PVCs

PVC's

by sweetkozy - 2007-11-12 05:11:27

I have to make this a quick note and would like to elaborate more, but for the time being. PVC's ARE "normal" if you can call it that. At my yearly check-up I had over 1.3 million PVC's and roughly that many PAC's. No joke either!!!!! I would have to recheck my total's, but that is fairly close. They more than likely won't hurt you in anyway, but are EXTREMELY annoying. The only way to help with them is by taking meds, which I opted not too. My EP said that was fine and they are more of a nuisance than anything. Ok...I better get going. Got a toddler running loose in the house :)

Cheers,
Jenny

OVCs

by SMITTY - 2007-11-12 06:11:47

Hi Thelma,

Don't know that I can shed much light, from persona experience I cna talk aobut PVCs. Of course you may not like what I have to say but PVCs being normal for about 99% of us. Even those of us with a pacemaker.

But "annoying continuous PVCS" are not normal. PVCs can defeat your pacemakers efforts to help your heart maintain a steady heart rate. This happens because before your PM will send out an electrical impulse to cause your heart to beat it checks to see if your heart's natural pacemaker is going to do the job. If the PM gets an indication that your natural PM will do the job it will sit on the sideline and wait until the next heart beat. A PVC, or skip beat, is an attempt by your heart's natural pacemaker to make your heart beat, however the electrical impulse from your natural pacemaker was not strong enough. But it may have been strong enough for your PM to interpret it as enough of an impulse to make the heart beat. In other words our heart's natural pacemaker can fake out our manmade PM.

The doctors do have at their disposal lots of medications with which they can try to control PVCs, but none have been very successful for me. But the medications may work better for you. For me it has always been to wait on Mother Nature to solve my problem, which will happen in a few weeks to a few months.

Anyway it is something that you will have to speak with your doctor about. I would suggest that you explain to the nurse that the frequency with which you are having PVCs is not normal and that you want to see the doctor. Frankly, I think that nurse was being a little presumptuous. They may have detected PVCs during your PM checkup, but that does not mean the PVCs couldn't have gotten worse since that time.

Good luck,

Smitty

pvcs

by luckyloo - 2007-11-12 06:11:53

dear thelma,

are you sure they are PVCs or pcing. pacing in the ventricle feels the same. you may be pacing in your ventricle unnecesarily. a setting change may eliminate it. for me they lengthened the AV node delay. worked like a charm. that feeling was driving me nuts!

luckyloo

Hmmmn

by dward - 2007-11-12 09:11:51

This is one of those things where people will have their own opinion based on their personal experience.
Yes, I too have been told PVCs are normal.
I have alos been told that "runs" of PVCs is also nothing to worry about.
I HAVE annoying PVCs. I can feel each and every one of them - to the point where I had another holter monitor test and it showed numerous PVCs. The Cardiologist still said not to worry and watch my caffiene and alcohol intake.
In my case, my Cardiologist made it very clear that my PM will NOT control my PVCs, nor will my PVCs affect my PM. I believe this is correct because at my last check-up, my PM recorded runs of PVCs, but showed no reaction to them.
You may have more PVCs for a few reasons - Diet, stress, I am also finding that travelling on Airplanes increase mine - so your increase MAY be normal.
I can tell you that I too, have MANY PVCs. I lose count but it is several per hour and at times can be just a few beats apart. I currently chose to not take meds for them.
Where I agree with Smitty is - Consult your Doctor if you are concerned.

PVCs

by sdjones - 2007-11-14 11:11:44

Hello Everyone!

I wanted to add that after I got my PM in June of 2007 I used to have a lot of PVCs and they would make me nervous. I was having trouble with my nerves anyway before I had the PM implanted, so, maybe some of them were coming from there.

I read an article in Dr. Whitaker's Health and Healing newsletter about taking fish oil or cod liver oil for this type of problem. So, I thought I'd try it.

I still have a few through the day, but, they have gotten better and are not as noticible as before. I started out about two months ago on the cod liver oil and just this last month switched over to the fish oil. No particular reason.

I feel that it has helped me out and I may go back to the cod liver oil as it has more vitamin A and D at least until warm weather comes again. Then I will go back to the regular fish oil.

Hope this helps.

Best,
Sandra

Thank you EVERYONE for your caring input

by Thelma - 2007-11-15 11:11:59

I just wanted to touch base with all you of you to let you know that I was found to be suffering with depression which can be the root of many things, even PVCs

You see 26 days after my father died on December 15, 2006, my had my pace-maker implanted and in April my mother had an emotional meltdown due to grieving for my father and almost losing me 26 days later. I am an only child and 2007 has proven to be "The Year Of The Full Plate!"

I tried for going taking anti-depressants when my primary care physician recommended them 6 months ago because I felt I could handle everything on my own and with my own strength.....Until this past Saturday when I started crying and I couldn't stop all moring. Then Sunday I began feeling the "Flip-flops" in the middle of my chest.

Thank you all for your kind words and encouragements and feel free to note me anytime.

pvcs

by fox30 - 2018-08-24 13:04:44

I can relay  what my EP told my wife who was bothered by PVCs. She had a Holter monitor which counted less than 1 000 per day. The EP quoted research that indicated a risk of developing heart muscle problem ( PVC induced cardiomyopathy ) in patients who experience more than 20,000 per day. (The normal heart rate is about 100,000 beats per day ) He said treatment-typically a beta blocker  (such as a low dose of metoprolol) is useful in decreasing the number of PVSc He recommends treatment if the patient is troubled by their occurence either on a regular one pill a day or alternately on a as needed based for times when the PVS care bothersome. ALso treatment is indicated if there are large numbers ( apparently 20,000 a day is the number many EP use to define large numbers}. In some cases ablation  of the source of PVCs is appropriate. But the vast majority of folks with PVCs do not need or require treatment. 

Fox30