Leaning About PVCs So I Can Feel Confident About Myself Again

"QUOTE FROM ANOTHER MEMBER NAMED MIKE" It is after midnight and I have been experienceing skipped beats and pauses (pvcs I guess) since 9:30. They scare the crap out of me when they are severe. When I get them this bad they are accompanied by bloating, burping and gas. When you tell the Doctors this they seem to think it is not inportant but there is some kind of connection. It has been a stressful day and I was at the local coffee shop listening to live music. I drank a cup of hot tea, a very sweet glass of lemonade and ate a couple of pieces of some sort of hard like sticks of coffee cake (?) started having problm after that. Any connection? I swear it makes me think I will die.
Mike

What this person described in their first line above is what I experianced a few times for about 2 hours for each incident. These incidents happened right before I got my first pacemaker. My heart rate dropped 40 bpm one day so I went to the emergency room. I had already started to see doctors. I was eventually diagnosed with a weak heart after the 2nd pacemaker was installed later on in this post. Yeap! the damn doctor who put in my first pacemaker did not diagnose me.

I remember the day after I got out of the hospital this happened again after I ate a bowl of oatmeal. After 10 minutes of it I jumped up with the thought of taking an aspirin and to my surprize my heart returned to normal.

I got a ticket and forgot about the pacemaker when I walked through the courtroom scanner. I had serious problems after walking through that scanner and 5 days later had to call an ambulance. They incerted another pacemaker of course.

I went 5 years with a perfectly running heart after my first pacemaker. My second pacemaker/difibulator was installed in Dec. of 2017. My heart was beating good without any PVCs but now in May of 2019 after my second pacemaker my heart is throwing PVCs now and it brings me back to that experience of an irractic heart before my first pacemaker.

One week ago they started to appear everyday. Prior to this they my heart was beating great and I only threw a PVC occasionaly. Now they are everyday. So far once a day for the past week my heart will skip some beats, pause as I get lightheaded. Terrible! Not as bad as before my first pacemaker but my pacemaker tune up lady says they most likely are PVCs. The pause I got yesterday hit hard and I thought the secondary shock feature of my difibulator went off. After doing alot of reading on the web I found out after the pause my heart squeezed so hard to pump the blood out it caused the thump that felt like my defibulator was going off.

When your heart pauses it fills back up with blood and I read when the first beat after the pause comes it can be so damn hard extreme pain is felt and radiates up into your neck. WOW! 

 I'm still not sure about these PVCs and am under the impression if it happens again today I'm going to be screwed. I've read many posts here and get the same feeling from others that, "death may come soon if the PVCs aren't stopped".

My heart starts to skip beats if I'm in a certain position. Right now when I lay flat on my back my heart starts to skip then I roll over onto my right side and my heart returns to regular rythme. I can feel the sensation of the PVCs coming on and it's called, "Premonitory Symptoms". I was home last night when it happened so I jumped into my bed on my right side after the PVC bang hit and all was well again except for the feeling I was tired and wiped out.

Sure, I want to read about everyones experieces with PVCs so I can feel confident about myself again and be able to control them better. 

Thanks!

 

12 Comments

suggestion...

by ROBO Pop - 2019-05-27 17:02:39

Let me suggest you learn more about the effects of the heart meds you are buying from the 14 year old on the street corner first.

PVCs

by AgentX86 - 2019-05-27 18:35:42

PVCs are no fun but they're almost always benign, unless a high percentage of your heartbeats are PVCs (like 20%, but it depends on the individual).  If that's what they are (it's difficult to tell based on what you've said), tell your cardiologist/EP about them and then try to ignore them.  My EP told me to just think of them as others would a headache.  OK, they're not fun but they aren't going to kill me - just another annoyance.

PVC's

by steppingstones - 2019-05-27 20:47:12

I for one, feel terrible when a session of PVC’s happen.  I have learned that caffeine, sugar and sometimes my vitamins can cause a series of them or for them to be stronger.  Also, at the end of the day when I get still, those darn things start up.  The best thing I can do is relax and listen to soft music or the watch hallmark channel scenery to take my mind off of them.  When I have an interrogation every six months, I ask how many PVC’s and PAC’s.  My PVC’s were very high until the CRT-P was put in, now the PAC’s are rising due to Atrium issues so to me, they do tell a story.  I stay away from all caffeine (even ice tea) and sugar.  I can’t tolerate anything that increases energy, etc. 

I really do learn alot from the posts of others

by James Allan - 2019-05-28 01:52:09

When I first started to get my pacemaker checked every three months I had an elderly guy checking the settings. After about 4 visits which is a year a young lady started to take over and now that I think about it the PVCs are getting worse since the young lady took over. I did mention I was experiancing episodes that felt like my heart just outright stopped and she told me it was most likely just PVCs like all the doctors and nurses told me as I felt them once in a great while. Now when I read the posts of my fellow pacemaker fellowship I'm starting to get the impression the person doing the pacemaker adjustments every 3 months might play a part in causeing these PVCs. I really want to find out the truth and the truth can only be found out through everyones imput. :)

Not likely the PM tech

by AgentX86 - 2019-05-28 11:08:38

But anything is possible. Your EP (and help may require an EP) should be able to tell more.
You make it sound like they're adjusting it every three months,  whether you need it or not. If things are working,  leave be. Perhaps you want to get a copy of the settings every time you go to the device clinic, so you can see what, if anything, they've changed.

PVCs?

by Selwyn - 2019-05-28 13:11:07

You need a proper diagnosis.

You need a monitor (eg. Holter, or event)

Everything else is presumptive guess work.

Seek cardiological advice.

There are clear treatment guidelines to stop PVCs - I have posted in the last few days re. these and the on line reference.

Meanwhile stop caffeine and alcohol. 

These are good ideas I should follow

by James Allan - 2019-05-28 15:40:50

Yes, the cardiologist office I go to pushes pacemaker tuneups every three months. The tune up woman does in fact adjust my pacemaker everytime. I hate this adjustment because it slows your heart down and makes you feel like you are going to die. On the same side every time I see any doctor outside of my cardiologist office about my pacemaker they call in the "St. Judes" tune up specialist and I get my pacemaker tuned up. These tune up people can even tune the pacemaker over the phone. 

I'm hoping to avoid the Holter monitor. I've thrown PVCs here and there since Dec of 2017 but nothing like this last week. This last week has been a ride even though I only threw one PVC a day. I read the PVCs can be more and most people don't feel them but I get one good one a day. I can tell when they are coming because I get lightheaded.

 As I stated when I had my first pacemaker in 2012 I never threw a PVC. I went 5 years with no PVC's until I walked through that courtroom scanner and fried one of my leads that sent me to the hospital for this difibulator and the occansional PVC.

I did give up caffinated coffee for sure. I drink decaf now. As for alcohol? well, I drink wine now and avoid beer and hard liquor. I've never been an alcoholic and don't have any alcoholism but I surely do like to get to my pleasure point with wine a couple hours before I go to bed. Absolutely no problem falling asleep. Boom, I'm asleep fast.

I will talk to my cardiologist and tune up people about the settings everyone here is talking about. Very good idea. I also found a very good article on PVCs I am studying right now that deals with the vagus nerve's involvement with throwing PVCs. Did you know there's 3 nerve conditions that can cause your heart to throw PVCs. 

I'll post it here to you people when I'm finished studying it. I won't repost it if it turns out to be garbage. I'm getting ready to talk to my primary and set up a plan to deal with another vagus nerve problem I am having that the doctors always run away from. There's NO treatment for vagus nerve conditions so doctors don't walk away from it, "They Run". They pick a drug to treat the symptoms but cannot do anything about the vagus nerve that is causing the symptom.

It's always great hearing from people and reading about their experiences.  

Feeling Blessed!

by redhatter1944 - 2019-05-28 16:09:01

It saddens me when I read of the problems so many have after receiving their pacers. But, it does make me aware that I am fortunate not to have had any problems, and received my new pacer in Dec.  The first one served me for seven years.  Both surgeries were pretty much uneventful, however after the second one; the tape caused some discomfort and I carefully removed it. I did tell the ER nurse on the phone and she told me beings it had been a few days to go ahead but call the EPs office and tell them about it. So I will remember, if and when I get the next one; to ask for a non irritating tape if available.  I am doing fine with this one!  So far. I did look at my insurance statements on line and was amazed at the rise in cost over seven years.  This one was 20 thousand more than the first on.  But they are improved, and the insurance took care of everything but the $200 co pay! Yep, a blessing all around!

Dehydration

by RedRocksGirl - 2019-05-29 02:28:36

I’ve experienced PVCs for years (just developed heart failure from a virus in 2016 which resulted in an ICD being implanted this pas January). I took myself to the ER when I was pregnant with my second child because I’d been experiencing PVCs for over 12 hours straight. They determined mine were caused by dehydration. They gave me UV fluids and I think some potassium and they stopped. 

I have occasionally experienced them since then but never for that long a period of time. None since getting my ICD though. 

Hi RedRockGirl

by James Allan - 2019-05-29 05:20:27

After my first pacemaker in 2012 I went back to the emergency room 2 days after the insertion and the emergency room pumped me up with 2 litres of magnesium and I had no feeling to urinate. I guess I was dehydrated also but I was in a bad way. 

Just like everyone else here I'm looking for that place of comfort without having to give up my wine :) Well, we all have our vices. PVCs are caused by our electrical systems.

PVC's

by Dave H - 2019-05-30 13:11:22

After "bugging" my EP concerning my PVC load a couple months ago, he relented and had me wear a 48-hr. Holter. Afterward, he didn't offer much advice one way or another.

A summary o the report:

NUMBER OF QRS COMPLEXES 247286

NUMBER OF VENTRICULAR ECTOPICS 33791

NUMBER OF VENTRICULAR ISOLATED BEATS 28765

NUMBER OF VENTRICULAR BIGEMINAL CYCLES 9

NUMBER OF VENTRICULAR COUPLETS 1946

NUMBER OF VENTRICULAR RUNS 354

NUMBER OF VENTRICULAR BEATS IN RUNS 1134

NUMBER OF LONGEST VENTRICULAR BEATS 9

There are many knowledgeable folks here. Any of these numbers stand out to you?

Thanks, Dave

Gravity and heArt beats

by donr - 2019-06-03 00:07:59

The deirecxtioin.position does NOT affect your heart beat type!  But it DOES affect how you sense your heart beats.  The heart is not firmly attached to bone by ligaments - it is held in place by all the very large vessels attached to it and the sac it resids in.  It is alsp off to the left of the centerline of the body - eating up lung space.  Hence you do NOT haf a Left center lobe of lung, whereas you havew a Right Center Lobe. 

So go lie on your right side & the heart falls away from the left side of the rib cage.  Lie on your left side & it falls toward the left side of the rib cage.  It is a VERY strong muscle ^ when it beats, there is a LOT of motyion generated. 

You should be more awre of heart beats while lying on the left side  I know I amYou should be more aware of the pause caused by a PVC while lying in the left side., Hence think you have more PVC's whlie lying that way  .  Your PM should keep a record of every PVC you have.  They have no P wave preceding them, so they are easy for the PM to identify.  

There is a reason you think they only occur at night while trying to sleep.  During the day, you are awake, active & distracted from sensing every beat of the old ticker.  You lie down, turm off the lights & the TV - it is quiet & dark.  My cardio called that "Sensory Deprivation."  You have nothing to grab the mind's a attention, so it goes wild looking for something.  Try this toease your mind - turn on a low night light - takes care of the eyes.  Turn on a low volume radio or TV to something boring - I use "Forensic Files on HLN.  Bores the crap out of me, but heeps my heasring rngaged & the flickering keeps my eyes busy  & stimulated - cork off w/i 5 minuters every night,.  BTW: that's how hypnosis wqorks.

If I made a lot of spelling errors, I cannot see very well & I type while wearing boxing gloves.

Donr 

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My pacemaker is intact and working great.