I need reassurances desparately, can anyone help?

[CGI]

Hi, this forum is really good - I've only recently come across it...

I'm really panicking about Ventricular Premature Ectopics. I've had them on and off for 5/6 years, I'm 28 years old. I've had exercise tests, blood tests, 24 hr monitoring, counselling, normal ECG, echo, etc...

All cardiologists come back with Benign/Anxiety diagnosis... Fair enough I thought.

But my recent bout since December to present day is getting worse every day. I'm really fed up with them now. Normally they'll last for a couple of weeks - this is the longest spell, quite frightening and with more each day.

They tend to be when I'm walking/exercising/eating/stressing... but also now when relaxed in front of the TV and at work. It's whenever, wherever...

Sorry to go on, but I've read some bad things on the internet which concern me:

Cleveland, OH - A new study shows that frequent ventricular ectopy during recovery after exercise is a better predictor of an increased risk of death than ventricular ectopy during exercise. This is the first time this has been shown, and the data illustrate the importance of continuing to monitor patients and their electrocardiograms (ECGs) during the recovery period, says an accompanying editorial.

In 1999, as reported by heartwire, Lauer's group showed that a delay in the decrease of the heart rate after exercise, resulting from inadequate reactivation of vagal tone, quadrupled the risk of death over the next 6 years.2 "So we hypothesized that these people, with a reduced parasympathetic nervous tone, would be vulnerable to developing arrhythmias [during exercise testing], and that this would be a predictor of death."

I take Propranolol and this used to work well, but it's not helped over the last couple of months at all...

Can anyone here put my mind at ease? I can't enjoy life like I used to!!

[CGI]

also try not to look up symptons on the net as all it seem to do is worry people lol

You're definitely right about that. Somehow I can't help it!

I'm sure time will heal. My mum has the same thing (as well as a prolapse valve) and she's a good comfort for me.

It's just so hard to believe and think logically when the panic, the fear and the anger kick in... And with research on the internet (which I know I shouldn't do, but sometimes you have to feel like you're doing something to help yourself) sometimes contradicting the doctor/cardiologist's diagnosis then it does raise questions?

My personality is quite controlling. I'm a planner and organiser - and I feel that I'm not in control of my heart and that stresses me out.

I do get different feelings with the palpatations. Sometimes thet feel like they come from the bottom of my heart - in fact my stomach turns like going over a bump in the road or a rollercoaster. Other times it's a thump, other times it's more subtle and forces me to breathe out and then gasp for air. And other times it's a the top of my heart, like a flutter in my throat...

Does anyone else get all these?

[Belinkabelle]

Hi CGI

Yes, I get all manner of sensations with my ectopics. From bangs and thuds in the chest, to odd, fluttery feelings around my heart followed by a warm sensation throughout my body. Sometimes I get a feeling of 'twitchiness' in and around my chest accompanied by a feeling of general unease. Sometimes this leads to ectopics later, sometimes not. Sometimes I get a feeling of fatigue, as if all bodily movements require extreme effort and leave me feeling dizzy with a pounding heart. I think the unpredictable nature of them is what worries me most - I can spend more time waiting for the ectopics than actually experiencing them!

I too have had all the necessary tests. I had a run of SVT once which doesn't seem to have been repeated (at least not under observation), have had ectopics during exercise, warm up and recovery. I began to notice a link between the ectopics/general uneasiness and my hormonal cycle. I have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome too so my hormones are generally 'not quite right'. Having mentioned this to my GP (my cardiologist just told me to get some perspective after informing me there was a slight abnormality on my ECG!), she put me on a new contraceptive pill (Cerazette). Having been on it for 5 weeks now I can say I do feel better and am having ectopics less often. The general anxiety and uneasiness I experienced for around one week per month has yet to reappear also. Now if ectopics happen, I can see a pattern maybe 50% of the time - for example, I had a run of them when telling friends about a car accident I had been in earlier that day (oddly I did not have any ectopics during the accident!).

I'm avoiding caffeine and all other stimulants you can think of. I take a magnesium and zinc supplement every other day. I'm trying to restablish an exercise routine following months of being afraid to raise my heart rate (one of the many paradoxes of a fear of palpitations).

Regarding internet research - I'm a mental health nurse and a lot of the subject matter studied has made me feel a lot worse! Apparently that's fairly common in students of a medical persuasion. Suffice to say that a great deal of information on the internet is inaccurate and sensational. Many of the 'articles' are not peer-reviewed and their methodology is flawed. I spent ages seeking out cardiology articles and also saw data about ectopics in recovery from exercise being more sinister than those experienced during. All the other variables have to be considered though. It is very difficult to extrapolate findings from one small study to the population at large. I know how hard it is to remain rational when reading this sort of stuff though and completely empathise with how you're feeling.

You mention you've tried counselling in the past. Have you ever been referred for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy? It can be very useful in helping you to modify your thinking and interpretation of your ectopics. As difficult as it can be to accept (and I know!), those of us who have these symptoms, are examined thoroughly and given the all clear have far more certainty as regards our health than those who have no reason to seek medical assistance or reassurance. For me, a large part of my anxiety about the ectopics relates to feeling out of control; betrayed by my body and its functions if you like. The fear-producing stimuli of ectopic beats are not something you can avoid, like a fear of clowns for example. The fearful waiting leads to a fear of fear itself. Left unchecked, I find this fear can spread to other areas of my life, leaving me afraid of travelling in case the ectopics happen and I can't get to a hospital to be checked over if necessary. This is no way to live and I'm becoming increasingly determined not to let weird feelings in my chest disrupt my life. I hope you can take some solace from this, even if it's only from the fact you're not alone.

Take care

[kawasaki kid]

hi mate...see your still not doing to well about your ectopics......i know its hard mate....ive been there and still am sometimes.....

thing is though bud, your not doing yourself any favours by looking all this stuff up on the internet....dont mean to be rude or anything but you, me and most people on here are not DOCTORS.......we are not trained to no how to disifer all the information on medical journals about ectopics and there dangers.......the way i look at it is all the tests we've had would show up any minute problem.......if any problems were found no matter how small the medical proffession would be dealing with it if there was any risk to health or life....


As youve probably read many people have thousands of recorded ectopic beats every day and are blissfully unaware about them or what they are......they say knowledge is power so we as people start reading up about our conditions and think we can diagnose ourselves........we carnt, we dont have the training or the experiance....again there are many people on here who have suffered ectopics for many many years and there still here larger than life worrying about other problems because there ectopics dont worry them anymore or they have found a treatment that works for them......


STAY OFF GOOGLING BUD......your just gonna trash your head completly.....let the professionals deal with you and try and trust in what they say........doctors carnt lie and considering 70% of the population have some form of palpatation they should know exactly what to be looking for.....

Ive put a post on here you might be interested in reading mate.....its in the palps section........give it a read and see what you think.......

if its any concilation to you im still having ectopics on a daily basis between 60/120......due to start a med this comming week.......

sod the ectopics and go about your daily buisness and dont let them grind you down....keep kicking mate.....I AM.....

PM ME IF YOU WANNA CHAT CHIEF

chill out and take care...

chris