[suziqheart]

Saw cardiologist yesterday. He wants me to take inderal 20mg at bedtime to help me deal with the PVCs (10,000+day) that are driving me crazy. Sleep is elusive and I'm feeling quite depressed about the whole thing. I seem to feel every single one of them and they seem to have taken over my life. I even have had several runs of PVCs the last few days. I am getting desperate. Can anyone share any experiences or insight with regards to beta blockers. I hate taking meds but am feeling desperate now. Really appreciate everyones input but most of all thanks for being here to listen.

[suziqheart]

Sorry, just me again. I should mention that I am very easily startled lately. The slightest nighttime noise or problem brings an adrenaline rush. The cardiologist thought the inderal might also help with that. I thought a therapist might be a better solution to helping deal with the anxiety/ panic these PVCs are causing me. He told me he has patients that experience 40,000 to 50,000/ day without problem. How I wish I was one of those people that didn't feel every one of them. Any words of encouragement or coping mechanisms would be greatly appreciated. Bypeep you will smile, I have fallen asleep a few nights tapping on my chest. Thanks again everyone!!

[bypeep]

you are going to LOVE your Beta Blocker! Serious. I too, have a very touchy startle reflex and surges in adrenaline flare up my palps big time. I don't have as many as you per day, but when I do get them, they come in strings and clusters. The Beta Blocker seems to help both my PAC's and PVC's.

It makes me a) less aware of my heartbeat, b) less vulnerable to stress and c) less apt to get IST from standing or PMS/Ovulation.

You might feel more tired than normal at first, but I have been using Nadolol with no issue for like 20 years. In fact, I can't live without it.

Chest tapping, while drawing attention to myself, is actually something that I do regularly. If I'm nervous and notice my heart is racing I do it to get through that moment. When I'm tapping, I don't feel the beats and it soothes my mind for some reason.

If you have PMS palps, oddly enough a shot of alcohol will help. Apparently alcohol blocks FSH and LH, the two culprit hormones in cycle palps. Though sometimes this backfires on me and gives me an elevated heart rate. I was doing research on the link between hormones and heart, which seems to be a huge component of what I'm experiencing. If it wasn't for ovulation, my heart would be pretty damn calm. And, I'm scared that it will only get worse as these two hormones actually PEAK after menopause. I'm in peri right now and am completely miserable.

The Beta Blocker will give you a daily dose of chest tapping without the chest tapping. At least I'm pretty sure of it. If you don't like it at first, give it a chance - it'll take a couple weeks for your heart to adjust.

When you say you are getting runs - do you mean you are getting episodes that you get a lot all at once or do you mean that you will get an actual "run" of PVC's, meaning PVC, PVC, PVC... with no normal beat in between. If it's the latter, what does your cardio say about the NSVT you're experiencing?

Oh, and one last thing. I find that being alone is a HUGE trigger for me. I get panicky thinking I'm going to have NSVT that turns into Sustained v-tach when I'm alone and no one will be around to call 911 and try to save me. Irrational fear I'm sure, but I have it nonetheless. On nights that I know I'm doomed to be alone, I keep a phone handy and call my dad - well, I actually plague him with calls. Him or my girl-friend. Talking seems to keep my mind off of them. I also try to get out of the house regularly because that is distracting.

[jkfrench]

I love my beta blocker. I take 1/4 of a 25mg of atenolol in the am and again in the pm. As bypeep stated above, it helps with that startle reflex (which I also get sometimes soon after I fall asleep)
I also helps with my IST. It keeps my heart from racing and I don't notice the skips as much. I like you, feel every one of them so the beta blocker should help.
Jodie

[suziqheart]

Thanks for the encouragement ladies! I may try the Inderal tomorrow night. At the moment my GP is doing a 24hr urine analysis to rule out an adrenaline releasing tumor (pheochromocytosis). Apparently the Inderal would interfere with the test. I may try it tomorrow.

I am almost certain I have experienced PVC, PVC, PVC, etc.. I once counted up to 10 in a row. Really freaked me out! This was right after I left the Cardio's office yesterday. I am pretty sure I also caught a run of PVC's while on the holter monitor this week. I won't have the results until next week. When I mentioned skips occuring one after the other the Cardiologist didn't seem too concerned. It this something that should concern me? From what I understand they have to be sustained for a period of time before they are dangerous. When I felt it occuring on a few occasions over the last few days I made myself cough really hard and it seemed to stop them. The saying 'what doesn't kill you will make you stronger' is so true, isn't it? I too, find that I want to be around people and keep myself busy. When this all started and I was still new to all of this PVC stuff, I had a few nights that I knew I was going to be home alone overnight with my 5 year old son (husband out of town). I taught my son how to dial 911 and give them our address every night before bed. Gosh, I never thought I would have to do this.

Did either of you notice any reduction in PVC's with your beta blocker or were they there in the same no's but less noticable? How has your sleep been since being on the beta blockers? The reason I ask is that some people report insomnia with this Beta Blocker. That is the last thing I need right now. I am desperate for a good nights sleep!! Jodie, it is interesting to hear that you get that same startle reflex soon after falling asleep. I find I get them around 3 - 4 in the morning but most of them feel like adrenaline surges. Do you think these adrenaline surges are related to panic/anxiety or something else. Everyone seems to pin these PVCs on stress. I use to be a good sleeper and a very together person until these PVCs occured. What a scourge! Anyway, my menstrual cycle has been whacky these past 4 months so the electrophysiologist thought it might be related to hormones. My GP and the Cardiologist aren't too convinced but are doing hormone tests as well because I could be entering perimenopause. They still think it is stress related. Granted I have had some very major life stressors lately. Thanks again for responding so quickly. It is so refreshing to be able to communicate with others who are going through the same thing and know how unsettling this can be. Hope you have a great night!

[bypeep]

If you are able to terminate a run of PVC's by coughing then they are probably not PVC's. Generally speaking, PVC's and subsequently v-tach (sustained or NSVT), will not respond to vagal maneuvers because they are completely dissociated from the AV node. The reason vagal maneuvers work for PAC's/PAT is that it creates an AV block.

[suziqheart]

From what I understand NSVT is associated with a high heart rate. I don't have that, in fact, it feels as though my heart rate is slower when this happens. Am I right in saying NSVT is associated with a high heart rate? Thanks!

[bypeep]

My NSVT pops up at low heart rates, e.g., 60-72 - NSVT is itself a high heart rate because in order for it to be classified as tachycardia, it has be going faster than 100 bpm. The difference is that the rate is originating from ventricular activity, not the normal sinus node or atria (as in PAT, etc.).

You might feel like it's lower when you're having episodes because the beats come so close together that they are indistinguishable. During my 8/23 NSVT my ventricles fired 9 times in the span of three normal heart beats. It felt to me like a pause. I couldn't sense any of the individual ectopics at all.

However, there are literally a dozen or more types of arrhythmia so without knowing exactly what you're experiencing this is all speculative, LOL.

I am very anxious to hear what your holter results are! You'll have to keep us posted. And, if there is anything at all I can do to help, please let me know.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

[COPD2]

Have any of you investigated Central or Obstructive Sleep Apnea in correlation w/your sleep problems and arrythmia problems? It might not be a bad idea to check CSA and OSA out and maybe have a sleep evaluation study.

[poohbear2026]

I had a sleep study just a few months ago....nothing wrong was found even though I only slept for 4 hours.