PVC'S

[stilton]

I started to experience some cardiac 'irregularity' a couple of weeks ago, a feeling best described as my heart 'skipping a beat' occasionally.



Went to the ER the other night to get it checked out and was told it was Premature Ventricular Contractions and not to be concerned as it is considered
'benign'



I was told this is fairly common with people that have a low resting pulse rate. I am a regular exerciser and mine is as low as 44BPM sometimes.



Also that it can be brought on by stress of which I have had a lot lately.



Anyone out there experienced these or have any more insight, are these really benign, furthermore will it be an aeromedical issue ?



I was also diagnosed with a mild case of LVH over a decade ago due to high blood pressure which is well controlled with medication. I was told this is not connected.

[Leo45]

PVCs or also known as ectopic beats are indeed a fairly common occurrence on ECGs and most often are considered benign.

They can be triggered by stress or "excitant" such as caffeine on healthy individuals.

In most cases it is not an aeromedical issue provided they aren't too frequent and the heart is otherwise sound. Here's the link to the CAA's procedure dealing with PVCs:

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/49/20100205EctopyFeb2010.pdf

They are quite a number of commercial pilots and ATCOs on this forum who have had them for many years without being barred from holding a Class1 medical.

Try to relax, not to worry too much about them (I know, easily said than done, I've never managed to be all relaxed when undergoing an ECG) and you'll be all right.

All the best!

[stilton]

Thanks Leo,


I have some more tests coming up with my cardiologist to check this out further.



Have cut way back on Caffeine and Alcohol, hope I can find a way to get rid
of them.

[Loose rivets]

Is there a relationship to Cardiac dysrhythmia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiac_dysrhythmia)

[DX Wombat]

Stilton, you would be well advised to take no notice of what you read in Wikipedia, it is not renowned for its factual accuracy or completeness of information. Internet diagnosis of cardiac problems is a very bad idea for anyone less than a fully qualified Consultant Cardiologist with all the latest equipment at hand. :*
You have done the right thing in seeing your cardiologist and he or she will be able to give you a proper diagnosis and the best possible advice on how to deal with it. The CAA or your relevant equivalent will also be able to help once you have a diagnosis. I found the CAA most helpful when I was grounded because I had lens replacement surgery for a cataract. they even telephoned me with the date when I could resume flying as they were so snowed under with paperwork that the date would have been long past before they were able to write to me. :ok:
Good luck. :)

[G_STRING]

Stilton

Started to suffer with this myself, so did a bit of research.

To cut a long story short, I now take a magnessium supplement (375mg), plus a fish oil supplement of 1000mg on a daily basis

A week after starting these, palpitations / missed beats completely stopped, and have not returned (fingers crossed)

Might be worth a try, it certainly won't do you any harm

(for disbelievers, look up the use of the two supplements above on the internet for relief from this particular problem)

Edited to say that this combination can have quite a dramatic effect on dropping your blood pressure, something worth considering if you are already on standard medication for this

[DX Wombat]

How many times does it have to be said on here that those with no medical qualifications should NEVER suggest taking any sort of medication / herbal remedy / supplement etc? :mad: :mad: :mad: The previous post is a prime example of this. Stilton, quite rightly, has kept his medical history confidential so NOBODY, even those with some recognised, regulated form of medical qualification would know what to suggest and those with the appropriate qualifications would never dream of doing so.
From the post: it certainly won't do you any harm

Edited to say that this combination can have quite a dramatic effect on dropping your blood pressure, Followed by the unbelievable:something worth considering if you are already on standard medication for this Words fail me.
Stilton, I am probably preaching to the converted, but, please DO NOT take anything other than what you may have already been properly prescribed, until you hve seen and discussed this with your cardiologist. Do come back and let us know how you have got on. :ok:

[homonculus]

Absolutely, to which I might add have some faith in your doctor. If you are told there is nothing to worry about, it may be best to accept this at face value. I certainly know no more facts than have been posted, but seeking more advice from a cardiologist if this has not been recommended by the doctor you saw initially may lead to more data, more diagnoses, and more risk to your license.

I have too many cardiology friends whose favourite comment is 'there is probably nothing wrong but lets just do some little tests'........

At the end of the day it is up to the individual patient, and we have so little information that our advice must be taken with a big pnch of salt - no wait, that isnt good for your heart

[etrang]

How many times does it have to be said on here that those with no medical qualifications should NEVER suggest taking any sort of medication / herbal remedy / supplement etc?

If you think that telling people to do something on an internet chat board will change their behaviour, you have a lot to learn both about the internet and about people. You can say it a million times, it won't make any difference.

[DX Wombat]

It may not make any difference to the poster but it may well save the life of his or her potential victim. I shall, therefore, continue to repeat the message whether or not you like it.

[etrang]

You sound rather stressed, Wombat. I can recommend a supplement for you, some dihydrogen monoxide, taken once a day with or without food. It might be worth a try, it certainly won't do you any harm.

[Loose rivets]

Hee hee . . . I doubt there will be a consensus any time soon.


I wouldn't try this at home -- or anywhere for that matter, but this thread I found fun to read and indeed write into. It is almost exactly true.

The fact is, I was getting severe arrhythmia prior to this happening - probably for about 7 years - and I've had scarce a hint of it since. But be careful, I'd hate to come across a pile of dead Ppruners who'd just acted on my post.


http://www.pprune.org/jet-blast/417814-i-dont-beleeeeeeeeeeeve-me-hearts-playing-up.html

[iwrbf]

Hi,

Mr. Wombat is absolutely right. No one with the slightest bit of knowledge about medical problems would suggest to "pimp up" the medication given to someone with whatever symptoms without knowing the exact case, being asked for it and taking the responsibility if something goes wrong. Come on, there's a reason for medical studies taking multiple years to complete...!

Stilton:
- If you have any problems with your upper back, please ask your practitioner about a physiotherapist to have this checked out. These symptoms can originate from this area, no joke :-)
- Please DON'T change your medication or "fine tune" it by taking supplements of any kind. The fish oil would likely not do any harm, but the magnesia can have "interesting" effects. Ask your doctor!

Kind regards and all the best for this stuff, it can be really annoying.

[G_STRING]

Bloody hell !

All I did was state what I took, and why;- under no circumstances did I advocate anybody following suite, I simply stated what worked for ME.

It was not my intention to try to put everybody on magnessium and fish oil by rote, (or indeed, on anything else)

Edited to say that this combination can have quite a dramatic effect on dropping your blood pressure, something worth considering if you are already on standard medication for this

Wombat, I think you have taken the above out of context. What I meant was, please DON'T take anything else until you have considered, (or asked), about any interaction if on prescription drugs.

Again, sorry to have caused offence, to re-iterate, it worked for me, not telling anybody to go out and do it