Event timeline added by: carebear18

While driving to work I felt my heart flutter. Scared me so much that I had my mom pick me up and take me to the ER. They didn't find anything and put me on a 24hr monitor. My doctor diagnosed me with having palpitations.

A few years after my first episode, I started to experience the "flutters" more frequently. I was taking prevacid for severe stomach pains that were diagnosed as acid reflux. I then found out I had gall stones and had my gall bladder removed. I finally went to a cardiologist. He did an echo, ekg and a 24hr monitor. That's when I found out these "flutters" were PVCs. He explained that they were more annoying than threatening.

Started experiencing mild panic attacks triggered by these "flutters".

My PVCs started getting more frequent. Instead of a tiny butterfly flutter, they were like big skips. I went to a different cardiologist for a different opinion. He too did an echo, ekg and 24hr monitor. Again I was diagnosed with non-threatening, just annoying PVCs. I usually only experienced these once in a while. But now they were coming a couple times a week.

My heart rate seemed to always be around 80-90 which gave me anxiety or vise versa. This created many panic attacks that sent me to the ER. This also made my PVCs more frequent.

With the increase in anxiety, panic attacks and PVCs I told my cardiologist I had a fear of my PVCs being something more. He then put me on an event monitor. I think this was for almost a month. Thankfully I experienced many PVCs while wearing it and documented them. The results showed the PVCs and some other sinus tachycardia that was normal. Again he tried reasurring me they are harmless.

The anxiety from the PVCs had me discussing a beta blocker with both my primary physician and my cardiologist. They both agreed on trying a lower dose. This gave me a different anxiety. My mind was worried about the effects it would have on my heart. I finally gave in and took it. It seemed to help with the racing heart and anxiety. It also lowered my already normal blood pressure.

Started seeing a therapist for my anxiety. He helped alot with using mindfulness and breathing methods. The anxiety and panic attacks decreased to almost 0. When before I couldn't sleep and had a panic attack almost every night. He said I was at the beginning of depression. Eventhough I was still getting PVCs, they didn't faze me the way they used to.

After not having a job for a while, I finally got one. Being active seemed to help with the anxiety, stress and PVCs. I was still gettingthe PVCs but they were small, not as frequent and not as worrisome.

Lost my job about a week ago. I think the stress from this has caused my anxiety to come back, thus making my PVCs more frequent. I can handle the small skips or tiny flutters but these are longer and seem to take my breath away. In the past 2hrs I've had about 5-6 of them. I just saw my cardiologist and few days ago and was reasurred I was still healthy. I'm wracking my brain trying to think of any vitamin or mineral deficiencies I may have that's causing this. I take my multi-vitamin. But from what I was reading, the calcium may decrease the effectiveness of my beta blocker. I am so confused as to what I should do. I have a feeling this is going to be another sleepless night. My biggest fear is that they will turn into fibrilation while I'm sleeping and I won't be awake to get help. I am going to ask my doc to do blood work to check my magnesium and potassium levels. I have a feeling mine are triggered by stress and anxiety.