New symptom accompanies PVCs

History: I have had PVCS for always. To me, they are just a fact of life. Some things will make them worse--nothing makes them go away completey. I live with them. I only experience them as a problem when the rhytm goes into bigeminy. Happily, that tends to be self limiting

Two times in July, I had severe PVCs--the kind that feel like a blow to the chest. While that was happening, I began to wheeze. In seconds, ten at the outside, the rythm returned to normal, the wheezing went away and I thought Wow, that was weird! It didn't happen again and I forgot about it.

In the last couple of weeks, I have had much more frequent PVCs. A couple of times a day the PVCs are accompanied by wheezing. Sometimes the mild PVCs are accompanied not by wheezing but a tickle deep in my chest that makes me feel like I have to cough.

I have mild asthma well controlled by medication. I saw my pulmonologist today who assured me that my lungs are clear. The problem was not asthma, but is most assuredly heart related.

So I'm appealing to you, on wise friends in the Pacemaker Club. Is having wheezing that starts with PVCs common? Does it happen to you? 

What does it mean, when PVCs cause wheezing? How would a PVC make me wheeze?

5 Comments

new symptom

by ROBO Pop - 2019-09-05 06:02:26

You know that sounds like Cardiac Tamponade where fluid builds up in the sac around the heart. Could also be Cardiac Asthma. Definitely check with your doctor.

More info, please.

by crustyg - 2019-09-05 09:12:32

Hi

Inspiratory or expiratory wheeze?

Do you have a pulsox?  Does your saturation drop during these episodes?

Anything that you've noticed that brings these episodes on?  Anything that has seemed to reduce or terminate the episode?

I'm not asking with some mega-list of differentials in mind, but there's some useful information to be had - if you don't mind sharing more of your personal medical history?

What am I saying - of course you don't mind - you're here after all!

Best wishes.

Just a wild-ass guess...

by AgentX86 - 2019-09-05 13:18:53

Could these PVCs originate from the right ventricle, my uneducated theory that your lungs aren't getting the blood they need, so aren't up taking enough oxygen. The wheezing is caused by your body trying to compensate.

Wheezing and a dry hacking cough are common symptoms of heart disease. Before my CABG, I would get spells of a dry, "tickling", cough. I thought it was allergies but when it happened just after a stress test, everyone in the building knew what was going on, before even looking at the results.

Particularly for those of us with known heart issues,  it's critical to get this sort of thing checked out ASAP.

Info for Crustyg

by Gotrhythm - 2019-09-05 15:35:28

Expiratory wheeze.

No obvious pulse ox drop. Partly, I think,  because the episodes only last a few seconds--10 at the outside.

Triggers. To tell you the truth, so many things can trigger PVCs, that I hardly notice any more. I don't notice that something different happens before the PVCs with wheezing.

Terminate. Time seems to terminate the wheezing. Coughing can sometimes stop the arrythmias.

I don't knwo if it's germane, but my last echo a year and a half ago, showed slight pulmonary hypertension.

I greatly appreciate all the replies. This group is wonderful.

 

right heart catheterization

by marylandpm - 2019-09-06 08:52:48

  My echo showed pulmonary hypertension so my EP had me do a right and left heart cath.  

 

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