Anyone experience occasional palpitations or premature ventricular contractions?

[AZATADINE]

Yep. I stopped the Citrate after about a couple of weeks for exactly that reason (plus it didn't seem to help anyway).

In terms of when mine occur, yeah, it is interesting and I used a Holter for 24 hours about 2 years ago (maybe 2 months post op) as I was experiencing exactly the same thing but when they looked at the data, they were not in the least bit concerned about them. To be fair, it seemed to me at the time that I was just one giant walking PVC but they only recorded 8 true PVC's....felt like thousands to me but that's what the data said.

My cardiologist said she could put me on a beta blocker if I wanted but said it might be worth trying to see if I could get away without the beta blocker.

 

[mecretired]

I experienced pvc’s fairly regularly until after my 2nd bout of endocarditis. Not sure if there is a correlation but?? I had part of my colon removed in august. Now I have to be really careful to not get dehydrated I get light headed, blood pressure drops and pulse goes up.

 

[Protimenow]

I got to a point where I usually ignored PVCs unless it felt like they were sapping my energy or interfering with activity. A few years ago, when we were trying to figure out what was causing the PVCs, I wore a two week monitor (ZIOpatch) that showed a LOT of PVCs. The specialist at UCLA concluded that, in my case, it was cardiomyopathy and no further surgical or ablative stuff would help.

Lucky me.

When you're having PVCs, if you focus on them, you may wind up feeling more (in your head) than are actually detected using a Holter monitor.

 

[AZATADINE]

When you're having PVCs, if you focus on them, you may wind up feeling more (in your head) than are actually detected using a Holter monitor.

Yup, thats certainly me.....when I focus on them they go nuts (or at least I feel like I've tons of them and that propogates more of them).

 

[Elcarim]

I had loads of them for years. I had my most recent AVR in 2005. I was sure they were stress/PTSD related, but I couldn't prove it and couldn't seem to get them under control. They would happen every 2nd or 4th beat, and sometimes I would get several in a row. I would lie in bed at night unable to sleep because of my heart clunking around in my chest. They started to reduce when I got put on beta blockers, but I think that was mainly due to the beta blockers helping my anxiety. They came back with a vengeance during COVID lockdowns. My cardiologist at the time told me I'd just have to learn to live with them.

I got a wearable device called an Apollo that helps retrain the nervous system after long-term anxiety. Within a few weeks of starting to use this my PVCs reduced to almost zero and 18 months down the track they are still very infrequent.

TL;DR, yep, common and mostly harmless, but I definitely think that stress/anxiety makes them worse.

 

[Amy]

I'm 2 years post AVR and the damn things (PVC's) seem to kick off every evening for me no matter what I do since early Dec. Prior to this, they might raise their ugly head for a few days every few months but this bout are persistent. They are a right PITA for sure. I've tried the Magnesium Taurate but it didn't do anything for me so going to try Magnesium Glycinate now.

I know they are benign (cardiologist is aware of them but said no need for beta blockers) but Christ, they are disconcerting, especially at night.

Have you figured out what all the PVCs/palpitations were? Have they become less? How did the magnesium glycinate work?

 

[AZATADINE]

Have you figured out what all the PVCs/palpitations were? Have they become less? How did the magnesium glycinate work?

Believe it or not, I decided one day to just quit the supplements altogether cos I really didn't feel they were helping and I actually started to wonder if they were making it worse....

I stopped the Magnesium supplements, stopped the Co-enzyme Q10, deleted the apps that I was using incessantly and they all stopped within a couple of days......

I get the occasional skipped beat and I still occasionally get a few mins of bigeminy but it's rare enough. Might be for 10 mins every few weeks maybe.

In my own case, I'm pretty sure that the extra supplements were making it worse and I think there was an element of my own brain doing it subconsciously too.

I have no doubt that I'll go through it again at some point but for me, I think the extra stuff I was taking didn't help.

If I eat too much late in the evening and sit down or drive the car too soon afterwards, it can trigger some too.

 

[Amy]

I stopped the Magnesium supplements

deleted the apps that I was using incessantly

Wow! That’s interesting! I just started taking mag glycinate tonight, and the pill was so big I really think I caused some palpitations just in seriously worrying I might choke.

What apps were you using? You mean that record your heart rate and stuff?

I like that you’re so aware of what causes what effects in your body. Most people don’t pay attention to that, so they end up saying unaware things like ‘diet doesn’t / can’t affect pain.’

I keep a food/symptom diary but I do kinda feel like I can never keep track *enough* of ALL of the potential factors (eating late at night and driving, like you said; or exercising; how much yard work I did; stress, time of the month, sleep quality, etc) that could be contributing to pain, palpitations, etc.. guess it’s a fine balance, of trying to be aware, without obsessing.

 

[Amy]

Believe it or not, I decided one day to just quit the supplements altogether cos I really didn't feel they were helping and I actually started to wonder if they were making it worse....

@AZATADINE Had you been taking anything else besides the magnesium and coQ10? I wonder if one of my supplements could be causing this?

I just had my second night of no sleep for gasping awake every time I’m about to fall asleep, hit by a sustained run of double or now triple beats.

I’m scared. I need to sleep. Any information you have that may be helpful would be greatly appreciated.

 

[AZATADINE]

Had you been taking anything else besides the magnesium and coQ10? I wonder if one of my supplements could be causing this?

Nope, just 75mg Aspirin.

What apps were you using? You mean that record your heart rate and stuff?

Yeah, when I started getting the skipped beats I downloaded the Fibricheck app and kind of fell into a hole that I'd been conscious of trying to avoid.....I avoid a lot of those watches that provide lots of info cos I know If fall into that bracket of people who over analyse....

I just had my second night of no sleep for gasping awake every time I’m about to fall asleep, hit by a sustained run of double or now triple beats.

I had that too. Eventually my mind seemed to accept that I wasn't going to die from them cos I kept on staying alive with them....

They are awful things though.

 

[Chuck C]

@AZATADINE Had you been taking anything else besides the magnesium and coQ10? I wonder if one of my supplements could be causing this?

I just had my second night of no sleep for gasping awake every time I’m about to fall asleep, hit by a sustained run of double or now triple beats.

I’m scared. I need to sleep. Any information you have that may be helpful would be greatly appreciated.

Amy, have you been to ER yet to have your palpitations checked out?

In another recent post you said: "I feel *slightly* short of breath, and sometimes very slightly dizzy from it."

Please see the link below. I'm not sure how bad your symptoms are, or if they have worsened, but irregular heartbeat with symptoms should probably be checked out at the ER. They can run a few tests and probably figure out what is going on. This is probably no big deal and not something to worry about, but it would be something that you want to get checked out just to be sure.

From the Mayo Clinic:

"Seek emergency medical attention if heart palpitations occur with:"

• Chest discomfort or pain
• Fainting
• Severe shortness of breath
• Severe dizziness

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-palpitations/symptoms-causes/syc-20373196

 

[Amy]

Oh Chuck..., I went in today but since I couldn’t get my HR below 60 no matter how much I tried to relax, and since the palpitations only occur at rest, they didn’t show up on the ecg, and the PCP actually said ‘they’re probably caused by anxiety’ and that ‘things can get ‘sensitized’.’

He didn’t get at all that these are things observed as objectively and awarely as possible (obviously - the more I know about the reality of them, the likelier I’ll finally find a treatment and they’ll go away) and that there’s a real physical symptom going on.

Feeling scared and hopeless. If they’re worse again tonight I guess I’ll have to go to the ER.

 

[pellicle]

Oh Chuck..., I went in today but since I couldn’t get my HR below 60 no matter how much I tried to relax,

out of interest have you studied and taken classes in meditation?

and since the palpitations only occur at rest, they didn’t show up on the ecg, and the PCP actually said ‘they’re probably caused by anxiety’ and that ‘things can get ‘sensitized’.’

noted ...

Feeling scared and hopeless.

so the meditation isn't working ... as I just posted, this is a good litany to meditate on

If they’re worse again tonight I guess I’ll have to go to the ER.

yes, and perhaps you also need some medication at this stage to help ... perhaps metoprolol? I don't know, but they should.

Best Wishes

 

[Amy]

perhaps metoprolol?

I took 6 mg (this was my maintenance dose two years ago) last night - 1 am - no effect. Tonight I’ll take 12.5. I’m hesitant because my HR has already become pretty low...

Yes, I have been using this as ‘grist for the (meditation) mill’ but .... it’s a challenge.

 

[Amy]

Anyone know how to read these things? The doctor said the ekg was normal, so should I just ignore that little ‘anteroseptal infarct’ note in the upper right, (!!!) or, ... ?

 

[pellicle]

’m hesitant because my HR has already become pretty low...

if your HR is already low then you don't need more ... I understood it was high

 

[Amy]

Well it’s too late, I took it and now I feel it might just stop beating altogether.

Sigh.

The doctor today advised me to recontinue it at 12 mg, 3 times a day! He really wasn’t listening I guess.

Off to the ER.

 

[Protimenow]

Listening? ... A doctor listening? (with apologies to vitdoc and some others here)

 

[Buck83]

I had AVR a couple of years ago and go through phases with the damn things too. They may appear and stay around for weeks and then disappear for a while again. They are definitely worse in the evening and at night for me.

I had them a few weeks after the op and I was given a Holter for 24 hrs and during that time, I was sure I was getting thousands but I only had 8. I don't know why the heck it felt like thousands but it really felt like it.

I hate them. Cardiologist said that they are benign and that I'll likely never get rid of them completely unless I go on beta blockers. I'm not at that point yet but I think I'm getting closer to considering it.

I have had this exact same experience since my avr and aneurysm repair in June 2022. Caused some crazy cardiac anxiety so now I’m on 5mg of Lexapro (anxiety med) and they still happen but I don’t worry about them as much.