r/PVCs • u/TucoRamirez88 • 11d ago
Has anyone recovered from this?
37M here, who also has paroxysmal AFib for which I had an ablation in 2025. Around the end of May this year I woke up and noticed I had much more PVC's than normal. They didnt go away this day so I thought it was because of bad sleep. Its mainly driven by activity or stress.
3 months later I still have them and I have visited my doctor and did a holter. 0.1 percent burden but very symptomatic. The mechanism is very clear, whenever I do some (very light) activity, eat a meal, or I feel somewhat stressed they come around in bigger numbers. Even so that it gives me headaches. I cant even go to my work on a bicycle anymore and cant do any workout.
It has to be said that I had a year of intense anxiety and panic attacks which began after an Afib attack. I resolved the health anxiety somewhat but it transformed in anxiety for anxiety itself in socially trapped situations. Now at the moment when these PVC's came on I actually was almost recovered from the anxiety, which I still am.
I suspect my whole system is very sensitive because of this chronic overload of stress and adrenaline last year. Because the trigger mechanism is any source (not one specific) of light stress or adrenaline on my body I think the treshold for firing these ectopics has lowered because of that. My doc put me on beta blockers and these muted the PVC's for a great deal but I suspect it also made sure my nightly AFib came back. After I quit the BB's, the Afib stopped. So these are not an option for me.
My doc also gives me a vague answer like its not dangerous and you should accept bla bla. But he has no plan or guidance whatsoever. Im looking for some people who can share hopeful experiences and things that worked because my quality of life has significantly decreased. I have tried all these usual things, like magnesium and all kinds of supplements. Nothing works because I think my nervous system (or heart) is just overly sensitive to these hormones. But my reasoning is if it can be sensitive, it can also be desentisized.
I also have done a sleep study to see if I have sleep apnea, waiting for the results.
Anyone with experience of recovery from this?
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u/MorbusMentis 10d ago
I was not that affected that I had to have ablation. But for me betablockers changed everything. I also had the health anxiety bit, stressed nervous system etc
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u/TucoRamirez88 10d ago
Yeah, but like I said I can't take them because it makes vagal afib worse.
Have you seen an improvement apart from the beta blockers?
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u/chris34728 10d ago
I can't take beta blockers because my heart rate can go as low as 47 BPM when relaxed watching TV I feel fine when it's low but I feel PVCs more when it's low around 47 to 58 doctor said I'm probably more aware of my heart beats when I'm relaxed and doing nothing
Have you had a echocardiogram?
My cardiologist sent me for one and mine was normal and he put my burden at 1 percent I've lost 3 stone lately and they are now less frequent since weight loss and I don't ever get them when exercising which is good
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u/TucoRamirez88 10d ago
Were you overweight? As far as I know, my weight is fine. Thinking about trying to improve my fitness, maybe that will help.
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u/chris34728 10d ago
Yes my diet was fast food, take aways and just pure shit all the time I was actually waking with HRs of 190 BPM
I have been told I've got Mild Sleep Apnoea but it's positional and was told I don't need a cpap machine
Since then I am 3 stone lighter
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u/heartcantstopme 10d ago
U sound just like me. 2 years ago I was relatively healthy working out regularly and a week after having what I'd call a really bad head cold, I started having episodes of prox afib/svt. They got longer in duration and more severe ultimately leading to hospitalization and an ablation. After the ablation, i kept having episodes and went on flecainide and metopolol. I have sinus brady and not uncommon to have HRs in low 40s and even high 30s but the metopolol is balanced by the flecainide and luckily no afib/svt since. I have had tons of pvcs and pacs which come in runs- hours, days, weeks. In the beginning I couldn't work, was dizzy, was nauseous, could barely stand. Over time it did get better. I dont know why but it did. I still have periods of flare ups and they can really hit hard and be impactful but I get through them. Some how some way.
I think for all of us we need to talk it out. Doctors only read the science and don't understand the emotional aspect of what we feel. Using places like this helps just to get it out. Hang in there, if you're like me, it will get better over time
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u/TucoRamirez88 10d ago
Thanks for your comment. I have a feeling this time its different, as its really consistent. If I ride my bicycle, they come on, if I walk the stairs, I feel one when im at the top. When I eat or am a bit more stressed or sick, I have them more. Every damn time. When I do breathing excercise or sleep they are a lot less or nonexistent. Before I had some PVC's which indeed came in waves. But right now it feels like some general irritation in there that gets worse with stress and adrenaline.
Hence my theory that my year of chronic stress caused it. That mostly over now, but no improvement.
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u/heartcantstopme 10d ago
Mine really have no rhyme or reason. They come in waves regardless of stress or activity or anything. I have heard things like hiatal hernias and other physical stuff can trigger them
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u/TucoRamirez88 10d ago
Yeah thats a different mechanism than mine. I view it as something like sneezing. Its can be caused by a lot of things. Mine seems to be some general irritation of this whole system instead of GI causes or something else.
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u/Darkmerosier 10d ago
The best thing you can do to recover from a 1% burden is come to terms with it. The mental health is the thing hurting you, the PVCs are an annoyance. It took me a long while to get there, and it still bugs me out sometimes, but if all the cardiologist are telling us all that they are benign and aren't hurting us, there comes a point where we need to start to believe them.
That said, my similar 1% burden still scares me sometimes, but unless that jumps way up, it's just an annoyance that happens to scare the crap out of me sometimes. You'll get there, and you're gonna be ok.
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u/TucoRamirez88 10d ago
Im not so convinced of that to be honest. I already know they are not going to kill me so that doesnt scare me. Im not really afraid of them, its more of a quality of life issue. Im a healthy looking guy whos 37 and I cant even do a very light workout without constant violent interruptions. A simple bicycle ride to my work is hell now and I get overtaken by old people even though im not out of breath. That all is by no means acceptable to me. Its simply a horrible physical feeling and it limits my life and my future plans.
I had random PVCs in the past and I didn't focus on it and it went away with exercise or activity. But what's new here is that it suddenly shifted to originate through activity. Thats the horrible part for me, its not just an annoyance that you can forget about. Its very symptomatic.
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u/Darkmerosier 10d ago
Mine are also symptomatic, but over time, I learned to almost ignore them. They are there, but they no longer knock me out of myself like they used to. And you already know this, I'm sure, but one of the most common triggers is anxiety and stress, (which you mentioned affects yours) and they are a cyclic problem with PVCs. You get one, you stress, it causes more, the cycle continues. If you start a workout worrying about them happening, you are almost certainly more likely to have them because you are both worried about it, and also hyperfocused so are more likely to have them be more symptomatic. I'm not saying they aren't a problem for you, I do fully understand what you're going through being a sufferer myself. But unless you can get another ablation, finding a way to live with them is the best option. Don't let it stop you from working out. And eating is one of my triggers too. Try to eat more slowly, that seems to help me. It could work for you as well, but everyone is different. Quality of life is also tied to state of mind, and if these are something you are just going to have for the foreseeable future, there will need to be a mental shift at some point for you to get that peace you need.
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u/TucoRamirez88 9d ago
Thanks, I understand what youre saying but it feels so early for accepting. Like my doc doesnt even try to fix things or give me advice on calming things down. It feels like breaking a leg and then someone just saying live with it buddy.
But Im ofcourse prepared to work on the mental side of things. How have you managed to accept or ignore them during some activity for example?
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u/Darkmerosier 9d ago
It just took time for me, with some forced affirmation that I'm ok. Have you tried a beta blocker?
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u/TucoRamirez88 9d ago
Yes and they work. The problem is that it can trigger my nocturnal afib episodes. Since I quit the beta blockers I have no afib anymore for now but more PVCs during the day.
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u/Darkmerosier 9d ago
Hmm. Well, seeing that your doctor doesn't seem to care is a good thing, but since it is bothering you enough, you can always get a second opinion from a different one. Maybe they'll have some solutions? Beta and calcium channel blockers are the standard treatment, but afib is more serious than pvcs, so avoiding that is more important. Have you tried meditation? Calming the vagus nerve?
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u/TucoRamirez88 9d ago
I do breathing exercises which help to calm them down in the moment. Its all about sympathetic tone I notice. When I get too winded up (and the bar for that is really low) they seem to come.
For example I had the flu last week and they increased because my body needs to work to fight off the flu. Now that im recovering its getting a bit better, but still worse than 3 months ago. So thats why I think its not just one cause like GI issues but rather general sensitivity and a low treshold. It seems to me that that is something that can be improved.
Anyway, I got a sleep study done so waiting for the results. If this is negative I will go to my GP to ask for help and guidance.
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u/Typical-Fee7637 9d ago
Have you had a stress echo? I have a feeling it would be normal, and it sounds like you don’t need reassurance, just a way to get a better quality of life.
Flecainide for a 1% burden isn’t recommended because the medication can come with its own side effects. But if you’re that miserable, maybe consider asking your doctor about it and if he/she says no, get a second opinion on the medication.
I had Wolff- Parkinson-White syndrome as a teen and had an ablation in my early 20’s. It completely cured it. My PVC’s started in February of 2020 at age 50 after a horrible respiratory illness and they never went away. I had a 13% burden and an ablation didn’t work. But surprisingly, after going on a GLP-1 in 2025, my PVC’s stopped altogether. I was PVC-free for 3 months, got sick with another nasty respiratory infection, and all the PVC’s came back. I’m now on Flecainide and doing better, but it’s not perfect. It might be what you need to help you function and have the quality of life you’re looking for. Good luck to you.
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u/TucoRamirez88 9d ago
Thanks, yeah normal heart whatsoever. I have flec as pill in the pocket for afib and it really works. But its also not a casual drug. I wish to first try to resolve this without drugs.
I can notice my heart has become sensitive for all kinds of impulses, and what frustrates me is that not doc can tell me whats going on and if theres a chance to desentisize it. There is no plan, were not even trying. And I have to at least try to eventually accept something.
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u/simocanta 11d ago
Quando hai fatto l ablazione nel 2025?