My boyfriend is 25 years old and has been suffering from psvt for almost a year now. Just last weekend he had another round of it and we went to the ER where they gave him a shot of cardizem (spelling) which slowed down the heartbeat but did not convert the beat back to normal. He continued to have the irregular heartbeats for about 7 hours after. Since then he has started having pvcs. He is taking 25 mg of atenolol twice a day.

A few questions:
Can psvt cause pvcs to occur?
How serious are either of these? (cause heart failure, etc)

He has had many ekg's and all came back normal. This last one did not look normal at all but the doctor basically brushed it off and said "nothing to worry about". I am going to try to get him in soon to get a stress test etc. to make sure there is no heat disease.

Just wondering what others do in order to "live" with these conditions.


Thank you!!

No one can help me?

Hi there, Sorry to hear about your bf. PVC's and PSVt are annoying to live with. I can tell you that in most cases they are harmless. They should do an echo on him to rule out any cardiac disease. If that comes back clean and it gets to the point that it is interfering with his everyday life then they can try different meds on him or discuss ablation with him. Goodluck to him.

Thank you! Yeah, most of the docs say well you're young so I doubt its heart disease. His dad died at age 42 of heart problems so its very worrying. We also don't have insurance so this is very stressful too.

Hi jbuafs, I cannot speak for others here, but for me, it is hard to try to help someone with this type of disorder. PVCs are common and sometimes transient. Most times are harmless. I have had them off and on for 30 years. They do not worry me. While in the ER, you said that the injection of the med they gave him slowed down the beat, but did not correct the rhythm. It seems to me that they should have did several EKGs, while the PSVTs were occuring. This would have give some valuable information. I guess that he has already wore the 24 hour Holter monitor, and if so is this how his condition was diagnosed?I have been reading on PSVTs, and many sites have the same definition, exactly. I did find this statement: "A faulty electrical pathway in the heart causes PSVT. It may be triggered by physical or psychological stress. The risks from PSVT are minimal for otherwise healthy people". I have also read that caffeine and alcohol, make this condition worse. I know for sure that other drugs can cause PVCs, such as cannibis. It would also seem logical that someone with faulty electrical pathways in their heart (PSVTs), could have PVCs as a result.I agree with Jenn.e that he should get an echocardiogram, for a "look" at the function of his heart. I don't think that this test would be terribly expensive. I am so sorry about the lack of insurance. Here is some info that I found on a procedure, that can determine exactly what faulty electrical pathways exist in the heart. I think that it is only recommended when arrhythmias, interfere with normal life, or become a real problem. I believe that repairs (ablations) can also be made during this procedure. Best of luck to you and your BF :)

Electrophysiology study - intracardiac

Intracardiac electrophysiology study (EPS) involves placing wire electrodes within the heart to determine the characteristics of heart arrhythmias.

The study is performed in a hospital laboratory by a trained staff including cardiologists, technicians, and nurses. The environment is safe and controlled to minimize any danger or risk.

The cardiologist inserts a catheter through a small incision in a vein in your arm, neck, or groin after cleansing the site and numbing it with a local anesthetic. This catheter is equipped with an electrode connected to electrocardiographic monitors.

The catheter is then carefully threaded into the heart using an X-ray imaging technique called fluoroscopy to guide the insertion. Electrodes are placed in the heart to measure electrical activity along the heart's conduction system and within heart muscle cells themselves.

Normal electrical activity is signaled from the heart's natural pacemaker known as the sinoatrial (SA) node. It then travels through the atria (the two chambers on the top of the heart), the atrioventricular (AV) node (connecting the atria to the ventricles), and the ventricles (the lower chambers of the heart).

Abnormal electrical activity can occur anywhere along this conduction system, including in the muscle cells of either the atria or ventricles. The electrodes inserted during EPS will map the type of arrhythmia you have and where the problem arises in your heart. This information allows your cardiologist to determine the severity of the problem (including whether you are at risk for sudden cardiac death) as well as appropriate treatment.

Thank you Jack! It did seem very strange to us that they let him leave the hospital without the hearts rhythm going back to normal, don't think we want to see that doctor again. Since the psvt has started we have cut out all caffeine, alcohol, and almost all salt. He doesn't smoke or do drugs either.

Would he also need to see about a stress test?

If he is not having any chest pain, it may be best to have the echocardiogram done first. A nuclear imaged stress test is indicated when there is chest pain, and other symptoms of coronary artery disease (CAD) present. This test shows whether his heart is receiving enough blood flow during exercise and while at rest. It gives other diagnostic indicators as well. It is probably more expensive than the echo. The echo is more suited to find abnormalities within the heart, such as valve problems, and wall motion defects. I am speaking in general terms here, and am not trying to play doctor. A doc may want to start with a stress test???