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UserID: Dahrol Type: CurePVCs Joined: Dec 23 2010
Thread Started: Dec 23 2010 Last Post: Feb 21 2015 Last Post By: Kirsten
Origin: General Topics Total Posts: 15

PVC's caused by Anxiety?

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Posted Dec 23 2010#1 of 15
DahrolUser Since: Dec 2010Posts: 4I've been all over the place, ripping my hair out trying to get at least a piece of an answer as to what my condition is.

I'm 19 years old. I have had PVCs off and on for years, but I never had runs of them. It was always one once in a blue moon after intense exertion, like a 30 minute power walk or something. Or I'd get a faint one, and just brush it off and didn't think nothin of it.

Now. I've been dealing with health anxiety as a result of a friend suddenly dropping dead from a massive heart attack, and the most aggravating symptom is these friggen ectopic heartbeats/pvcs/pacs, that seemed to trigger after my first panic attack, which occurred in my chest.

The original source of my anxiety is gone, and now it is THESE that keep causing me anxiety. I can NOT relax anymore because of these friggen things. The minute I get calm and start to get deep into relaxation, I get that random unwarranted adrenaline surge, then I get the beat, then I'm left with more fear and adrenaline after it, although my heart rate never goes up.

Now, of course, after posting my story, I get the "go to the doctor...yada yada." I've been at this for 3 months. You don't think the doctor would have been my first resource? Doctors, therapist, medication. I've been through it.

I was reluctant with the medication, and now am to the point where I pretty much refuse to take it, considering the side effects and addiction possibilities.

My doctor prescribed a Beta Blocker, but I'm reluctant to take that, because like anti-anxiety medication, it seems like that quick fix, that just masks the symptoms but doesn't really get to the root of getting rid of them.

I want to GET RID OF these effing things, or AT LEAST get back to having them randomly, or so faint, that I can just shrug them off again.

What confuses me the most is why I get that adrenaline rush feeling with every one, even if it's a light one. It's like a wave of fear. I'm not panicking, nor doing anything to bring it on. It just happens. Wave of fear brings the beat. If it's a strong one, a wave of fear lingers. If it's a weak one, the wave of fear goes away after the beat.

WHAT IS GOING ON????? I NEED ANSWERS!!! lol.
Posted Dec 23 2010#2 of 15
PVCManUser Since: Oct 2009Posts: 228Hi Dahrol,

Although you said you’ve done the doctors and followed the normal recommendations, does this include looking at your nutrition and more specifically electrolytes? Also, did your doctor refer you to a haematologist for some blood work? It could be that your electrolyte balances are out of whack.

As the author of this site, I once cured my PVCs, and the dreaded things have started to come back once more, only this time I think I know why.

I used to follow a poor diet and depended hopelessly on meds for heartburn suppression. It took me some time to get to the bottom of it all, but in a nutshell I resolved the issue by looking after my diet and finding natural ways to suppress my heartburn. Some might think just exercise is enough to get fit, but I think there’s a lot more to it than that.

My heartburn appeared to be the cause of the issue in that the amount of meds I was taking to stop heartburn was causing malabsoprtion in that I simply wasn’t digesting my food properly.

It took me about 3 months to get it right but I did it through a healthier diet consisting of much higher levels of vegetables (not overcooked) and I started exercising every day and used apple cider vinegar to aid digestion.

The apple cider vinegar helped improve my nutrition absorption particularly magnesium and potassium and the PVCs gradually subsided. You may not be suffering from heartburn like I did, but that doesn’t mean your electrolytes absorption is up to scratch.

After reading many of the articles I’ve published, some think apple cider vinegar could be the magic cure everyone is looking for but I don’t think it is, for me it was just related to the heartburn which in turn helped something else.

But like I said, if your doc hasn’t already done so, I’d be inclined to find out if your blood’s electrolyte balance is up to scratch.

Finally, I mentioned that I am currently having a relapse. For the last 6 months, I’ve been having some stress and have not been looking after myself properly. My heartburn is creeping back, I’m not exercising any more and I am relying on quick easy foods to get by. I am determined to get back into the swing of it in the New Year, and once I do, I am 99% sure I will be able to stop them once again. But this is just me and I think the biggest issue with PVCs is many people suffer for different reasons, but I hope this can help in some way.

Phil
Posted Dec 23 2010#3 of 15
DahrolUser Since: Dec 2010Posts: 4I'm trying to figure out the connection, and am looking for that reassurance that yes, these are transitional heart activities that will subside after it's had time to run its course once my anxiety has subsided.

Many who have these ectopic heart beats, seem to report getting them randomly, for no apparent reason, like they just come on one day and never leave. They wake those individuals up at night, and many of them get tachycardia afterwards.

I'm not one of those cases. Mine seem to have been brought on by that first panic attack, then a second one triggered even stronger ones after the first bout had almost subsided. I mean they were STRONG after that second panic attack. It literally felt like the whole inside of my chest was sucking itself in everytime I got one, and the thud afterwards was hard.

It seems like they slowly weaken over time, the less anxious I try to be over them. I'm trying to find out i that means anything. Is this truly transitory?

My ectopic beats have so far never waken me up in sleep, and they come on about a half hour after waking. If I lay there, they start off faint, then gradually grow in strength. If I get up and start my day, it takes my focus off of them somewhat, and they're not as bad, or I don't get them as bad.

Nobody has been able to answer my questions or take any of the input I'm giving them any thought, and it's frustrating.

"Talk to your doctor, see a cardiologist, see a therapist. blah blah blah."

It's a never ending frustrating broken record, because I HAVE DONE THAT ALREADY! Nothing is physically wrong with me. I'm just living with a never ending annoyance. It's kinda like torture some times, because I can rarely relax with this condition.

I'm like a detective, trying to find out the reason for this crime, and I'm on the case alone. I don't want medication to mask the symptoms that could potentially give me effed up side effects or do damage if used long term. I want an answer.

If I get the answer that "Yes, these are transitory, and they will go away in time," and it's genuinely true, then they won't bother me so much, because I'll have something to look forward to.

People just don't realize how frustrating this is, to be told the same things over and over again, avoid caffeine, yada yada. I'm doing that. No chocolate, no caffeine, no soda, I don't smoke or drink.

I'm turning here hoping that I won't get more of the same.

Posted Dec 24 2010#4 of 15
PVCManUser Since: Oct 2009Posts: 228I do know how frustrating it all is and the pattern you are experiencing sound very similar to what I went through. (i.e. no problem at night but kicks off in the mornings etc.)

I also went through all the rubbish the medical industries dishes out which was of very little help. I got so frustrated with the same old text book responses from cardiologists etc that I went it alone and finally managed to get to the bottom of it without any help from a third party or the so-called medical industry.

The only reason I would ever recommend going to the doctors is in the first instance and to make sure there no underlying issue, but I have never wasted peoples time trying to tell them to see a doctor to get help with PVCs because I know from experience it Is a waste of time. Since you’ve already exhausted those options, I am one person that will not patronize you by telling you again. I do however recommend medical help for test purposes (blood tests etc).

I agree with not taking any meds, I think they only mask the problem and opens the door to loads of others.

You said you’ve done all the obvious stuff with doctors etc, so does that mean you have had blood work done to test for any electrolyte imbalance?
Posted Dec 24 2010#5 of 15
DahrolUser Since: Dec 2010Posts: 4I had blood tests done, yes. That was the first thing they did when all this started.

But from my understanding, blood tests might not detect an electrolyte imbalance.

Also, does anxiety and panic deplete those electrolytes as well as essential vitamins, and me not eating at the time, or eating a healthy diet mean possibly that I wasn't putting them back ,and that's why my body is all out of whack?
Posted Dec 26 2010#6 of 15
PVCManUser Since: Oct 2009Posts: 228I'm not qualified to be absolute, but I know many people suffer an escalation of problems due to stress. So there’s no reason why PVCs/ectopics can’t be exacerbated for the same reason.

Did you read the blog “My Personal Story”? It appears that many people suffer for different reasons, and for that reason I don’t believe there is a standard magic cure. But as you’ve found out like the rest of us, the doctors aren’t much use once they’ve got to the stage of telling you “don’t worry”.

If your electrolytes are out of whack, then it could very well be stress and lack of the right nutrition that’s making the problem worse.

Posted Dec 26 2010#7 of 15
DahrolUser Since: Dec 2010Posts: 4I read somewhere that sometimes, blood tests don't exclude electrolyte imbalance, so is it possible that even though the blood tests didn't find anything, that I could still have an imbalance?

If so, how can I get these electrolytes balanced again?

Does anxiety deplete them, and with me not eating the balanced diet I was eating before, I wasn't putting them back?
Posted Dec 31 2010#8 of 15
PVCManUser Since: Oct 2009Posts: 228Sorry buddy, been away for a few days.

Not being a medical practitioner I can’t be sure and am not qualified to say one way or another.

But if I had to hazard a guess, I would say that anxiety can exacerbate any ailment, but I wouldn’t say it would deplete electrolytes as such.
Posted May 03 2011#9 of 15
sabineUser Since: May 2011Posts: 2Phil, you said the PVCs were coming back, did you manage to stave them off again? How did you do it?

Goodness, I feel frustrated and scared.

Posted May 12 2011#10 of 15
PVCManUser Since: Oct 2009Posts: 228Hi sabine,

Apologies. Been having some troubles with hosting this site recently, anyway...

I have indeed managed to ease my PVCs back to a minimum again. It's such a difficult one to put my finger on, but basically over the last few months I have had a great deal of worry and I'm not saying it is worry and stress alone that caused the return of PVCs, but while my stress was building, I found myself not looking after my diet, I was not looking after my body in that I was depending on my car again on a daily basis etc etc.

In the last month, I have been eating a lot more vegetables and not over-eating. I starting taking apple cider vinegar to hold off any dyspepsia. I got the bycicle out the garage and cycled to work every day. My blood pressure had crept up to an average of 140/95 but on checking it recently, the last 3 nights have averaged around 115/75. I don't think blood pressure is the cause of PVCs, but I'm sure it doesn't help. Things have got better recently and although I still get my PVCs, they are back to a minimum again.

I know the PVCs are scary and cause so much frustration, but I truly believe being out of whack can be the biggest issue. Have you had bloodwork done to see if your electrolytes are in balance?

Phil
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