Let me amplify the effect of an adrenaline rush. Picture yourself driving along a two lane road and all of a sudden a truck is in your lane coming at you with a driver slumped over the wheel and you must instantly decide to swerve right and run dowm a sharplely sloped shoulder into a field or swerve into the oncoming traffic lane which you cannot see...risking a possible head-on collision. You blindly swerve left and find the roadway clear of traffic. Car swerves right and left but you manage to gain control: you made the right choice.

Now you pull off the road and sit and experience physical symptoms...THAT'S ADRENALINE! It gave you the split second ability you needed to save your life but now it feels like imminent DEATH!
NOTHING you can do or say will stop you feeling this very chemical physical reaction!

:wave: Well fear for sure. No one wants to know there life source is not beating right. Plus sometimes the pvc's feel like ..............hmmmmmmmmmm you know how it feels on a roller coaster ride and you go over that big hill. It feels like your heart drops or stops. I have bi****ny pvcs most of the time. Say my heart rate is 84 well my pulse will be 42. So imagine that feeling forever how long the pvc's last. No they may not kill us but neither will slamming your finger in a car door a 100 times a day but who wants that? :bouncing:

the cases where sudden death occures is when your pvc's are proven to be a threat to your life. if you use beta blockers when your pvc's dont pose a threat, that stat does not imply to you...so says my doc. am i correct?

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when you feel your chest and feel that flutter or really fast hard beat after a normal one, thats a pvc, when you feel those more than 3 times in a row, thats v-tach. thats what the cardos are talking about. but its rare if you have a health heart. so i whould not worry

when you feel your chest and feel that flutter or really fast hard beat after a normal one, thats a pvc, when you feel those more than 3 times in a row, thats v-tach. thats what the cardos are talking about. but its rare if you have a health heart. so i whould not worry
The flutter you feel is not necessarily a PVC. The only way you can definitively say if you have PVCs is by looking at the EKG and seeing isolated, random wide-complexes. Isolated PVCs are common, so when one has those symptoms, they're often chalked up to be PVCs even without an EKG.

You're right, that three PVCs in a row is part of v-tach, but there are other criteria that need to be met (capture beats, marching p-waves, fusion beats etc.)

I have often had PVCs every other beat. Cardiologists have told me that I don't need to worry about them, that PVCs are only dangerous if they occur in a row.
That's true...it's called ventricular tachycardia and is almost always seen in people who have underlying heart disease.
It made me wonder - how does the doctor know they won't occur in a row? How can the doctor be so sure I don't need to be concerned when the only way for me to have PVCs any closer would be to have them in a row?
Because there is other evidence on an ECG that goes along with the ventricular tachycardia that I mentioned above. You're right, doctors can't ever be 100% sure, but what makes a good doctor is when s/he able to pick out that 1 in 100 people who doesn't look like they SHOULD have a certain condition, but do have it anyway. Know what I mean?
Do my PVCs which have been getting closer together over the years know how to count? Are they going to say to each other: Hey - we can't occur in a row, we have to stop at every other.
Well, you should have a baseline ECG to see what your heart is doing now...then if you see a change as time goes on, the doctor should be concerned. Plus, if there was other trouble with your heart, there would be more than just PVCs to tip your doctor off. Don't forget hummingbirdkiss, cardiologists go through 4 years of med school and usually 6 years of post-graduate training....they've seen people like you a lot :) You'll find on this board there are a ton of people who say, "I had this condition and the stupid doctor didn't diagnose me and now I'm sick blah blah blah"...yes, that kind of stuff happens, but those people are more likely to come to a board like this and vent. In reality, the North American medical system is AWESOME and we have of the best doctors in the world here. Don't let a few bad stories sour you (not that you were soured...I"m just saying)
I just had an echo which shows the septum of my heart moving in a manner consistent with conduction abnormalities. So hey - is it possible that what I have been hearing all these years may be changed? Is it possible that my heart doesn't know how to count afterall?
I know you are being facetious, but I see your point; however, if there was a conduction abnormality, it would almost definitely show up in your EKG. Have there been any abnormalities on that? Also, you keep talking about your heart counting....ventricular tachycardia has part of its defintion as a run of more than 3 PVCs in a row, but there are more criteria to the definition! If you HAD ventricular tachycardia, you probably wouldn't feel well enough to be posting here ;) The other thing is, the reason why computers will never replace humans as doctors is because you have to take every case you see and fit the clinical evidence (i.e. what you see with your 5 senses when the patient is in the room) with all of the special testing you get.
How come where there is a 1 - 2% chance of something happening, doctors are 100% sure it can't happen to you. I have had a couple of 'rare' things happen to me and encountered doctors who interpreted 'rare' as meaning it couldn't possibly involve the patient who is sitting in front of them.
True, but again, you have to fit together the clinical scenario. A bloody cough in a 15 year old kid who has had a chest cold for the past few days is much different than a bloody cough in a 59 year old man who has been smoking for 30 years. Doctors shouldn't ever say they are 100% sure of things....they SHOULD always keep small risks of things in the back of their heads. But at the same time, just because 0.1% of people have a serious reaction to a certain drug, doesn't mean that the doctor has to be overly cautious with everyone that comes in to his/her office.

To illustrate another example: let's take for example the risk of causing a miscarriage with doing an amniocentesis....the risk is about 1/200. But if a woman who has just had an amnio comes in two days later with cramping abdominal pain, even though in the normal population this is usually Braxton-hicks (assume the lady is not at term), your INDEX of SUSPICION should be higher in this woman that something is wrong. Same goes for your case. If you actually DO have a known conduction abnormality in your heart, your doctors are more wary of symptoms you have because the chances are higher they might be something serious.
Anyway, I have a good cardiologist right now who is looking at possibilities my other doctors didn't consider and finally I am getting some answers. I will have a good measure of confidence in the results because I feel like I am being fully listened to and my judgement respected.
Good, I'm glad you feel that way. Above all, a good doctor is someone who listens to his/her patients. At the same time too, to make the doctor's job work as efficiently as possible, it's necessary to be a good patient and also listen to what S/HE says. After all, the doctor is the one whose job it is to treat these conditions. :)

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I'm not sure what you mean by "...they've seen people like you a lot...." since you don't know me at all. I am doing my best not to find it offensive.
Ahh, yeah, I didn't mean to offend you, and it wasn't meant to be a negative comment. What I meant was, doctors see a lot of patients who, like you, have had similar complaints/symptoms. I wasn't referring to you as a person...just what you wrote down as your symptomatology...hope that clears this up :)

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I don't know about pvcs but I do know about those darn heart palpatations, I have had them all my life but they were mild, slight skip and it is over but latly for the past year I have those pauses talked about in this thread.

I get an adrenalin rush when that happens and it scared me too, I told my doctor about them and he said any number of things can cause that, anyway when it happened th first time I got scared, and I concentrated on breathing making sure I can still breath, it was as if the heart was jumping around and yes there was a pause less than a second but scary nonetheless.

I did some research on that because I wanted to know if it was prelude to a heart attack or something, well basically what such palpitations are is the heart resetting itself.

meaning the two chambers tried to beat at the same time, so the heart is reset by a jolt from the brain, which doesn't do anything for the scariness of it. the fear is if the brain doesn't reset it and the heart stops, well if I am not mistaken you would pass out immediatly if it stopped and would not have time to think about it or even experience a pause.

I could be wrong.

I hope not, I hate to think about it not beating and being aware of it and having time to think about it and know I can't breath.

RR

Buttertrans.

Yes, I have abnormal EKGs and now an echo that shows a stiffened left ventricle and abnormal septal motion.

I have had symptoms dismissed as anxiety when it turned out to be pericarditis. I had doctors dismiss symptoms that ultimately turned out to be seizures. I had symptoms dismissed which, after my going to the library and looking it up and then presenting the diagnosis to the doctor and being tested, turned out to be due to hyperparathyroidism........

I don't mind it when a doctor can't diagnose what I have. What I do mind is when after the doctor can't diagnose it - he looks at me and dismisses my concerns - he never says 'maybe it is because of my diagnostic skills'. Sometimes after having lived with my body my entire life, I do know more than the doctor standing in front of me.

I'm not sure what you mean by "...they've seen people like you a lot...." since you don't know me at all. I am doing my best not to find it offensive.

Of course I was being facetious in my previous post. I was venting my frustrations and doing it - I thought - with a touch of humor.
all i can say is AMEN. a friend of my mother in laws went to a cardiologist,had the stress test ect.. dr told him it was muscle spasms,his wife did not believe the dr and took him some where else,come to find out ALL OF HIS ARTERIES WERE BLOCKED. thank GOD she didnt believe the first one. also no harm intended but to butterflytrans for someone that says they are trying to understand what people are going through you shouldnt judge them.you dont know what they are going through unless you go through it also,and you still dont know exactly then.so in all fairness there is only one judge and that is GOD.the boards are here for people to get help and encouragement,and yes to vent if needed(lol) not to be put down because of whats going on with them.if you truely wanted to understand then you would know that something that scares one person may not affect another one at all. keep posting but lets try not to offend any one.