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How do your PACs/PVCs feel?

Posted , 56 users are following.

jesse81655
jesse81655

Hey all,

I've been having PACs and PVCs for about 5 years now, 21yo M who doesn't drink, smoke or do drugs (but I do have anxiety :p )

Anyway I wanted to talk to some people first hand about how theirs feels as I don't know anybody in real life who experiences these, so experiences would help ease my fear.

Mine kind of feel like a thump and then I get a massive anxiety rush and my heart beats faster, sometimes it will be mild and it feels more like someone presses on my heart for a second. But the big ones are like someone punches my heart and I have to recover, I'm a little worried it is Afib and not just benign PAC's/PVC's. I've had an ECG about 2 weeks ago and nothing showed, no hyper or hypothyroidism on my bloods, I have a 24 hour monitor tomorrow and I am considering having caffeine because the last time I had a monitor they barely even showed up.

Thanks in advance.

0 likes, 128 replies

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  • rob92356
    rob92356 jesse81655

    Edited

    Hi I've been having this for about 7 years I am 28 years old and all I can say is you are not alone . They are horrible and to be honest have ruined my life , the feelings I get are like a thud then a pause sometimes 2 thuds then a pause then some times many thuds then I can also feel like a double beat . I've had tests and monitoring and they pulled up nothing and I'm told to not worry , its a hard thing to live with and sometimes I feel like they have missed something and I have some hidden condition that will hurt me . I can have a brake from them for months and then one day bang they are back .

    • jen82044
      jen82044 rob92356

      Posted

      im

      sorry

      i feel like they are stealing my life and joy from me.

      its been about 3 months when they started

      and just never went away before that they were here and there

      now its all day on and off

      scared all the time

    • feroz76105
      feroz76105 rob92356

      Edited

      Hello,

      I am a 63 year old male. This PVC started all of a sudden 2 years ago. At first, this only happened for 20 to 30 minutes where I would have a missed beat after every 2 or 3 or 4 beats, but then it would stop. But the frequency of missed beats gradually increased, and now I have PVCs all day every day. After every 2 beats I have a missed beat, and this happens day and night without stopping. Sometimes, it becomes less frequent after 5, 10, 20 beats, but it returns to the 2 beat pattern again. When this happens, I have a lot of pain in my chest and it feels like a stabbing pain, and sometimes when I have too much PVCs, I feel suffocation and light feeling of shortness of breath. Sometimes when I have pvcs, I feel light stabbing pain but not the shortness of breath. whenever I go to the doctor, they tell me I have PVCs in my ECG but the oxygen level is normal and that this is benign. My chest x-rays, blood tests, echos are all normal. I even had an angiography, and everything was clear. They say not to worry about the condition, and try to forget about it.

      If you are able to share more of your experience with me, it will re-assure me that other people are experiencing the same thing as me and reduce my worry. Thank you.

    • ashley32071
      ashley32071 feroz76105

      Posted

      i have the same exact symptoms you've described. my pvcs didn't start like this. at first it was just the pause and thud, but they've evolved over the last two years to become painful and cause lightheadedness and occasional shortness of breath. I am also told that it's ok and not to worry about it. however I'm frightened beyond belief and it's ruining my life.

    • gina18787
      gina18787 feroz76105

      Posted

      Hi. I have similar frequency and they have me scared despite a normal echo and EKGs. They want me to see an electrophysiologist due to only frequency, no structural issues. I'm not sure about this.

    • sarah29819
      sarah29819 rob92356

      Posted

      hi i hope you are doing much better. my ectopics are also like yours well I think there ectopics i can have a pause then a thud, a pause then 2 thuds, 2 thuds then a pause sometimes multiple thuds and ivif e also felt a double beat. ive had 24hr ecg which didnt pick anything up other than sometimes a fast heartrate and also an echocardiogram which was normal, I'm waiting for a 7 day ecg hopefully that will pick them up. They scare me so much I also feel like they are going to hurt me. Take care

  • ann82027
    ann82027 jesse81655

    Posted

    I have had these for 40 years since i was 28, i just learned to live with them without the side effects of drugs, as i,ve got older they are harder to tolerate.  I also have suffered with anxiety, i try to keep busy to take my mind off these horrible feelings but it does affect your life, i avoid stressfull excitable situations. I have never smoked taken drugs and alcohol, pretty much led a healthy lifestyle but still i am wired up like this, some of us unfortunately are.  One thing for sure you will not die of this, i have worked until retirement and put my energy into my family. Definitely give up coffee that starts me off.

     

  • rob92356
    rob92356 jesse81655

    Posted

    I agree . Also I think it's just hard to accept that something that feels so dangerous is actually medically insignificant .

  • djlovell
    djlovell jesse81655

    Posted

    Hi Jesse,

    Im a 23yo male and know completely what your going through! 

    I was diagnosed with afib in December last year.. was in fast AF for about 40 minutes before my heart finally converted back to normal rhythm. I was prescribed the beta blocker bisoprolol which has stopped me from going into afib but during parts of the day i get lots of pvc's/pac's and the only way i can describe it is almost like a frog jumping around in your chest.  Normally pauses then a thud after, its not a pain but it is the most scary/horrific sensation and every single one is as bad as the last one! Please reply back to me as I think it would help us both to talk about it smile, dont worry, your not the only one!

    Dan

    • julie7525
      julie7525 djlovell

      Posted

      Hi dan, how are you doing now? We mssgd a few months back
    • tyler47979
      tyler47979 djlovell

      Posted

      Yo man this made me feel better reading this. I’ve recently been struggling with these weird palpitations and I always feel like I’m going to die lol. It’s been going on a year now and I’ve been to the doctor several times each time they say I’m fine but I’m like HELLO! My heart is still doing weird things! Ha glad to see I’m not alone. I’m taking magnesium and trying to fight it with Ativan but I still get them daily. Like a skilled beat followed by a larger thud type beat. Sucks lol. Anyway glad I’m not the only one! Any advice you might have I’d appreciate it. 
  • Sway
    Sway jesse81655

    Posted

    Im so paranoid when i get mine. I think im going to die.
    • Rzdoucet
      Rzdoucet Sway

      Posted

      I know that feeling! Sometimes I feel like my heart is going to stop and not start back up.
  • miriam80881
    miriam80881 jesse81655

    Posted

    Hi everyone. I'm new on here & feel comforted by your comments. I suffer from PVCs which feel like a jumping in my throat and breathless feeling. Despite being given a clean bill of health by the cardiologist it is hard not to both dread them & be frightened when they happen. I am a worrier with a history of anxiety but no problems with weight. I first suffered about 5 years ago & had been much better until I went on a diet to clean up my sluggish gallbladder. This meant eating a lot of acid food so I wonder if there is a connection with arrhythmia & changes in diet. I don't have any caffeine and am a regular dog walker. Having said that, I'm terrified to walk too energetically in case it triggers an attack. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. 

    Any advice welcome. Best wishes

    • richard49104
      richard49104 miriam80881

      Posted

      It's difficult to place them in the back of your mind, however if you can it will greatly help. I am 77 and have had them since I was 17...I am still here. Doc told me the more I think about them; the more I will feel. It's difficult, however, try to relax. Good Luck and have a great day

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