PVCs just don't stop, feel like I'm losing my life to them

[TofuMama]

Hi there,

I used to post here a lot. I spent a good year working very hard on overcoming anxiety disorder. I have a slip up here and there, but I'm in a far, far better place than I was.

So I've got a problem. I keep getting premature ventricular contractions. They happen *extremely* frequently. When I'm laying down, it's often every other beat. Very uncomfortable.

I've had plenty of heart monitors done in the past few years for every little worry I had from "oh my god I'm literally dying" to "I must have SOME sort of heart rhythm disorder". But nothing has been found.

My heartbeat isn't excessively fast, it's just that I have very bad PVCs. I think it might be something to do with my posture. I've had piss poor posture for absolutely years now. I've been trying to fix it especially the last few days. And unfortunately, I've found that when I lay down to sleep no matter what position I'm in, PVCs will happen. Apparently it's a common vagus nerve caused issue when you've had poor posture for years.

I'm looking for management techniques. I don't know what to do, because although I experience little anxiety as a result of this, I experience serious discomfort and stress from what feels like a hiccup every few seconds inside my heart.

[jenni89]

Ive been having bad palps or pvcs. I feel fluttering in my chest off and on and it can last ten minutes, but then I'll feel them randomly off and on all day. When I go from laying down to sitting and vice versa ill feel them too. I've never had them THIS bad :( and they have never lasted more than a couple days. Sorry to hear you are going through it, hopefully someone has advice :/

[MaWi69]

Hi, sorry to hear you suffer too...
I have boughts of hours sometimes days of that sort of palpitating uncomfort, been to docs again - went away on beta blockers for some years, seem to have returned now.
All I can say for management is lifestyle changes, taking magnesium and b vitamin supplements seem to help (Berocca etc), avoiding caffeine, avoiding alcohol, no msg in food, do all this and bouts are rare.
As far as during is concerned, the usual coughing and bearing down occasionally help, but usually it's just a case of getting tired enough to sleep through them -sleeping propped up can help too.. Going running or similar can help.

Sorry these are all standard responses that I'm sure you've found on google already, if there is a better way of managing them I would love to know it too.
With you in solidarity!

[shelzmike]

For starters, every single person that has ever lived has had PVCs...or at least they are extremely common. The difference is that most people don't focus on them in the slightest bit...except for those of us with anxiety problems. Then it is a viscous cycle because one of the main agonist that cause PVCs is adrenaline! Ugh!

I have a couple of things - the traditional palpitation/PVCs that one feels in their chest that I get when under high stress or anxiety/panic. Then, I have this other thing that my primary doc says is PVCs also, but their location is strange. I get these strong flutters/spasms in the "pit" of my stomach. You know, the area that is about 2 inches below where your sternum? They cause instant high anxiety and I can even sometimes feel them in my throat. I can go months without them, then randomly one happens and I continue to have them for a long time. With me, I feel them most of the time when standing up straight and not moving. Once I am walking or moving or sitting or laying I don't feel them any longer. I hate these things! Not 100% sure they are PVC's but I trust my doc so I am going to go with that.

I do have IBS and bloating and gas, etc. and while many in the medical community dismiss any thought they are related, there are SO MANY people who have the same issues and correlate it with digestive issues from lack or imbalance of the good bacteria in the gut, to magnesium or potassium deficiency. My doc said that the bloating and GERD could irritate the vagus nerve, causing it to twinge and cause the PVCs'. Still "harmless" according to him but they still make me nervous. Do you have any digestive issues, GERD, IBS, bloating, etc?

Also, since you mentioned posture and the vagus nerve is a cranial nerve, perhaps a chiropractic visit might help as well. (I actually didn't think of that till now and I might try it myself!) Couldn't hurt in any event.

Mike

[Messy]

I'm the same!! I've had a long spell of being pretty much clear of them, it's been great. I changed my job, got myself into a less stressful 'place' and like magic for months, nothing like as bad as they were. The odd one, but so infrequent that I could stop worrying about them and get on with things.

Bang. Today - they started at about 10 this morning, just a couple of them. Then a few more. Now the're every few seconds at their worst, I can constantly feel them. GO AWAY. I've tried splashing myself with cold water, breathing exercises, still there.

See I'm 1. getting married next weekend, and 2. yesterday morning I had a bump in the car while driving to work, concertina effect on the motorway - nothing too serious, car still driveable, but all the calling insurance companies etc.....I think those two things together have suddenly conspired (with a 24 hour delay) to put me in a state of worry, adrenaline in my system, I'm a teacher and I've found myself in lessons overheating, struggling to get the words out, just really, really struggling today.

I can usually pinpoint something that causes it which is good I suppose (although I sometimes wonder if it's borderline making excuses for it), but I really hope it goes away soon.

[amandaj]

im getting these constantly atm had a blood test and an ecg and they showed on the ecg im never getting a break from them i take beta blockers already and they are not working either now im going to get myself some magnesium as heard it works for them anything is worth a go hope yours get sorted out for you asap dr said there harmless but as anxiety sufferers we never seem to believe them do we xx