To think the doctor just can't leave me like this?

[beerandwine]

I'm suffering from Pvcs and PACs (premature beats) I've had a Holter Monitor but the time I got that it was a good day.
Now I'm having thousands of these a day.
Sometimes every few beats.
I feel my heart pause then a massive thud.
I've had no sleep last night as they were happening every few minutes.
The doctor says they are benign and won't kill me.
I can't live this way.
Today I'm exhausted and the beats are happening all the time.
The doctor gave me beta blockers but I'm sure that's caused more extra beats.
The doctor won't do nothing else.
I don't know what to do now.
My life is not worth living with these.

@drivingmisspotty it's nice to know others are in the same predicament (well not nice but you feel so alone when nobody else you know understands)
It's honestly the worst thing I've ever had to deal with.
Would rather have anything than these

Unfortunately this is a well known anxiety symptom. Have you tried any talking therapies for your anxiety OP? Long-term you have to treat the cause if you want to get better. Beta blockers will help the symptoms.

Would rather have anything than these Ah, but I know that isn't true!

Try stubbing your little toe in the middle of a flutter!

They stop immediately. I'd rather they continued and the pain in my little toe stopped - and yes, real life experience

I feel pathetic sometimes when I think of young people dealing with terminal cancer etc and this isn't going to kill me yet I'm sat wishing I wasn't here anymore.
Sometimes that's a reality check.

@MissRhubarb I went to one session,found it waste of time tbh

@Aqua25 no I don't have any problems with thyroid

beerandwine I think you know deep down that this is caused by your stress and anxiety. The reassuring thing is that it sounds like you've been investigated extensively and they haven't found anything either physically or electronically wrong with your heart. In addition, the start/stop nature of these episodes, and the fact that they have restarted when you've been particularly stressful/anxious periods kind of backs this up - an untreated heart condition doesn't come and go like that.

I get that this doesn't make it any easier, but rather than focusing on pushing for more cardiac investigations (you've had far more extensive investigation than I had and they DID find something wrong with my heart), use that determination to work on your stress and anxiety by whatever means you feel comfortable (medication, talking therapies, complementary therapies, all of the above etc).

It's hard to understand how something that feels so physical can have a psychological cause, but the body is a funny thing. It is beatable though

Have you tried speaking to the GP about how you feel? I don’t mean what’s happening with your heart but rather your response to it?
You seen incredibly anxious and like this is taking over your whole life. Would be useful to tackle the stress and anxiety.

Poor you I sympathise because there was a time I could've written this. Like you, I couldn't accept the cause was anxiety as it would happen when I'm most relaxed, sat watching TV or literally asleep in bed. But that's what it is. And as PP said, it's a bitch. I can't really say what helped me because I'm not really sure! But I think it's mindfulness, accepting what it is, actually believing that it's harmless in terms of I'm not dying, and taking iron, b vitamins and magnesium.

If you gave up on therapy after one session you've not even tried. Why not refer yourself again?

skipping

I am sorry to hear that. But you are probably aware that malignant RVOT is actually reasonably rare, which makes it more than likely that OP's ectopics are simply benign ectopics. Especially as she doesn't appear have any of the high risk factors for the type of RVOT that can cause serious problems (from what she has said here). That said, my understanding of malignant RVOT is the kind of condition that appears normal until it doesn't, if you see what I mean.

Obviously, I cannot possibly make any sort of diagnosis as I'm not the OP's Dr and so don't have all of the information, and I cannot 100% say she does have benign disease- but on the balance of probabilities it is more likely that she has benign disease. if she is concerned and doesn't feel her Dr has adequately investigated/misdiagnosed her then she is able to request a second opinion.

Jacks11

I’m not implying that OP has malignant RVOT, or even just RVOT which is what I had.

What I’m saying is that even when symptoms are considered benign and “won’t kill you”, they can still be very life-limiting and you don’t have to live with them if they can be treated.

OP please go and watch the videos I suggested he explains everything in great detail..

PVCs are horrible but not life threatening and most drs will consider the treatment for them too invasive and risky, hence why they won't do much. You are better off working out your triggers and addressing those

@SciFi101 - I have tried various Magnesium supplements in the past two and a half years. They all work just as well. The ones I am currently taking are from a company called Nature’s Bounty. On the ingredients list it says “Magnesium (as magnesium oxide)”.

OP I had them. It was anaemia and stress related. I had my halter and echo again 2 weeks ago.

Go to the pharmacy at Boots and buy some ferrus sulphate OTC for £2 and some vitamin c capsules. 'Low end of normal' for iron is still bloody low. Floradix is shit and will take a year to bring any iron levels back up. Ferrus sulphate 3x a day will sort it within a month.

2 weeks on them for me and mine are now basically gone and my feeling of breathlessness is improving drastically.

I suffered from this very badly for 10 years to the point where I was afraid to leave the house .My heart would randomly race and lots of skipped beats etc - I was convinced there was something wrong because my mum died of heart failure at 42.

I had a scan of my heart and it was all fine so basically I took anti anxiety medication and ignored it. It was really difficult to just get on with things and not give in to it but actually doing that did all but get rid of the skipped beats - I just powered through in a way!
A few years later I was in hospital with an infection and they noticed that anytime I sat or stood up my heart rate would go from around 60-70bpm to 140+ instantly.

Saw a cardiologist who muttered something about “postural” something something. And prescribed my ivabradine. No idea to this day what he was talking about or what I may have but I don’t care because the medication has all but eliminated both the high heart rate AND missed beats.

Nothing that’s “wrong” with me is dangerous - when the cardiologists prescribes the medication he even said that It was more of a comfort thing so if I don’t want to take them it’s fine don’t.

I hope you do feel better and really my main advice is so the opposite of what your body tells you. When mine were at their worst when I was stuck in a skipped beat cycle I would get up and do jumping jacks or run upstairs and this instNtly seemed to shock my mind into forgetting about it.

Last night was horrific again.
I was having one every 10 seconds..no sleep again.
Feel exhausted
Doctors gave me 3 diazepam tablets
Don't know what's happening to me

I'm so sorry OP, I've been wondering how you are. The nights are the worst. I found trying to sleep on my back was the best position. The diazepam should give you some sleep, but GPs won't give you many as they're addictive.

Do you live alone? Is there anyone you can talk to? Try to get out and go for a walk in the daytime, or do something to take your mind off it.

I'm not much help as even when mine were every third beat it never scared me, only annoyed me. It's just a matter of accepting that it will do you no harm.

Lovey, if you try an anti histamine like Piriton , you will have a great night's sleep. Not addictive in any way.

Try it once, and see. Cannot be worse than what you are going through, and is over the counter too.

I’ve had this for years too, some of it is triggered by my asthma medication but it’s also anxiety. I get a big kind of ‘rush’ and a lot of extra beats. To be honest I had an ECG but haven’t had any further testing, no one seems worried they are just a bit annoying. Def worse the more I think about them

I get them too, especially when I get into bed. GP said to worry if I got breathless or dizzy or felt pain.

This is possibly the postural thing - www.nhs.uk/conditions/postural-tachycardia-syndrome/ - it's what Deliciously Ella claimed to cure / manage with food and lifestyle changes.

I am a veteran of this. When they happen (usually at rest) I take off to the bed, lie down and do the deep breathing thing.

If that doesn't work, DH fills the sink with cold water and throws a few ice cubes in there. Dunk my face in. Gone!

But you cannot do this when out and about either. But just saying it is benign most of the time.

It is a very underrated thing TBH.

I took a diazepam before bed and slept really well,no skips felt so relaxed.
Actually got into bed and smiled.
Really needed that.
Such a shame the doctors won't give me more of them.

Your doctor is very wise. The last thing you need is to trade a diazepam dependency for a benign heart complaint. You need to accept that this is an inconvenience and nothing more, then try to ignore the palpitations. Once you've done that, they will start to decrease, as well as becoming less noticeable.