pvc's and heart flops!?

Question

pvc's and heart flops can be very scary! does anyone else out there have the same thing. i can acually feel my heart flop sometimes..like somedays i have good days and some i have are bad days . and today is a bad day ..i can acually feel skips and flops..i do see a cardiologist he has ran an echocardiogram and had me wear a holter monitor they passed with flying colors ...the feeling is just very scary i just want to know that im not alone! somtimes they even take my breath.

Answer 1

They can be quite common in some people. I have transported many people with PVC's. Sometimes you treat them sometimes you don't need to treat them. It depends on their symptoms. It sounds like you need to continue to be treated by your cardiologist, The best thing is just to remain clam when it happens. Your normal rhythm will pick up again and go on. If you get upset and nervous it can make the situation worse. So try not to panic and just rest for a few minutes and let the feeling subside.

Answer 2

PVCs are very common. I have a similar problem, called SVT (supraventricular tachycardia). It is a freaky feeling that your heart is not beating right and you can't catch your breath. Some of the most common reasons for PVCs are stress (the biggest reason), smoking, and caffeine. Certainly there are other triggers. If your doctor did the echo and other testing (which it sounds like he did) you are okay. The echo is the big thing because it shows ultrasound pictures of the heart which allows the doctor to confirm that the structure of your heart is normal. The biggest advice I have for you is: 1. Cut down on tobacco and other types of nicotine, if you smoke. For many patients, stopping smoking completely relieves the problem. If you cannot quit altogether, cut down slowly and you should notice a difference. 2. Limit caffeine intake. Caffeine is a stimulant and is a huge culprit for causing PVCs. If you can, stop using caffeine products altogether. Know that decaf coffee still has caffeine, however to a lesser extent than regular coffee. Tea, sodas, chocolate... all bad if you have PVCs. 3. Limit stress!!!! I know... much easier said than done. If you have a stressful job or life, take ten minutes a day to practice meditation or work out or go for a walk or whatever. Stress is also a huge culprit of PVCs. The other thing which you didn't mention the doctor perofrming was putting you on an event monitor. This monitor is worn for 30 days and you actually press a button when you are having symptoms. Because PVCs have s tendency to "come and go" it is possible that when you were on the Holter Monitor, you never had a PVC. With the event monitor, you control when the monitor takes the recording and you transmit it over the phone to a place that prints out the strip and sends it to the doctor. This is the best way to actually see an arrhythmia and I would strongly suggest you talk to your doctor about putting you on one of these. This was the only way the doctors were able to see my arrhythmia because I was never having a problem when I went in to the office or when I was on the Holter Monitor. Know that everything in your heart is okay. When you feel the PVCs you can try to drink cold water or bear down like you're going ot have a bowel movenet (called a Valsava maneuver). This will sometimes cause the heart to kick over to a normal rhythm. You can also try sitting and relaxing taking a few deep breaths and see if it doesn't help as well. PVCs can be very annoying, but usually they aren't very serious. It sounds like you are doing the right thing by seeing the cardiologist though. Good Luck.

Answer 3

Lots of people have palpitations, but not all of them are PVC's. Takes some getting used to. If you begin to have them so often they interfere with your life, tell the heart doctor and he will prescribe some medicine for them.
Just curious if you remember having the flip flops and the shortness of breath while you were on the halter monitor, if not, they may not have captured them. Sometimes you have to do a longer halter monitor to pick it up.
Good luck.

Answer 4

If you've had the tests, and they came back normal, don't worry! I have the same thing, and I'm 51. I've had them for years, and I've had the anxiety attacks. I've had all the tests, including neuclear medicine, and they all came back normal. My cardiologist said there are HUNDREDS of arrythmias. but only a few are dangerous. My doctor gave me a prescription for a drug called "Atenolol", which is a beta blocker. But they did'nt work. I eventually got used to the "flip-flops". When I excersize, they dissappear. No alchohol, no caffiene, no smoking, loose weight, eat fruits and veggies.

Answer 5

I suffer from PVCs. Usually on a real hot day or after strenuous physical activity I'll get them. Or if I haven't had alot to eat and get real hungry I get them. Or if I stand up too fast, occaisionally I will feel one or two. I've gotten used to them for a few years now. They're just premature heart beats. I also have mitral valve prolapse, and have suffered from an arrhythmia called Atrial Fibrillation a few times. So, compared to these other conditions, PVCs seem normal to me.

Answer 6

You aren't alone.

I had / have the same problem. Several times I was convinced I was having a heart attack. They did the echo, the Holter monitor, an ultrasound and three stress tests.

I was actually having a cardiogram one day when it happened and the doctor said it wasn't my heart.

They are much better now but I still have them on occasion.

Answer 7

You are probably having anxiety attacks. The more you obsess about your heart the more you will experience your symptoms. Read the book "The Relaxation Response" by Herbert Benson. Very easy to read book that will teach a very simple relaxation technique. Of course continue to consult your physicians, practicing relaxation techniques will probably be helpful, certainly not harmful.

Answer 8

i am 30 and have had them since I was 18 and in the military. The doctors there said not to be too concerned unless they are contsant. I do know that caffiene and nicotine make them worse.

Answer 9

i dont know, a few weeks ago, my heart was like, pounding real hard; not fast, slow, but hard. and i was short of breath, which didnt make any sense, because i had just gotten out of bed, and i didnt have a bad dream or anything. and then my mom told me it was due to lack of exercise. so i started exercising regularly, and now i'm cool, but i dont know if it was really because of lack of exercise, i hope it doesnt happen again, though.

Answer 10

i have them all the time and it's been happening for the past 6 or 7 years. if you don't feel faint or dizzy or nauseated, then it should be fine. usually it's stress and a lack of exercise. i wouldn't worry about it if i were you.