Runs Of Pvcs

[danelle]

Hi all. It's been too long since I have been on. I have a question. I have an event recorder on and have caught runs (6 or more) PVCs in a row that make me symptomatic. I am beyond terrified and have put my entire life on hold because I am afraid it will happen if I do anything or go anywhere. How many of you that have POTS have had this problem and what has the dr done? Any and all responses are so greatly appreciated. -Dani

[Guest Alex]

Hi Dani,

I have occasional runs of pvc's (some have been documented on Holter or loop monitors). My dr told me that in a healthy, structurally normal heart (I had an echocardiogram) these are benign, scary but benign. In other words I was told to ignore them as they are harmless and they don't jeopardize my health/life whatsoever. Try to think of them as hiccups - that's an analogy I read on a medical website recently.

I know it's easier said than done, and I am sorry to hear that you have to deal with them as well.

I hope this helps.

Alex

[Mytwogirlsrox]

What do you mean? Like PVC-norm beat-PVC -beat-PVC ? Or PVC-PVC-PVC etc...Isn't that considered non-sustained vtach?

I have tons of PVCs sometimes I feel like I have three in a row and I get syncopal, I always thought it was anxiety related

[anaphylaxing]

I don't know if you have any symptoms suggestive of reactions, allergies or mast cell disease, but when my POTS first started I would get a lot of PVCs especially at night. I figured out slowly and with time that this correlated with foods I was eating or inhaled exposures like scents or perfumes. I went on an organic elimination diet and they improved so much. When I get pVCs I know the food I intro'd is not OK and needs to be cut eg grapes. I also get PVCs if around bad air with cleaner smells, perfumes etc. If I get very stressed I get them and some medications seemed to make them worse also.

Since I've eliminated all that stuff it's very rare that I get them now. I hated the feeling so much; it is just terrifying. They documented them on ECG and told me they were meaningless and not to worry, but when you're feeling them yourself you can't and I'm so glad I looked into it myself because I don't have to deal with them anymore.

I kept a food, exposure, med diary which helped.

I hope you find a trigger you can eliminate for yours.

[yogini]

I'd talk to your dr. As Alex said, usually POTS related PVCs are not considered dangerous and definitely not worth putting your life on hold for. You can note when you are getting these and see if there are any triggers you can avoid. Feel better soon

[seattle chris]

I have been dealing with PVCs my entire adult life, but they have been worse the two months I have had POTS related issues. The worst is during sleep when I have been frequently jolted awake by a series of sharp PVCs. When I did a Holter test two months ago, the results captured some PVCs and some runs from the top chamber (A Fib) that were associated with a light headed spell. I also did a recent stress test that captured some runs while I was running at higher speeds.

Two cardiologists have indicated that the condition is benign and not something to be concerned about (hard not to though). Stress can make the symptoms worse, and it is tough to deal with these issues on top of the other POTS related problems. Hopefully your symptoms improve soon.

FYI - My first post. It is reassuring to know that I am not the only one out there dealing with these crazy health issues.

[flyingsquirrel]

What do you mean? Like PVC-norm beat-PVC -beat-PVC ? Or PVC-PVC-PVC etc...Isn't that considered non-sustained vtach?

A series of PVCs that is 7 beats or shorter is considered a "run of PVCs", anything longer than that is V-tach. (Some sources define a run of PVCs as 5 beats or 9 beats.)

Other interesting PVC related rhythms are bigeminy (a PVC as every other beat) and trigeminy (a PVC as every third beat). Both of these need immediate attention as they are a sign of significant cardiac irritability.

[E Soskis]

I produce antibodies that attach to various nerve endings in various organ systems - one of these systems is my cardiovascular system - I have all sorts of electrical malfunctions including PVC's. A PVC here and there is normal in most people, especially as we age. Runs of PVC's that cause you to be symptomatic is not normal and needs to be investigated by your cardiologist or electrophysiologist. The reason you become symptomatic is that you cannot sustain effective circulation with the abnormal heart rhythm (lots of PVC's in a row) - the only time I actually saw V-Tach on my monitor was as I was about to pass out - there are treatments for these runs of v-tach or multiple PVC's if you are symptomatic and you need to see your MD to thoroughly check it out.

[Mytwogirlsrox]

What do you mean? Like PVC-norm beat-PVC -beat-PVC ? Or PVC-PVC-PVC etc...Isn't that considered non-sustained vtach?

A series of PVCs that is 7 beats or shorter is considered a "run of PVCs", anything longer than that is V-tach. (Some sources define a run of PVCs as 5 beats or 9 beats.)

Other interesting PVC related rhythms are bigeminy (a PVC as every other beat) and trigeminy (a PVC as every third beat). Both of these need immediate attention as they are a sign of significant cardiac irritability.

I understand, I just was trying to figure out what she meant by a run of PvCs? Ie bigeminy or non sustained vtach.

Interesting you guys said bigeminy requires immediate medical attention. I'm practically always in bigeminy or trigeminy. Not one cardiologist, internist or ER physician has batted an eye at it. Hmmmm