Pacing and PVC's

8 months post Sparky and have a question. Is there a correlation between pacing and PVC's?

I'm set at 55 BPM and when sitting quietly my heart rate can get to 55 or below and sometimes I can feel a PVC.

Any thoughts?


5 Comments

pvc's

by Tracey_E - 2018-01-25 09:39:41

PVC's are extra little half beats between the full beats. Pacing doesn't cause them but knowing we are paced may make us more  aware of them. They are annoying but harmless. 

Thanks Tracey ....

by MartyP - 2018-01-25 09:46:24

That's kind of what I thought but I was sort of hoping there was some kind of connection.

You are absolutely right - they are just a nuisence and feel odd :).

Pacing and pvc

by Irob - 2018-01-25 10:59:41

Last year whilst overseas my 10 year old pm went into battery expiring mode where it paced continously at 65 bpm. I only felt it when resting when my hr fell. Normally, from my wrist monitor i would expect my resting hr to be 55 to 60 so i was surprised to monitor regularly sitting on a 65 bpm stop. I wasnt aware what was going on so emailed my specialist back in the uk and he confirmed the situation was safe even though uncomfortable. It took another 3 months before I could get back into the UK and scheduled for a refit. As soonmas the new unit was installed my old resting hr returned and i felt far more comfortable without the double pacing hearbeat.

Prolonged AV delay can cause ectopics

by Zoë - 2018-01-25 11:02:09

Before my ICD/pacemaker 3mths ago, I suffered for years with AV disassociation and Junctional accelerations due to an atypical form or reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT).  I would also experience several strong runs of PVCs during this rhythm disturbance, especially when I was also bradycardic.  When the heart beats irregular and/or slow the heart has a natural mechanism to produce an "escape beat" or "ectopic" beat that we feel as a PVC or PAC. It's the PVCs that can feel like quite a forceful thump whereas PACs are more of a flutter sensation...I envy those lucky people who can't feel them!!

i therefor do believe bradycardia and PVCs are related.  Of course, sometimes our hearts fail to produce an escape beat and the AV delay becomes more and more prolonged to the point of causing heart block and sinus arrest even.  Once you have a pacemaker, depending on your settings, the "PVC" you are feeling could actually be the pacer giving you that controlled early beat (that you feel as a thump/strong/skipped beat).

You gave a very good post before on here Marty for newbies, listing the PVC triggers such as caffeine, stress, lack of sleep....I definitely try to monitor those 3 factors to minimise these aweful beats as they really aren't pleasant when I get them!

best of luck :)

PVC's

by Champak - 2018-01-26 21:04:14

I got a Medtronic pacemaker implanted 2.5 months ago. When I went for my 2 month checkup the doctor told me that I have PVC's. After he read the Medtronic report, he said that my heart rate went up to 178 bpm. I have a follow up in 2 weeks to get an ultrasound of my heart. It's all a bit scary.

You know you're wired when...

You run like the bionic woman.

Member Quotes

I can honestly say that I am feeling absolutely amazing!