Arrhythmias Support Group

Cardiac arrhythmia is a group of conditions in which the muscle contraction of the heart is irregular or is faster or slower than normal. Some arrhythmias are life-threatening medical emergencies that can cause cardiac arrest and sudden death. Others cause aggravating symptoms, such as an awareness of a different heart beat, or palpitation, which can be annoying.

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Toddo 06/21/2009

Hi everybody. I have PVC's that have been ruled benign but they seem to be increasing and causing me some concern. There seem to be 3 triggers: stress/anxiety, some eating and lying on my left side. Often they come with or are relieved by burping. Does anyone have any idea what in the world is going on? If so, has anyone found any treatment or relief?

Many thanks for any responses!

T.

Aronia 06/21/2009

All people have PVCs, some people are more sensitive than others. Most people don't feel PVCs. Left sided position and leaning over are common triggers of PVCs.

in my case, reducing stress, sleeping well and eliminating cafeine have been helpful, but I also had to take flecainide for a while, because I had PVCs every 2-3 minutes in clusters and I felt like I was going to pass out with each one.
there is also some literature stating that fish oil decreases cardiac cell membrane irritablilty, so if it's true, it will help with PVCs. I personally have not had any effect with fish oil at all.

If you feel worse, don't be afraid to contact your cardiologist or go to the ER and get your ekg/electrolytes checked. It is always better to be safe than sorry.
good luck!

deleted_user 07/17/2009

I have PVCs which cause me alot of anxiety. They wake me at night, and I'm forced to take a xanax. Right now I'm on diltiazem 180mg. Worked great the first 2 weeks, slept good, blood pressure and heart rate normal. Last month just got worse. I'm having a stress-test August 7th. I told them I need stronger medication. I don't like waking up every night with these palpitations..

flossy22 07/24/2009

I HAVE THESE CARZY THINGS TOO. AND YES BRUPING SOMETIMES HELPS. THE ANXIETY THING SEEMS TO BE THE BIG THING WITH ME RIGHT NOW. ALSO STRESS. I CAN GO WEEKS WITHOUT THEM AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MIND OVER MATTER I THINK ABOUT IT- AND YOU GUESSED IT THERE IT IS! IT IS SCARRY I AM ON MAGNESIUM AND IT SEEMED TO HELP, BUT RIGHT NOW I DON'T KNOW WITH ALL I HAVE HAD THIS PAST WEEK. MAKES ME WONDER.WOUD SOMEONE PLEASE RESPOND TO MY COMMENT ALSO.

Toddo 07/24/2009

Flossy22, have you noticed any connection between diet/eating and PVCs?

flossy22 07/25/2009

no it seems to be the stress or the anxiety,or if i think about having them they start.now that is crazy. right now they are light not so strong that they give me more anxiety.

deleted_user 07/30/2009

google: vagus nerve, burping, pvc's

deleted_user 09/08/2009

I too have benign pvc's. I have noticed that eating certain foods, e.g., dairy products, fiber, beans, causes gas that increases frequency. I was able to lie on my left side but not my right. Now either side seems to cause problems. I didn;t have them for a year, then they started up again because of stressors. They are very disturbing. I have notice an increase as of yesterday after eating a lot of food during a family get together. I ate dairy poducts, andI am mildly lactose intolerent. My doctor doesn't seem overly concerned because I had a good stress echo, and my other tests were all good. My blood pressure is only 120/70 ( and I'm 59 yrs old!) That doesn't make the pvc's any less distressing when they do happen. I have xanax for anxiety. Don't like to take them because they make me groggy and sometimes very depressed.

deleted_user 10/15/2009

Yes, I have pvc's. They drive me crazy.. all of a sudden i feel a twitch or flutter. I than go into full on panic/anxiety attack. i am on meds and have just started seeing a therapist for cognitive behavior therapy. Apparantely most of the population have these. We are the lucky ones to actually feel the!!! I have had several EKG's and they have all been normal. I had an echo and stress test which showed I had two MINOR leaky heart valves but they said not to worry and again large population have them. Let me know what is working for you all.

deleted_user 01/02/2010

Definitely discuss the vagus nerve with your doctors. It wraps around your heart and stomach, and can be irritated by stomach gas (heartburn) and stress, even happy emotions. This can be measured medically in a number of ways. Once you believe your vagus nerve strikes a part of your heart (I compare it to a guitar string vibrating), it can make it hiccup and reduce the blood pressure. If your adrenline system kicks in, the blood flows easily from your frontal brain to your muscles and you can get a "white out" or even a black out, and faint. Your heart beats faster to get the blood pressure back to normal.

BonnieLander 01/26/2010

has anyone in this group had catheter ablation
for atrial fib.gaby61@aol.com

deleted_user 03/03/2010

I know first hand that you have to stay hydrated as well as let go of that gas, To me it causes a great deal of harm and I'm not sure if they are pvcs but you can feel off or out of step sorta. I agree the vagnus nerve is the problem as well. then anxiety kics in and boom.

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