help in dealing with skipped heartbeats/bigeminy

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JoElizabeth
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Jan 11, 2007 12:31 am

Post by JoElizabeth » Wed May 16, 2007 12:58 pm

Hi everyone, I have seen lot of posts in the past about PVC's - skipped heart beats - and I am looking for some help in dealing with them. I have single PVC's daily but for the past two months I have had them every other beat - bigeminy - and it lasts for up to an hour or so at a time. Although the doctor says they are not "dangerous" I am really having trouble coping because my symptoms have gotten worse over time, so I still believe there is reason to worry. Has anyone been able to "learn to live with these"? I try my relaxation tape, positive self talk etc. but nothing seems to make the skipped beats stop and get my heart back into rhythm. Can anxiety alone cause bigeminy? I would love any advice or just to hear from someone else dealing with this as well. Thanks!

bkhjg1219
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Mar 12, 2007 8:45 pm

Post by bkhjg1219 » Wed May 16, 2007 1:07 pm

I have skipped beats as well. I have had them for years. They are scary. They make me kind of breathless. I dont have much helpful information for you, except to let you know that you are not alone. God bless you!!!
"For the Lord has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" 2 Timothy 1:7

Yellow Rose Of Tx
Posts: 10
Joined: Sat May 12, 2007 4:57 pm

Post by Yellow Rose Of Tx » Wed May 16, 2007 1:34 pm

Skiped heartbeats and severe palpitations and racing heartbeats need to be checked by a Cardiologist there is meds that control them and completely regulate the heart beat where they are no longer scary I have had them ever since I started taking xanax and since taking xanax I have a severe racing heart and I just heard that people with tacacardia or heart Arrithmya should not take xanax or Benzos at all so now I know how scared you all must feel with the racing hearts and skiping heartbeats for now since I have been onxanax for over a year now I am really scared to get off it since it hace made my skiping heart and racing heart worse. But you really if you are concerned about the heartbeat it would be a wise Idea to ask your doctor to get you into see a cardiologist that knows the heart alot better than a GP general practicioner i had to see a heart doctor and he asked me why i hadnt been in earlier with this problem and its only because a regular Gp thinks they really know how the heart show beat
adnd they dont

Kumiko
Posts: 18
Joined: Tue Jul 13, 2004 3:00 am

Post by Kumiko » Wed May 16, 2007 2:12 pm

JoElizabeth,

I have suffered with bigeminy for years. Bigeminy is like my "normal rhythm" Since anxiety and panic has come into my life I notice them all the time and it had become a problem. Before anxiety I would feel them and it would not bother me because I knew it was a part of life, they were not life threatening. I have been blessed with uderstanding, caring, LISTENING cardiologist! My cardio. understood my anxiety and gave me the option of taking a beta blocker that would not get rid of the PVC's but lessen the sensation so I would not freak out. He asked me if I took an anti anxiety med and said it would be o.k. I eventually got over my fear of taking those meds and take xanax. I have had no problems with it and my heart rhythm and have been on it at different low doses and I have been off and on the xanax with no heart related irregularities. What helps me now is my cardiologist, a great heart forum, taking my anti anxiety meds, the program and myself. In times of doubt I think of what my cardiologist said, "They are not life threatening but life annoying....", all my test came back negative so there is nothing structurally wrong with my heart-circumstances made it this way but it was the grace of God that saved me, I repeat those things and phrases daily along with personal reality checks when I am anxious. Reading some of the past posts here helps me along with others on the heart forum and I know I am not alone. You are not alone!! May people suffer from arrythmias and take various anti axiety meds and some don't and live a long life. They get aggravating but the key is how to deal with them and training yourself how to think. I don't feel anxiety causes bigeminy, it does cause a rapid, fast beat. I've awaken many nights with a fast heart beat thinking I was having tachycardia and it was just anxiety! Your heart rhythm does speed up in seconds when you get that anxiety rush unfortunately!
You will be alright and please send me an email if you would like the heart forum address or to talk when the PVC's are driving you bonkers!
Be well.

Grizz 2
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2007 11:35 am

Post by Grizz 2 » Wed May 16, 2007 3:07 pm

Hi JoElizabeth,

As one who has dealt with a similar situation in the past, I feel comfortable with sharing some thoughts. Do not let this situation go on as is. Please contact your doctor again and let he/she know whats going on and how it's effecting you. Even if the situation is promoted by anxiety along with other issues, your doctor in conjuction with a specialist ( Cardiologist ) can help get you straightened out. Let them know also your involved in this program and how your working on the anxiety side of things. Good Doctors do best when they understand all that's going on in your life.

My situation was straighted out by my personal physician changing the medication I was on for high blood pressure to another one ( Atenolol ) . This particular medication was given me because one of it's functions is to help regulate heart rhythm. Before we made this change, I would have sessions like you discussed for hours at times. Very scary. I hardly ever experience that issue now. BUT - caffeine is a no no when you have this stuff. Those stimulants can induce these rhythm problems especially if your prone to them.

Obviously my situation and treatment were tailored to me and should not be looked at in anyway to fit anyone elses situation. Only your healthcare professionals can determine what's best for you. And please, don't live with it.

Let us know how you make out. God Bless. Grizz.

JoElizabeth
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Jan 11, 2007 12:31 am

Post by JoElizabeth » Sun Jun 03, 2007 6:30 pm

Thanks for these responses! Since I posted I went to my cardiologist and have been given Toprol - a beta blocker to help. I am still having the skipped beats but less often. I am also seeing an electrophysiologist this week who was referred by my cardio. As some of you said the dr. told me there is no real "cure" for the PVC's etc. - just learning to deal with them better which I hope my work on this program will continue to help me do. One other question though - even if I am able to tell myself "these are nor harmful" did any of you stop doing things because of them? For example I now dislike exercising, golfing, dancing - (things I used to love) because these types of activities seems to bring out my PVC symptoms. I also had to give up chocolate:) Did any of you find yourself avoiding things and were you eventually able to feel the PVC's and just keep going? Thanks again!

Tollymom
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Jun 06, 2007 9:55 am

Post by Tollymom » Sat Jun 09, 2007 1:43 am

I had PVC"s a lot years ago due to a lot of stress and anxiety. Actually, they were brought on by a heart rhythm problem I had which was called WPW. My heart would race 300 beats a minute. They did an electrophysiology study and burnt the extra electrical pathway which completely got rid of the WPW. But after that I was so freaked out by anything with my heart (I didn't believe them when they told me I was fixed) that I started feeling PVC's. My cardio said they were harmless its just that I was supersensitive to my heart and that most people don't notice them. I do notice that I get more when I'm stressed and when I drink caffeine and after a night of drinking alcohol so I try to avoid those things altogether. You might try walking a bit from time to time for exercise and then it might help you ease back into doing the other things you love.

Dansk
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2009 1:17 pm

Post by Dansk » Wed Dec 30, 2009 6:32 am

I'm posting because I too had PVC's which went to bigeminy for long periods of time. I no longer have any symptoms of either and consider myself more lucky than smart. I went to the hospital with my first "attack". The first night there a very attentive nurse got a cardiologist on the phone who prescribed potassium even though my levels were in the acceptable range. I took two large pills and went the rest of the night with no PVC's at all. The next day they were back with periods of bigeminy and the Dr. would not give more potassium. I checked out fine for any other heart problems and was released with the advice that my pvc's were not life threatening and required no treatment. They remained for 3 weeks, sometimes horrible. I kept remembering the potassium and ate bannanas, baked potatoes, and gator-aid while also avoiding all caffeine. Things diminished steadily with good and bad days moving from all day episodes to morning only and now I've been about 10 days with nothing. I know I'm rambling but my gut tells me that my problem stemmed from some abdominal discomfort I had just prior to all of this. Either my sytem was unable to process the electrolytes or my heart could have been thrown off by the antibiotics I was given to treat the abdominal discomfort (Flagyl and Levaquin). I'll never know, but sufficient to say that I feel for anyone who has to deal with PVC's or Bigeminy on a long term basis and hope that mine do not come back.

adam2272
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Jun 23, 2010 8:12 pm

Post by adam2272 » Mon Jan 10, 2011 5:00 am

magnesium citrate....125 mg up to 4 x day...cured me in weeks......

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