Ectopic beats, anxiety and can't stop monitoring my heart, don't know what to do anymore
Posted , 3 users are following.
Hello,
I'm new here. I'm a 35 yo female and have been having PVC's and PAC's for over a decade (since my first pregnancy to be exact)
Usually my pvc's come and go (they will be there for 3-4 months max and then I won't have any for a few months) But this time, I've had them for over 7 months, every day. I have a lot of anxiety and just can't deal with them...
So I got all the tests done (again) a few weeks ago: echo, ecg, stress test and 2 Holter monitors (1 was 24 hrs and the other 4 days) Everything was normal, except for "non frequent" pvc's and pac's.
Some days i will have a few pvc's (maybe 10) and other days I will have like 20-50. I have more pac's, maybe 100/day, but I don't feel all of them. I do feel all the pvc's.
So I bought this heart monitor to wear at home. It tracks your heartbeat up to 24hrs at a time and shows your pvc's and pac's. It is reassuring to see that what I'm feeling are really only ectopic heartbeats, but this became like an addiction. I can't stop wearing it and I keep analysing the +1000 pages of ecg every day. I feel like I'm going crazy! I'm scared to not wear it because I feel like I have some sort of "control" when I can check the ecg myself after an episode of pvc's.
I'm so scared, I don't feel like myself anymore and i don't remember how I dealt with these before I started tracking them myself.
So how do you guys do it? How do you keep living normally with this constant fear?
I already take propranolol and meds for anxiety. It doesn't help that much.
I just want to feel normal again
0 likes, 4 replies
Lolasmom shir44120
Posted
Can you please tell me more about this monitor you bought for home
shir44120 Lolasmom
Posted
Hello
It's called Wellue Heart Health Monitor. I bought it on Amazon..
It's not always accurate though, it detected atrial fibrillation even though I don't have that condition (was checked by my cardiologist when I freaked out about it)
But it does show the PVC's and PAC's
I wouldn't recommend using it too much (or at all).
Like I mentioned above, it's pretty hard to stop checking my heart every day now... Like an addiction
Lolasmom shir44120
Posted
Thank you.
Yes I understand.
I used to get that way with my bp monitor.
Right now its my oximeter......
maria97452 shir44120
Edited
I now how hard it is - I've had PVCs since my 30s and i will be 60 on Sunday! Mine have suddenly ramped up again and i will see cardiologist in 2 weeks. I suffer from anxiety as well and cannot tell you how often I've checked my pulse/blood pressure to reassure myself that I'm not having heart attack! I think the anxiety only feeds the PVCs - just get more and more of them. I feel much better when I'm busy and moving around, although I do sometimes feel them with activity. Once I sit down, however, I'm doomed! Ugh! Try to take the focus off of them in whatever way you can - stay busy, take deep breaths and stretch - rest when you need to and come here to vent we will listen!!