Ugh heart palps

So I just got through with a period of heart palpitations and they are the worst! These we're coming like 1 every 10-15 beats. Does anyone have a trick to make them stop? I know it's anxiety and about to be my time of the month but every single time they send me into a panic.....anyone else get them??

M.,

We have had so many posts on this very topic! So know that you are not alone.

You can do a search here by hitting on the 'Search' icon (upper right tool bar) and inputting key words (palpitations, PVC's/PAC's, irregular heart beats...)

Try the coping skills in our Resources (I posted a link in your introductory thread) for relief of physical effects of anxiety.

Wishing you a symptom free remainder of the evening!

S.C.

If you've seen a doctor and been tested or wore monitoring equipment and the doctor told you they are benign, there's nothing to worry about. I'm a lifetime victim of PVCs (Premature Ventricular Contractions), and I get hundreds to thousands a day. I used to write on an arrhythmia forum, people with structurally normal hearts and stable EKGs (in other words, no heart problems) would complain about getting 10,000 a day. In all honesty, I thought that was stretching the truth a bit until I read this page:

http://www.drjohnm.org/2013/06/benign-pvcs-a-heart-rhythm-doctors-approach/

This doctor, an electrophysiologist, specializes in heart rhythms. He says that PVCs can be as frequent as 20,000 per day before it would be a concern, that's one PVC for every 5 normal beats. Wow, suddenly my thousand or so doesn't seem so impressive.

To try to reduce the number of them, reduce the stress in your life (LOL). Seriously, avoid caffeine like the plague, coffee, chocolate, some aspirin products contain caffeine. Cold medications are another thing that can bring them on. Try to get 8 hours of sleep every night, if not 8, try for the most you can get. Drink plenty of water, keep hydrated. Watch the salt intake, some foods, such as MSG aggrevate mine. Some supplements make mine worse as well.

Melzmoda, as long as a doctor told you they are benign, you should have no concern. The stomach and esophagus are influenced by the Vagal Nerve, which is also connected to the heart, and it functions to slow the heart rate when stimulated. I had a bizarre thing happen with heart rhythm related to the Vagal Nerve. In the evening, when eating dinner, every time I would swallow, my heart would missbeat once. My wife didn't believe me, so she took my pulse, and every time I swallowed, bam, a missbeat, every time.

She worked for my cardiologist, and I made an appointment and went to see him. He said that it was a Vagal Nerve response. Sometimes I'm convinced that when my heartburn acts up it causes me to get more.

The important thing for anyone first experiencing them, or people that get them normally but they suddenly seem worse, is to be cleared by a doctor.

Melzmoda

Unfortunately, in general there is no cure for PVCs. What we can do is minimize the impact that they have on your life. These are some of the remedies that have worked for  others. As usual, this is not intended to be medical advice. You should consult your doctor before trying any of these cures.

 

Relax - I'm sure that you're tired of hearing this, but it's true. The more you focus on your irregular heart beat the worse it will be. Just ignore it. Your heart is not going to stop beating just because you are not focusing on it. In fact, the exact opposite will happen. If you can stop worrying about why your heart is not functioning the way you'd like it to, maybe your stress level will drop just enough that your heart will start functioning the way you'd like it to.

Either get up and walk around, or put on some headphones and listen to your favorite music. Maybe go eat something healthy like a carrot. The crunching will make it hard to focus on your heart beat. Don't eat too much, though, because if you fill your stomach you might make them worse.

Many people have worse premature beats or ectopics when they lay on their left side. This is most likely due to the way the heart antagonizes the vagus nerve in that position. Try laying down on your right side in a fetal position, and breath deep and slow. Take your mind off of your heart beat, even put on some headphones. For me, the worst position is sitting up, either on the couch or at the computer desk. Laying down on my right helps about 75% of the time.

Believe it or not, your PVC's could triggered from your stomach. There is a very strong stomach to heart connection due to the vagus nerve. If your stomach is uncomfortable, that discomfort can trigger ectopic beats. If I drink a large glass of water I'll almost always get a bout of PVC's until my stomach goes back down to normal size.

Something else to look for is indigestion, GERD, and ulcers. All of these stomach issues can cause an irritation that travels to the heart. Try taking some Tums or Rolaids until your stomach feels better and see if your PVC's don't go away.

A word of warning about ulcers and GERD; a common treatment for these ailments is Prilosec, which can have a long term impact on your PVC's. Prilosec (omeprazole) can deplete your magnesium bringing your electrolytes out of balance making your PVC's worse. For more information  about this effect, talk with your Dr.

Drink some wine -

Wait, isn't wine a known PVC Trigger? Yes, alcohol is a very well known heart rhythm modifier. In my personal experience if I drink too much alcohol (roughly 3 servings in one night) then the next day I have terrible premature beats. However, if I'm having a bad night of PVC's and I just can't get them to stop, 1 or 2 glasses of red wine seems to almost always do the trick.

Seriously, talk to your doctor first!

I think that wine works so well because it calms me down, and I suspect that my PVC's are very related to stress. It's a fine line to walk, though. Just enough wine to take the edge off, but not so much that tomorrow night is PVC HELL again. I've found that 1 or 2 glasses is about right, and 3 is too much. You'll have to do your own experimenting. This is, or course, a very risky cure because addiction is such a strong possibility. All I can say is use this option wisely, and seek professional help.

Xanax is drug used to treat panic disorder and help deal with anxiety. I've read numerous accounts of it being used to treat accute bouts of PVC's, so I asked my doctor for a prescription. It has been effective as a localized treatment when I'm having a bad night. At first I tried 0.25 milligrams, but it wasn't enough so now I use 0.50 milligrams and it really helps make the PVC's go away.

Again, like wine this is an addictive drug so using it as a cure should be considered dangerous and a last ditch effort to feel better. I usually only use Xanax when my PVC's are really bad. The last thing I want is to get addicted to benzodiazepines. I don't have to tell you to talk to your doctor first because Xanax is prescription only, but still, talk to your doctor first!

I am adding a link for long term cures for PVCs:

http://heartpvcs.com/long_term_pvc_cures.htm

Please remember I am not a physician and HealingWell should never take the place of your Dr.

Also we have great info in our resources thread at the top of the page and usually members can find one or two suggestions that help them.

I wish you peace and may your week-end be free of PVCs.

Kindly,

Kitt

Thank you stkitt!! You helped me out a lot! I have never tried the glass of wine so maybe I will. I've never had the problem of the day after pvcs from alcohol so it's worth a shot. Also I have been prescribed Xanax and I have only ever taken 1 dose (it's the whole anxiety thing I guess) so that is an option too. I truly think mine are related to hormones and my stomach issues. When you say a bad night though what do you mean? Mine can come on back to back sometimes three in a row then like every 10 beats. Sometimes it's only like 3 pvcs in a day other times it will last a while. I've only gone to the ER once for them though it was the first time I had ever had them last longer than like 5 mins and it freaked me out!

I agree Brave, same with me. After I started taking my Prilosec for Irritable Bowel Syndrome and stomach issues I started having them also. I guess the anxiety brought on the stomach issues and the stomach issues brought on the heart palps. Its like one thing leads to another but we have no clue if our doctors don't inform us! 2 cardiologists and almost every test done later, I realized this could be the issue as well as anxiety because my heart is fine!