Pvc`s, your opinion matters! - Heart Disorders Message Board

Kane780 · 01-14-2009, 01:42 AM

Hello all,

If you find yourself alone, miserable, depressed, and dealing with PVC's anywhere from 1-10000+ plus a day, your not alone. I'm writing this thread, in hopes that you all can all share your stories and explain your struggles and success. And if there's any advise that ANYONE has to offer, please feel free to go ahead. As of 2 and a half months ago, I started experiencing PVC`s on a regular basis. My longest stretch lasted 7 days, and my longest without them was 3 days. Since Dec.12 2008, I have had them straight, 24hrs a day.

Early in the process of having these, I was lucky enough to get into a Cardiologist fast. (Only after having 6 emergency visits thinking I was going to have a heart attack). I had all the proper blood work done, chest x-ray, ekg, echocardiogram, stress test,and a 24 holter moniter. Of course, like many of you, the results came back normal, minus the 2000+ PVC`s i experienced.

Since then, Ive been literally, to you know where and back. Ive also heard from many medical proffesionals, that it`s all in my head, and my PVC`s are begnin. Basically healthy overall. So they put me Xanax and Ativan, thinking that the PVC`s were ``anxiety`` related. Well let me say that after a few week trial, they did nothing but cause me insomnia, and some withdrawal symptoms. So taking them proved to do nothing, and it wasn`t anxiety related. So another doc wanted to try PAXIL, thinking that this could work. Well I havent been able to get off the Paxil yet, I tried, and nearly died it felt like. So overall, the SSRI was a complete miss with the pvc symptoms, yet again. So we have now moved up to a Beta Blocker called Bisoprolol 5 mg. I have not yet started my BB because I`m afraid it might already lower my HR and BP than what it`s at already. At night, my HR can vary between 40-50`s.

I wasnt the sweetest thing ever in my teenager years, but who was? I did my fair share off drugs, alcohol abuse for years, smoked 2 packs a day, and ate like you know what. And too boot, I was 40 lbs overwieght. Since the PVC's entered my life a short time ago, my total view on life has changed. With that, the way I started to take care of my body. Ate well, dropped 30 lbs, quit drinking and smoking, eliminated caffiene and other stimulants such as chocolate, exercise, yoga, taking a multi-vitamin, hawthorne, CO-q12, fish oil. Well do you think that this complete 360 turnaround would help out? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!

So now I find myself having an incredible time coping with these PVC's everday. A break for a minute would be nice, as long as I'm still alive experiencing it. The single PVC's every minute have now changed into bigemny, trig, and couplets. I now experience ectopy after instense exercise and now induce exercise pvc's. I also have started to get more than usually pain in the left chest area, also raidiating to my left shoulder, extremely cold, sweaty feet and episodes of constant urination. I also find myself battling a horrible, almost toxic gassy smell lately too. My stomach has been in knots, and have had the diarrhea along with it. I'm not sure if my PVC's are related to a stomach issue, or is it something else.

This is why i'm writing this thread, so we all can post our experiences and success's. As of today, I have 2 weeks to go to see a EP. If I can make it that long, hopefully a ablation could be in talking in maybe having a cure to ending these dreaded PVC's. I know PVC's can be nothing for some, and a nightmare for others. In some cases, even life ending. If it's not the PVC's that kills them, its the stress from the PVC that does, or Ive even heard of suicide as a way out. With millions of people battling life ending diseases daily, my heart and prayers go out to them and their families. PVC's should be treated as the same and same seriousness as life ending illnesses too. And if you suffer from PVC's that are intolerable, you would agree. More awareness and more support needs to be created worldwide. Most people are just too tired to speak out against this because they spend there everydays battling this horrible condition. I'm here today, exhausted, looking at my 2 young boys a sleep, and want to see them grow old and happy. One thing that I have learned about the PVC's, is not to be scared to speak out against them. Make sure your voice is heard. Speak it here, I will spread your voice and opinions worldwide, and make sure you all have a voice that could one day help solve this mystery...premature ventricular contractions!!

ScamperFletcher · 01-14-2009, 02:27 PM

Hello Kane,

I've been having daily PVC's and PAC's for almost 4 years now. I've had every cardiac test (except invasive angio), tried anti-anxiety meds, beta blockers, not drinking, eating only organic foods, vitamins... you name it.

Nothing helps. Nothing stops them. It's awful. Even after 4 years, I'm not used to them.

I battled cancer for much of 2008 - and these stupid things became background noise for a few months.

So far I have beat cancer, but I cannot beat these darn PVC's. They still scare the you-know-what out of me because they are forceful & take my breath away.

Benign, my a**. Something that drives you crazy on a daily basis is not benign in my opinion.

If you don't suffer from this, you don't understand it. Period!

Thanks for letting me share my thoughts with you.

ACE28 · 01-16-2009, 12:13 PM

Kane,

BISOPROLOL and BYSTOLIC are both excellent for heart rate control. Don't hold back on trying the beta blocker. Beta blockers work for lots of people. A suggestion is to break the scored BISOPROLOL tablet in half and try taking 2.5mg. for a few days. You can always titrate upwards. For starters you should supplement with Vitamin D (approx. 1000mg+ and about 250 mg.+ of Magnesium daily). Skip the Hawthorne while taking a beta-bloker. Down the road you can also add Vitamin C (1000mg) and vitamin E (natural) approx (1200mg) Heartbeat arrythmias, skipped beats and PAC's are closely related to Calcium, Magnesium and Potassium levels. Even 2 Antacid tablets sometimes calms my PAC's. As can 2 bananas (high in Potassium).

I hope this information helps....

Ccarrie76 · 01-16-2009, 10:29 PM

Hi! Im 32 Years old and starting getting pvc's when i was 18...They just came all of a sudden! I have been to the ER a million times..Diff doctors...Lots of test...They all say the same thing....DO NOT WORRY ABOUT THEM....HA!!! Easy for them to say...Mine come and go...I'll get them all day and then they go away for a week or two..Im now pregnant & Of course they have been worse...I HATE THEM!!!!!!! I have never taken any meds for them though...Just scared to I guess!! I wish ther was a cure for them!! When i have them I usually dont leave my house...Im just so scared im going to fall over dead out in public somewher...My daughter always ask me 'if i had one wish what would it be' MY wish would be for these pvc's to go away just the way they came and never return!!

kimpossible67 · 01-17-2009, 04:23 AM

If pvc's mean an irregular heartbeat, then I have a question. My doctor put me on Atonel after he saw that my ekg was abnormal and showed a heart attack. He said it would calm down the palpatations, not to question the good Dr., but is that true? I've been on it a week and it hasn't helped. I also understand Atonel is for h/bp. I don't have h/bp.