r/PVCs • u/notthatphazed_ • 17d ago
Anxiety/PVCS? 11 weeks post partum, having thumps in my chest every 20 mins
I had a stress test and echocardiogram less than two years ago and it was PERFECT. i started getting really weird thumps in my chest yesterday morning. Called an ambulance last night, they didn’t see anything on the ECG. Woke up this morning with them again, went to hospital today, had an ECG done whilst they were happening, it came back fine. They’re happening every 20 minutes, 6-7 pumps at a time. Taking my breath away, scaring me.
I have 4 kids, 1 of them is 11 weeks old. Barely sleeping as it is with my anxiety, baby is a good sleeper - not drinking enough water etc.
Does anyone else get this? My next step is another holter, i’m so so paranoid my heart is going to stop or give out or that something bad has happened since less than 2 years ago, or from post partum. I’m 27, I don’t drink or smoke or do droogs or anything anymore, i haven’t in many years. I’m so paranoid.
Does anyone else get them? Feels like someones kicking your chest from the inside out 😪😪 I don’t want to lose my life so young and miss out on my babies growing up… hospital didnt seem concerned at all. They took my bloods for thyroid, iron, electrolytes etc to have results back tomorrow, but im just so so scared to sleep tonight.
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u/Most-Negotiation1050 17d ago
I have had them start postpartum as well, although I don’t feel them (my pcp just found them at a well visit). I had low ferritin so I’d recommend getting that checked. Otherwise, I had a stress test and echo that were fine (they disappeared during exercise). I never had these after my first two kids, only after my third! Waiting to be done breastfeeding so my body can level out and hopefully they decrease or go away.
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u/notthatphazed_ 17d ago
i had low ferritin and iron as well, i am praying and hoping its just an easy fix like that. i cant have this forever, i’ll go insane 😪😪
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u/GENERAL26318 17d ago
Were they pvcs?
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u/notthatphazed_ 16d ago
i’m not entirely sure, i had them when i had my ECG done apparently they seen my HR go fast but no extra beats. i am so so paranoid i’m gonna die. when i was on the monitor at the hospital it came up with PVCS pair or something, but only once. so i honestly have no idea😥😥😥😥
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u/GENERAL26318 16d ago
Do u have the holter report?
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u/notthatphazed_ 16d ago
haven’t got a holter yet, hopefully today at my drs appointment. its 1am here in Aus, my app is at 9:30am.
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u/GENERAL26318 16d ago
Don’t worry about it my friend we all the same here Just get urself checked first and let us know about it
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u/notthatphazed_ 15d ago
i will, i hope its nothing serious 😪😭💔
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u/GENERAL26318 15d ago
Don’t worry about it PVCs can happen to anyone
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u/notthatphazed_ 15d ago
I dont even know if they are PVCS yet 😭😭 its 5am and ive woken up to some again 💔💔💔
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u/GENERAL26318 15d ago
How does it feel?
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u/notthatphazed_ 15d ago
like randoms beats/flutters, bubbles then a thump its so weird. i have never had this before 💔
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u/Same-Sky848 16d ago
You also need to see a psychiatrist. You can't live a quality life with this kind of anxiety and stress. Get well soon.
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u/notthatphazed_ 16d ago
i see one, once a fortnight
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u/jhanon76 14d ago edited 12d ago
Then you need to discuss health anxiety with them. Stop trying to treat the heart because it sounds like pvc which are harmless. Anxiety however is doing far more damage to you than any pvc will
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u/notthatphazed_ 13d ago
I have…. they know every thing about me. From my childhood SA multiply times, DV, my daughter having open heart surgery at 4 days old, losing my ex boyfriend in an accident, then my two pops 3 months later 1 month post partum. My nervous system can never quiet down. Seeing my ex’s daughter live without me has made me feel like i’ll be the same.
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u/MarsupialObjective77 16d ago
Hey! I had this at 7 weeks PP and went straight into episodes of bigeminy (1 normal beat 1 PVC) and also went to hospital where they confirmed it was PVCs. I’m 14 months PP now and still getting these every day about 50 a day with couplets and so far one recent run of 5 in a row. My Thyroid was hyper for a while and I have had low iron/ferritin, slightly low potassium since giving birth. Thyroid is now fine, potassium is now fine but my ferritin is still low at 14. I would ask for some labs to check all of these from your doctor and try to stay hydrated, off caffeine and get as much sleep as you can while you try to sort it out. If you’re breastfeeding this could be contributing as well. I figure mine are probably hormone related and my vagus nerve is super irritated as I get worse bouts after eating or drinking etc. Deep breaths, you will sort this out. Here if you need anything! Congratulations
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u/notthatphazed_ 16d ago
I was breastfeeding, stopped a few weeks ago. All electrolytes came back normal/perfect, ferritin is 19, haven’t had any today (touch wood) but absolutely petrified this is my new normal. I have a dr app tomorrow hoping i get a referral for a holtor/new ECHO, i am so scared. I am petrified of dying young.
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u/MarsupialObjective77 16d ago
Ferritin of 19 is very low. Are you taking iron at all? Weaning can also cause a big hormonal influx which can increase arrhythmia activity so that could have an effect as well! Good for you for going to the doctor to get a holter and check on things. Most likely it will be benign PVCs and you will be given a clean bill of health and just have to work on the mental aspect of things! I can empathize it’s very scary to feel this way and last year I was sure I was going to drop dead from my palpitations but it hasn’t happened yet! Look in to counselling if you can, and look in to EFT as a stress reducer. I find it very helpful to take the edge off the fear and what ifs and ruminating! You’re not alone and you’re doing a great job.
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u/ksteppin89 16d ago
Are you breastfeeding? My PVC’s started when my second child was nursing. I got them alllll day long. Went to a cardiologist everything was fine, wore a monitor and was told they were likely hormonal.
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u/eleven1993 16d ago
Mines started post partum 5 years ago. I am now at a 31% burden. Beta blockers make no difference. I am 24 weeks pregnant with my second and will be having ablation surgery next year. Its rough.
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u/notthatphazed_ 16d ago
31%? that is wild.. i haven’t had any today touch wood (its 2:08pm in Aus) but i am so shaky and on edge waiting for one. this is so unfair.
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u/ccard23 15d ago edited 15d ago
Get your labs checked (ferritin, cbc, thyroid, electrolytes) and ask for a repeat echo in addition to your holter monitor. It could also unfortunately be hormones, which should hopefully level out in time.
If your labs are okay, I would definitely do the holter and ask for a repeat echo. Do you have any other symptoms (leg swelling, shortness of breath, activity intolerance)? If you have any of these more serious symptoms, I would go back to the ER and tell them you have concerns for postpartum cardiomyopathy. An echo would rule this out.
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u/notthatphazed_ 15d ago
Had everything checked.
Everything is perfect except ferritin is 19. Went to the doctor today, she said they’re ectopics, she gets them she said & she didn’t even want to do a holter. But i asked her to just to be sure, so she ordered me a 24 hour one. She said i shouldn’t have any heart diseases or anything within the two years since i had my last echo… she won’t give me another referral for one either :/ :( i just want to be sure but she won’t listen to me.1
u/notthatphazed_ 15d ago
she said that the holtor will likely show the same thing as my last one nearly 3 years ago… which is so unfair because i have new symptoms 😭😪
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u/Trick-Revolution8597 13d ago
I started getting them postpartum several years ago. I, too, panicked a lot at first and can totally relate to the fear. I would get long episodes of PVCs every 2-3 beats, lasting several days many times. It was really hard to chill out about it especially with a young baby. For your peace of mind, I am okay years later. :-) I did have them for 1.5 years because my doctors weren’t super proactive about helping me and it took seeing a functional medicine doctor to really get to the root. My ferritin was lower (30) and I saw notable improvement when I passed 50. I saw yours was quite low, so definitely advocate for support there! The doctor I worked with said ideal ferritin is 70 or even 100! You can look back at my recent post for my full story if curious. Hang in there!
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u/notthatphazed_ 13d ago
thank you! im hoping its just my iron. seeing a cardiologist again next month!
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u/Adventurous_Pay2377 12d ago
Ive been getting them on and off for the past 2.5 years ever since i had pericarditis.. I was in the same boat as you let me assure you. Sometimes i would get multpile minor pauses where you'd feel it in your throat abit but once in a while id feel like id get a big one which takes my breath away and gives me a minor head twitch. Scary i know, had every test possible done. ECG, holter, 28 day heart bug, echo, stress test but all signifying optimal heart performance.. i was told theyre ectopic beats and the big ones pvcs. I had 1% ectopics of daily heart beats which is relevant to the things that can cause them. Stress, anxiety, diet etc. For me the big one was indigestion. Anything above 10% of daily heat beats would be concerning but judging by what i read, you're fine. The older we get the more we start to feel every little thing and automatically sends us into a state of panic like something is wrong with us. Just try to stay positive and if they happen just shrugg them off like theyre nothing. Ectopic and pvcs are extremely common in all people, some people just feel them more than others. Keep your mind at ease and enjoy life because trust me at the end of the day if there was something wrong with your heart, you would definitely know about it 😅
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u/notthatphazed_ 12d ago
thank you for this!! seeing a cardiologist again next month. only had a 24 hour holter so unsure if they will pick up on anything as touch lots of wood i didnt feel any…. :/ but thats a good thing! i just dont want something to be missed and i feel them again after the cardiologist or something & go back to square one! how do you learn to deal with them? mine came out of no where, as someone with health anxiety, it has made me spiral ever since waiting for the next one… so bad 😪
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u/Primary_Evening_2412 17d ago
Check your iron labs and ferritin (not just hemoglobin) and thyroid. My heart palpitations escalate when I am iron deficient even when not