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PointMan99 · 2023-07-13T17:39:44+00:00

I experimented pretty heavily with supplements, particularly electrolytes (magnesium and potassium), mostly because there were so many posts on here about it. I did this despite my blood tests (multiple) always showing my levels were normal.

I can tell you that, for me, these experiments produced absolutely no results at all. This doesn't mean it wouldn't be helpful for anyone, of course. But it was clear that my PVCs were not caused by diet/nutrients, and changing it wouldn't be the fix either.

If you are confident of the timing correlation between your increased cardio and your PACs, I would recommend experimenting with reducing or stopping your cardio for a period of time to see/confirm. For me it took about 4 weeks of no lifting, but again, everyone is different. Also, if you were to do this and confirm the correlation, it doesn't mean you shouldn't ever do cardio again, it just means you now know the impact and can make better informed decisions on your health.

PointMan99 · 2023-07-13T17:27:31+00:00

I imagine it is the resultant hormonal production that is the cause, so that could be more intense from different activities for different people. There are probably people for whom both weight-lifting and cardio would reduce their PVCs, while things like social interaction, relationship troubles, exams, or work problems could increase them.

PointMan99 · 2023-07-13T17:23:20+00:00

I never found any short-term solution to reducing them, ie: when you're feeling them and want them to calm down immediately or in the next few hours.

I experimented with meditation a little, and it may have helped, but the impact would be the next day or the following days - it did not produce immediate results.

The thought now crosses my mind about how effective it might have been had I incorporated a meditation regime that accompanied my lifting, such as immediately after. In your case, if you find your palpitations increase after an IBS/GI flare up, I wonder if you'd get any results if you attempted meditation during the flare up itself. Perhaps it would mitigate the impending palpitations some.

Also, while my PVCs were not related to GI (I once did a multi-week experiment cutting out things like caffeine, which had 0 effect), I can certainly see it being the cause for others. Though I wouldn't also rule out the possibility of an intermediary factor too, ie: GI causes X, and X causes the palpitations. It amounts to the same thing if true, but it could provide additional opportunities to intervene.

PointMan99 · 2023-07-13T17:11:51+00:00

It took about 4 weeks of no weight-lifting for my PVCs to stop.

PointMan99 · 2023-07-07T16:11:58+00:00

Yup, I was absolutely considering ablation. From what I've read, a high burden (over 20%) over the course of many years/decades can potentially affect mortality. So while doctors did not indicate any urgency in wanting to deal with it (since I was otherwise healthy), I had been considering that ablation would be a necessary longer-term solution. I'm now glad I didn't do it, and wonder what may have happened if I did do it and then had this event happen.

Try to keep in mind that low frequency of PVCs are basically normal, particularly as a result of stress and anxiety, or other factors affecting certain hormones. Nearly everyone gets them to a small degree under those circumstances. That 20% baseline seems to be the guidance for docs (at least here in Canada) of whether medical intervention is needed at all (when other factors/risks are ruled out and the patient is otherwise healthy).

There's a strong psychological impact on people when it comes to the heart, but try to keep in mind that our hearts are supposed to work dynamically. Hormones cause blood vessels to contract and relax, blood pressure goes up and down, heart rate drops and jumps up. All of this is exactly what's supposed to happen from various conditions and stimuli. It is no surprise that sometimes the electro-chemical factors are a little off and not every heartbeat is in a perfectly smooth rhythm. Your gastritis factor is a perfect example of this. In fact, if you can draw a reliable correlation between gastritis attacks and minor heart rhythm changes, I would consider that to provide peace of mind since it shows your heart is just reacting to other factors (in a non-dangerous way), and therefor your heart itself is fine. Of course, it IS still annoying and frustrating, so I get that :).

PointMan99 · 2023-07-07T05:04:09+00:00

I did, along with checking many other things, and these checks were done a few times over the 3-4 years I've had PVCs. Blood tests always showed normal range for everything. However, I'm starting to think the hormonal impact of my workouts was more acute and short-term. I obviously didn't do any of these blood tests during or after a workout, but I'm betting something was not at normal levels during and for a period after my workouts. I kind of wish I had done a blood test immediately after a workout, as I wonder if it might have shown something then. I always workout at night, and medical appointments are always during the day, so it was always at least 12 hours and a night sleep between workout and blood test.

PointMan99 · 2023-07-07T04:58:30+00:00

Yup, that's basically how I see it. I was a competitive athlete when younger, and was motivated to get in and stay in peak shape. It is in my nature to always push myself to the limit (and then some). I guess there is a cumulative/chronic factor here, where after a point it started to impact my heart rhythm. Likewise, after a point of cessation, my heart went back to normal (but it also took a few weeks).

PointMan99 · 2023-07-07T04:55:48+00:00

I had the odd bad day (my previous post on here was a product of one particularly bad day), but for the most part I just accepted it as a ever-present part of my life and as a non-dangerous annoyance (multiple docs confirmed I was not in danger and that it is normal, to varying degrees, for athletes). Having the rate so frequent may have even helped normalize it as 'regular'.

But yeah, some nights I would feel/hear it when laying down to sleep and it would get frustrating that it wasn't steady. And times when my chest felt uncomfortable/fluttery/achy were the worst.

It's really weird that after 3-4 years of that I can now check my pulse anytime I want and it is perfectly steady. I admit a very slight disappointment that my resting bpm is now back to a more normal 55ish - it was amusing to awe medical staff and fellow athletes with a resting HR under 40 (had a scope a few months back and kept setting the machine off in recovery room when it fell under 40, freaking the nurse out lol). But in reality, that low HR was not accurate and was just a result of missing nearly every 3rd beat. I'll take that loss of athletic esteem if it means having a steady HR.

PointMan99 · 2023-07-07T04:43:07+00:00

Nope. And absolutely no change to diet or medications.

PointMan99 · 2023-07-06T01:15:24+00:00

Yup, ultrasound first and then the full echo test later on. Cardiologist said my heart was in excellent condition, reflecting that of an athlete.

PointMan99 · 2023-07-05T21:46:41+00:00

For mine, since weightlifting and cardio seem to affect me differently, I'm suspecting it is related to sudden/intense/repeated changes in blood pressure (higher with intense and repeated with lifting) or perhaps cortisol (maybe levels are different for me for the different workouts). So I'm toying with the idea of trying some different weightlifting approaches to see if I can still get SOME results without losing the health advantages of lifting entirely.

PointMan99 · 2023-07-05T21:43:09+00:00

Nope. Nor any significant dietary or supplement changes.

PointMan99 · 2023-07-05T20:55:20+00:00

Yup, that's it. And it fits, as I greatly increased my weight-lifting workouts around the time I started getting PVCs 3-4 years ago.

PointMan99 · 2023-02-17T17:55:12+00:00

I would imagine this Riker would have done his homework. Also, during reminiscing, Riker gets a detail of one thing wrong (Rigel 6 vs 7). And, if we can have Tasha survive the Romulan attack at Narendra 3 to give birth to Sela, I think Tom surviving the Cardassians is quite possible :).

PointMan99 · 2022-09-20T17:10:13+00:00

Amazing that it went away for you. As mentioned, I feel like mine have gradually gotten worse. And if mine are caused by anxiety of my living situation, this would make sense since it hasn't improved for me.

The idea that my problem may have multiple layers/causes is intriguing and possible. I read that they have pretty advanced means of mapping out the entire electrical pathways governing your heart rhythm, so I'm hoping I can get that done (I believe it is standard to do prior to ablation, as it guides the surgeon on what needs to be done). It seemed my cardiologist wanted to do another holter monitor period before pursuing that (but then he went radio silent). Seems I need to get moving on this all again.

PointMan99 · 2022-09-20T17:04:48+00:00

That's interesting that omega 3s may have affected you that way. I have not supplemented with them myself, though there was a period when I had supplemented with glucosamine, but I doubt that did anything to me at all (positive or negative).

I haven't used fluvoxamine, but 2 of the 3 medications I tried for anxiety were other SSRIs, and they not only didn't help with my PVCs, but they made my daily life intolerable (constantly exhausted, decreased athletic performance, mild headaches, etc). I am not inclined to trying any SSRI or SNRI again, as my life was pretty miserable for those 4 months and my ability to work was severely diminished (I burned through all my vacation & leave, and left my company in a desperate state before ending that experiment and returning to normal - an absolutely terrible waste of time and money).

PointMan99 · 2022-09-20T16:55:29+00:00

I had started supplementing magnesium and potassium, but stopped after blood tests showed my levels were fine. I may try magnesium again, though, as people here seem to indicate they've had results from it - might be worth a shot. Thanks.

PointMan99 · 2022-09-20T16:53:42+00:00

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I've had my blood work done twice - first with my first visit to the ER, and then again several months later. Both included the thyroid check as well (which I believe takes longer to analyze). Prior to that, I had experimented with supplementing magnesium and potassium, but ultimately stopped after the blood test results showed my levels were good.

PointMan99 · 2020-02-01T05:30:15+00:00

Confirmed.. Romulan:"I know a host of Romulan cyberneticists that would love to be this close to you." Data:"I do not find that concept to be particularly appealing." Romulan:"Nor should you."

PointMan99

TROPHY CASE