Just found this website today and am very excited to be a part of it. I'm a 41 year old male and have been pretty healthy most of my life. I have always played sports (mostly tennis), have lost over 30 pounds in the past year or so, and quit smoking back in 1995. Over the past few months I haven't felt quite right. I had noticed my heart felt like it was skipping beats from time to time. Being busy with work and traveling all over the place, I tried my best to ignore what was happening with my heart. I knew my vacation wasn't far off and I figured once I was on vacation, I would go back to feeling normal again. Well, I was wrong! Went on a western carribean cruise.....the ultimate in relaxation, no stress.....and I noticed my heart was still having irregular beats from time to time. But I had decided I wasn't going to let this situation ruin my vacation, so I did everything I possibly could during the cruise. This included snorkeling, scuba diving, lots of swimming, climbing water falls in Ocho Rios, and walking miles and miles around Promenade deck...and of course, eating too much! Then one evening (towards the end of the cruise) I woke up in the middle of the night and was having one irregular heartbeat after another. Now I was really worried that something was seriously wrong....maybe something like a heart attack. I kept obsessing over it and it seemed to get worse and worse. I ended up in the ship's infermary...they did and EKG on me, told me I was having uni-focal PVC's, gave me a sedative and sent me back to my cabin. The sedative knocked me out and I was asleep in no time. This week I've been back at home visiting my regular MD on a regular basis. I have had blood work, another EKG, and the Holter monitor (for 24 hours). The blood work checked out OK and so did the quick EKG but the Holter monitor showed multiple PVC's, sometimes several PVC's back to back. My doctor tells me that it is possible that there is nothing to really worry about but there is also a possibility that something may be wrong, so he has now referred me to a cardiologist. I'm glad I'm going to see the cardiologist on Monday, because one thing is for sure....there is this little voice inside of me telling me that something is wrong and it needs to be fixed. I have always led a very active lifestyle and now I'm affraid to exercise. If I walk my dog in the evening, the PVC's are more frequent. They are also less frequent early in the day and more frequent later in the day. I have more PVC's when I sit down at night and eat a hot meal. My doctor has prescribed Toprol XL and I started taking it today....does anyone else take this for PVC's and does it help? After I took one today, I got really tired and came down with a headache. These darn PVC's have me very worried and concerned. Can anyone else relate to what I'm going through? Any words of encouragement, or any advice? I would really appreciate responses from others who are having similar problems. Thanks so much for taking the time to read this and please respond if you can.
my friend i have had pvc's for nearly 4-5 years and they happen all the time...maybe 10-15,000 a day. just gotta understand that pvc's can happen to anyone at any time for any reason. they generally do get worse when having a large hot meal. also if they go away with a vigerous exercise and dont come back for a few min, that means there nothing too much to worry bout. go see the cardio and see what he says
I too have Pvc's. I am 28 female and have been seeing a cardio for 3 years now. Had bloodwork, ekg, stress test, 30 day monitor, echo. My pvcs are not dangerous because my heart is other wise healthy. They are very aggravating. I have stopped caffeine, chocolate, sugars and white flour. I only drink water and orange juice. Try to drink lots of water, that helps. Also, get them checked and then try not to worry about them. Just wanted you to know that you are not alone.
Thanks to both of you for the responses....I really appreciate hearing from you. Now that I've starting taking the Toprol XL, I feel much better. Yesterday I walked a few miles without any problems. Still having some PVC's but they are far less frequent.
Cajunmommy - yes they really are aggravating. I have cut way back on caffeine (but not completely) but haven't changed anything else with my diet. I absolutely love chocolate and desserts. I drink plenty of OJ but not enough water. I will definitely drink more water....I appreciate the good advice. I hope my PVC's are not dangerous as well.....I'm anxious to go back to my regular active lifestyle. Thanks again and take care. Rob.
