PVC heart beat?

gusabbey

I can feel my heart beating irregularly often.  My endocrinologist suggested that it might be caused by a condition called PVC and she recommended that I speak with my OB about it.  I have an appointment today and plan to discuss this.  Does anyone here have this?  Is there anything they can do about it?

TIA!

PollyPositive

That happens to me occasionally, too. Maybe once or twice a week. I need to bring it up at my next OB appointment as well. Good luck! Keep us posted. 

williamandrachelray

I've had this same experience (starting well before I became pregnant). The first time I brought it up to a doctor she told me it was just stress, nothing to worry about and I probably just felt my heart beating and that it probably was not irregular in actuality. I've been meaning to bring it up again, the first doctor I spoke to was the same one who told me the spot on my leg "probably wasn't cancer" and I could see a specialist if i wanted or not. Not very helpful.

Breemay5785

I had a ton of PVCs with my first pregnancy. I has a 24 hour holter and an echo. I saw an electrophysiologist and he said if they were less than 30% of the beats (mine were about 25%) it wasn't likely to do damage to the heart long term. They can give a Beta Blocker for symptom control but I never did as my blood pressure is on the low side and I didn't want to pass out all the time. My electrophysiologist wanted to so a heart ablation after pregnancy and breast feeding before baby #2 but my symptoms got way better after delivery so I never did it. They are coming back already now w pregnancy #2 but not bad yet. Good luck to you!

Jay_Cee

I have PVCs, diagnosed by my cardiologist in 2010. I had very severe palpitations that summer that were interfering with my quality of life, so I went on a beta blocker. Lucky for me, I got pregnant with my first less than a month later, and the palpitations stopped. I haven't been on meds for this since.

You should go see a cardiologist to make sure they are benign PVCs (most are). You'll likely have EKGs, an echo, possibly a stress echo, and wear a heart monitor for a day or so.

In my case, I needed to figure out my triggers for palpitations and avoid them (caffeine, too much sugar, anxiety, and heartburn/indigestion, I also get them if I feel unwell).

I'm feeling palpitations a little more often this pregnancy, so I saw my cardiologist recently. He likes the "do nothing" approach in my case (which I prefer), so there's nothing to do. Should my palpitations get worse, I'll have a heart monitor for a few weeks to make sure all is well, and I see him again at 36 weeks or something.

The only issue my baby and I had last pregnancy is that her heartbeat mimicked mine while I was in labor, so we had a pediatric cardiologist present for her birth. Thankfully, as soon as she was born, she had a normal heartbeat again, and has since. Apparently it is common for a baby's heartbeat to mimic the mother's on labor.

If you have any specific questions, feel free to pm me. Don't stress!

umbcpt

I had sustained PVCs three years ago every time I would run in a 5k race, lasting from 20 minutes to 40 minutes.  THe weird part is it never happened in training, only on race day.  My cardiologist put me on a 30 day monitor with instructions if it happened to go straight to the ER.  

I did just that, went to the ER, but true to my fashion, as soon as I'm in front of a medical professional, I go back into normal rhythm.  But because I had captured the arrhythmia on the monitor, the hospital staff had something to work with.  

Turns out my HR was in the 230s (yikes!) and it was diagnosed as PVCs.  I was told that sustained PVC is deadly.  I had this periodically throughout my life, and never really understood how serious it was.  They admitted me, found an electrophysiologist, transferred me to a different hospital the next day and I underwent a cardiac catheterization.  I was put in a twilight state and given medicine to recreate the arrhythmia, which worked, and the doctor was able to burn off the part of my heart causing the arrhythmia.  

I had been followed by the cardiologist every six months since, but was discharged completely this past January.  No problems since.  Having that surgery probably saved my life, and I have been great ever since.  

Anyway, I would find an electrophysiologist, a subspecialty of cardiology.  As a PP said, you will likely also undergo other testing including an EKG, 24 hour Holter, echocardiogram.  I wish you well, and take it seriously.  I brushed mine off for years, and turns out it was serious!  

Best wishes to you!!!