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Heart Palpitations Forum >> Symptoms and other concerns >> Run of 5 consecutive PACs between normal beats
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Message started by Skippy66 on Jun 27^th, 2012, 3:51pm

Title: Run of 5 consecutive PACs between normal beats
Post by Skippy66 on Jun 27^th, 2012, 3:51pm

For years I've been trying to capture my 5-10 second episodes of palpitations, and for years everyone has brushed them off as nothing & harmless.

FINALLY A MONITOR CAUGHT ONE OF THOSE RUNS:

My cardiologist showed me the trace from the monitor: I'm getting runs of atrial contractions between normal beats. He didn't mention PSVT, but from what I've read and know, it is PSVT. The episodes are short but leave my weak and give me a head rush.

He said that because AFib runs in my family then this could be a precursor to it. He said that because I get it when I exercise I could take a Flecainide tablet before to quell the palpitations.

He assured me that what I have isn't dangerous but PSVT is no laughing matter according to Google. If it goes on for over an hour, he said, I'll need to go to A and E for a drug. HANG ON A MINUTE: DOES THAT MEAN I CAN'T TAKE LONG HAUL FLIGHTS ANYMORE?

I feel like I've gone from someone who everyone shrugged off as anxious to someone with a bona fide electrical heart problem. I should have listened to my own body years ago and pushed for longer tapes that would catch this PSVT. I've lived with it for 8 years now.

RLR, if you're reading I thank you for helping me through the really low points with reassurance and understanding, but now you know I have this electrical problem (would YOU call it PSVT?), would your advice to me now change? My cardiologist told me to exercise but not overdo it.

I'm desperate for closure here. 5 plus pacs between normal beats - is this PSVT? Am I destined for AFib?

Thanks for your time reading this, replies would be much appreciated.

Title: Re: Run of 5 consecutive PACs between normal beats
Post by Andrea on Jun 27^th, 2012, 9:10pm

If PSVT is no laughing matter, and it showed up on an ECG that a doctor reviewed... would that doctor not tell you? I doubt it. That's just the thoughts of a complete non-professional though. I'm sure RLR will have the answer you seek.

Title: Re: Run of 5 consecutive PACs between normal beats
Post by Typer on Jul 3^rd, 2012, 5:41pm

Skippy I get those runs of them, and sometimes, if I dont cough, they go on for ages.

I feel as though you have filled in the spaces. He showed you runs of atrial contractions but didn't mention PSVT - could it be you have couplets and therefore he did not think it was psvt but just a run of ectopics. Imagine 5 or 6 of those between beats..I am sure that s what happens to me. I can bend over and it happens, or just touch my upper chest and it happens.

If Afib runs in the family I can understand your trepidation - but, he did not say you have it. f you begin to worry you will get it, you'll spoil this time when you don't, especially if you never do get it. Did he mention problems with the electrics in your heart? Or have you filled those parts in your head.

Dont think I don't sympathise though - I get very faint and twice have seen lights and ended up on the floor. I did come here to check what that might be.

Hoping RLR answers soon as I too get this, and an answer will help me too.

Title: Re: Run of 5 consecutive PACs between normal beats
Post by jess33 on Jul 5^th, 2012, 3:43am

AND THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY ARGUMENT WITH ECG'S!!!!

I also get runs of fast beats which never happened when wearing an ecg so does this mean, because they werent caught, that I have this too? Why does it always seem that a different diagnosis is given when certain beats are caught? What does that say about all the one's that are NOT caught???

Title: Re: Run of 5 consecutive PACs between normal beats
Post by George88 on Jul 5^th, 2012, 8:36am

Wasn't going to repond here because I misread your initial post. For some reason I was under the impression you had been diagnosed with PSVT, but reading the others posts prompted me to re-read yours.

I will just echo the sentiments of the others by saying that yes, it does indeed seem as if you're filling in the gaps. If your doctor didn't think to mention anything, then that's a pretty good reason not to worry. Surely if PSVT had shown up, it would be something your doctor would have been keen to mention? I mean really, come on... that's common sense.

Anyway, you can't just read something online and then claim that you know you have it. If that were the case, let's throw away the doctors' ten years of medical training and tens of millions of man hours worth of research in to all kinds of illnesses, and just diagnose ourselves with the aid of the Internet. We'd also be saving a few [insert-currency] by having no need to pay for doctors.

Not only that, but each of us would be diagnosed daily with life-threatening illnesses because let's face it, you can read any article about any disease, check the symptoms and apply them to yourself at some point.

I also just want to say again: what kind of doctor sees an event on an ECG characteristic of a known disorder, but doesn't bother mentioning it? It doesn't make sense.

Title: Re: Run of 5 consecutive PACs between normal beats
Post by richie on Jul 6^th, 2012, 6:40am

Did you Ask your cardio if its PSVT?
why not ask him?

But IF its a serious problem shouldnt your cardio not be allowed to mention it to you?

If YOU are right then indeed I can understand where you are comming from. people kept saying that your making something out of nothing (anxiet and so on) and now maybe it seems you had a more serious problem than anxiety.

For your sake..ask your cardio what he found !!!

Title: Re: Run of 5 consecutive PACs between normal beats
Post by RLR on Jul 23^rd, 2012, 6:42pm

Okay, if it is actual PSVT then it is simply atrial tachycardia, not fibrillation. It is difficult for me to speak too directly to the actual presentation since I don't have the availability of direct evaluation of the test strip itself.

When you say you're getting runs of PAT between the normal beats, what is the actual frequency of the events over time? Have you ever been awakened by such an event?

There is nothing of your description that would warrant flight restrictions, etc and again, I'm reading your description as simple runs of Paroxysmal Atrial Tachycardia and not atrial fibrillation. PAT is not on the equivalent with A-fib and even in such instances A-fib is universally non-life threatening.

Best regards,

Rutheford Rane, MD (ret.)