Hello everybody! After two years of reading the various posts on this website I have finally decided to join you all.
Since my early twenties I have had the occasional ectopic beat, usually with a rush of stress, or a bit of social anxiety, but nothing as scary as the events in the last two years. In July 2008 I had an episode of neuralgic amyotrophy. It is an 'attack' on nerves (of no known cause) in the shoulder/arm, which is unbelievably painful (worse than childbirth), it lasts approx. two weeks then tapers off, although I have been left with some muscular wastage in my shoulder, and only the odd twinge of nerve pain, thank goodness. Anyway the ectopics resurfaced in greater numbers straight after this. I asked the cardiologist about this. He said possibly a connection, but this has never been documented. The neurologist dismissed my question! I have had ECGs, a 7 day holter monitor, and Echo (in Feb 2009). My heart is structurally sound and I have a slight murmur (benign), which I am assured is nothing to worry about. Then this May (2010) the ectopics decided to up their game for no apparent reason. I can now get up to 12+ in a row, which are horrible and feels like I'm not on this planet . I have also started getting bigeminy and trigeminy (a PVC every 2nd beat, and a PVC every third beat) in odd bursts. In addition, when my 7 year old daughter is about and sees me having them it frightens her. I worry more about her than I do me, which doesn't help, I know .
Monday this week I was back at the Cardiology Clinic (first visit since March 2009), where I saw the Lead Consultant, much to my relief. He said that he was not too worried about the PVCs, because I have a structurally sound heart, but he did acknowledge that they are really upsetting me and in turn my life. I asked if the PVCs could get even worse, but he said they could go either way , or just stay the same (how long is a piece of string as they say). He has prescribed me BISOPROLOL 2.5mg to take if and when I feel I need it, but he doesn't want me to take them as a regular medication, at least at this stage.
Has anyone in the forum taken BISOPROLOL for ectopics?? Having read the leaflet it appears to regulate the heart rate, lower blood pressure, and keep angina under control. I have normal blood pressure 120/80, so I am a bit concerned about this aspect, and I don't have angina. I am tempted to break the tablet in two as it is scored down the middle and just take half, to see if I get any side effects. The cardiologist said it was entirely my choice if I wanted to take the medication or not, but the medication may lessen the physical effects of those blasted ectopics, and he thought it would help me to know I had a back-up plan.
Looking forward to any thoughts, comments, or especially experiences that you may have had on this matter!