Hi everyone - I have been having a miserable couple of months. I started feeling this weird flutter in my chest around May this year and ignored it initially. But the weird sensation just wouldn't go away - so had an ECG done which came back with PVC. I didn't know what it was at the time so naturally freaked and ran to the ER. They hooked me up to another ECG and this time came back with Ventricular Bigeminy. They did an echo and all was good - discharged but asked to consult a cardiologist the next day. The following day a stress test was done - all normal except PVC before and after the test - but diminished during. So accepted the cardiologist diagnosis as benign and ignored them till July/August. After this they really got bad - met the same cardiologist and had a 24hr - Holter done that came back with 12000 isolated monomorphic PVC's. I was worried - but the cardiologist again confirmed that these were benign. He just asked me to take Propanalol as required. Since then - have had a couple of other echos and ECG's and all came back with the same thing.
My question to fellow sufferers is -
1. Does the frequency matter? I consider 12000 very high - that is almost 10 per minute.
2. Every time I go to the clinic and they measure pulse and BP the machine always beeps a warning about irregular heartbeat and BP is high due to white coat - they always look at me like I am going to die. It is embarrassing and makes it more difficult for me to go see the doctor. Does anyone else cope with this?
3. Is a 2D echo good enough to diagnose benign PVC's. I have had a 24hr Holter, ECG and 2D Echo done multiple time. But Stress test was done only once. All normal - but still worried that these may not be entirely benign.
4. I have no normal heart beat at all now. It is like he PVC's have become the normal heart rhythm now. Anyone else have this high frequency of palps? How do you cope?