I’m back and I’m having PVCs I’m very scared!

[mischamoonlight]

Hi, I haven’t been in the forum in a long time. Last year was a really bad year for me, so much bad things happened. From heartbreak to losing a friend to the beginning of this year where my dog of 19 years passed away this week.

I’m female, 36, have hypothyroidism and take beta blockers for my anxiety. Last year I had episodes of these PVCs, called ambulances and went hospital, they could see them on the ECGs and spoke about my anxiety etc. last time I called ambulance was in December, again, they saw them and said about them not being dangerous and sorting my anxiety.

Today I’ve had them very bad, every couple minutes, like a hard this. Went to the out of hours doctor go, he examined my heart, listened to it and took my blood pressure, all fine. Sent me home with a canes which I haven’t taken. Just took my slow release beta blocker. I’m scared because they’re constant today, usually I only get a couple but this is scaring me that something far worse is going on and I don’t know what to do. My mum is just getting angry at me and it’s very upsetting because I can’t confide in anyone about my fear and that something terrible is going to happen. Like sudden death etc.

[serina]

Hi there- I have the same experiences. I used to freak out when I just had a couple a day, but the last couple of years I have times when I get them all day long. Then they will go away completely. So it is normal and okay that they are more frequent as long as they are under a certain % of all your heartbeats. And even then its not immediately dangerous it would take a long time for it to weaken anything. You could ask your doctor for a halter monitor to see how many you are having per day. I bet its nowhere near as many as they would even want to treat etc. When I felt them every couple minutes it was still only 1% of my beats in a day which they didnt care one bit about. Problem is we can be told 100 times we are okay and they still suck! Do you notice any triggers? Mine seem to be stress and gut upset.

[mischamoonlight]

Hi @serina they’re awful aren’t they? I’m currently sitting in A&E after they wouldn’t stop and I had a massive panic attack in my car. So my mum came with me and just waiting now. The Triage nurse has done and an ECG and said my heart looked fine, that she did see the PVC. She is going to do bloods next, so it may be a long nights wait for me as theirs many people here. I’ve been getting one every minute, sometimes they stop for a couple minutes but yeah this has been all day. Maybe having my dog out to sleep this week triggered it, it was very upsetting. That and other things, the last 6 months I’ve been dealing with heartbreak over someone I fell in love with that left without saying goodbye only to come back last week also and mess with my head again. So I’ve had a few things build up.

I love felt so alone with them, that I can feel them and I go into panic because I feel as though something terrible is going to happen as they’re such a strange sensation. Usually I’ve only ever had the random one but the last couple days there’s been a build up and it’s been non stop all day. I had about 4 of these episodes last year, and it was really scary. So I’m at the hospital again. Thank you, that helped hearing that, it’s just made me so tired because I feel like I can’t get back to normal, exercising etc ya know?

[serina]

I am sorry to hear that have been so upsetting for you. Find out if your potassium or magnesium levels are normal, because both can cause PVCs if low. But it sounds to me like you have been through a lot of stress = adrenaline and cortisol build up and that will trigger the heck out of these things. My biggest triggers are stress and gut upset which usually come hand in hand anyway. Let me know how you make out. I am glad to hear the ECG was good.

[mischamoonlight]

@serina Thank you, just had my bloods done and have to wait to see the doctor so will update here as soon as they tell me. It feels like your heart stops beating, which then causes the panic. Stress really affects me too and I also get an upset stomach, mostly bowel issues. Thank you, it’s really helpful to talk to others who’ve have similar, doesn’t make me feel so alone or that I’m crazy!

[mischamoonlight]

Update: Back home, was in the A&E for 13 hours before I was seen, they were understaffed so it couldn’t be helped. They did an ECG, blood pressure and bloods etc. The ECG did show a PVC (it’s like my body knew I was being monitored and only decided to show 1 PVC on the ECG lol). Anyway, seen the doctor and she explained that unless I was much older she may have given me a tablet or something for them, but that they don’t treat PVCs, and that I need to sort my anxiety out and she recommended getting a 24hr ECg holter monitor, so she sent a request to my doctor and I’m seeing my doctor on Thursday to discuss getting that and also she said about changing my beta blocker medication to an anxiety medication, as the beta blocker is mainly for blood pressure. My bloods were all fine beside my Phosporous being a little low 0.79 instead of 0.80, which she said I can get in my diet but not serious. Yeah, blood pressure was normal, heart rate was normal. They eased yesterday but didn’t fully go, today I’ve had them on and off throughout the day, every few minutes or every 5 or so minutes I’ll get one, it feels like a heavy thud in your chest. It can be really frightening, but I’m trying to take it was easy as possible for the next couple days until I see my doctor and talk to her about everything from the hospital. I thought they may have fully gone by now but maybe I’m still subconsciously stressed and anxious and that is why I’m still getting the odd one throughout the day?

[mischamoonlight]

I did a small test at home with a timer for 5 minutes, and I had 5 PVCs, about 40 seconds apart. Not sure if that means anything or if it’s a bad thing? Anyway, just thought I’d do a timer to see how many I was having. Sometimes it’s longer before I have one, maybe a minute or two. But yeah, I hadn’t had any for about 3 weeks before the past week or so, then they’ve just been constant. Would putting my dog asleep be a trigger to cause them to be so regular?

[mischamoonlight]

Still having a few of them today. Went to see my doctor today, told her what happened as she looked at the ECG from the hospital etc, the hospital will send me an appointment for a 24hr ecg holter monitor. Not sure when that’ll be, but she didn’t seem overly concerned about them, as she asked if they were coming one after the other, which their not, more every minute or couple minutes. She is going to arrange therapy, and said to find ways to reduce my stress and anxiety. She’s also booked my in for a blood test next week for my thyroid to see if their still normal. My bloods were normal from the hospital, just the phosphorous being a little low. She took my pulse while I was there and she felt one of them, like a skipped best/thud sensation. She asked if I had chest pains, sweating, shortness of breath which I’m not. So yeah, not sure if that should reassure me or not but it’s hard not to notice them when you can feel them, then you become hyper focused and it’s hard to do anything else ya know. She said I was okay to keep exercising etc, and just to stop and take a moment if I felt one.

I put a timer on my phone and clocked that I’m usually getting one every minute and a half or every couple minutes, sometimes several minutes pass without having one. So, for now my doctor doesn’t seem to want to do anything, or sees them as dangerous or concerning. I still feel anxious about them, I guess because I feel them and know their real ya know? I just wish they’d settle down or go away like they had done for a few weeks, but the last few days since the hospital Sunday, I’ve had them everyday and it’s very upsetting, even with the tests and talking to my doctor.

what can I do? They still cause me so much fear, which I spoke to my doctor about, like sudden cardiac and heart damage from them ya know? It feels very lonely having no one understand this.

[Fishmanpa]

what can I do? They still cause me so much fear, which I spoke to my doctor about, like sudden cardiac and heart damage from them ya know? It feels very lonely having no one understand this.

Many here can and will relate to what you're saying Mischa. Reassurance is a hallmark trait of HA. The thing is, it's no different than what you've been posting about through the years. Anxiety causes physical symptoms, many of which are described in detail in yours and other threads. The chances of this being serious are slim at best and the treatment (meds and/or therapy) along with the work will dictate the results. You know this. I know this. It comes down to; what are you going to do to help yourself alleviate this?

FMP

[jayke]

Hey, how are you?

I just wanted to say that I've had all the tests, and all the sensations - runs, flutters, thuds - panic attacks...the lot.

It's all okay.

You have to believe that.

I know it is far, far, far from easy.

But hopefully this will help a little.

You will be okay.

Try and distract yourself - music, writing, whatever you enjoy!

Hope to hear you are feeling better.

Thanks.