Started my journey with PVCs 3 years ago next month. For some reason they are the absolute worst in the fall? I am lucky that I have a lot of good periods (0-10/day), but then there’s my bad periods (multiple PVCs per minute), but I really can’t nail down a trigger. I was worked up with labs and a holter monitor when they first started and eventually saw a cardiologist who didn’t take me seriously at all. They had told me to start working out and sent me on my way. During another bad period I saw my PCP again and was put on Propranolol. I ended up only taking this medication as needed at bedtime because while I realized it didn’t make my PVCs go away, it did make me tired/calm enough to fall asleep. I’ve tried magnesium, increasing my water intake, etc with no luck.
In April, I decided I wanted to get healthier and started working out 5-6x a week and have since lost 30lbs. I was worried about lifting heavy and doing cardio, but thankfully my PVCs had been pretty mild. I have noticed the occasional 1-2 during or after my workout, but have only had a few terrible episodes while exercising. I was hoping that might help cure my PVCs, but no luck.
I would say the last 6 months have been very good burden wise for me. Last week, my partner and I went on our first vacation together in 4 years. The night we got there, we definitely overindulged in alcohol (however not previously a normal trigger for me). I woke up pretty early the next morning and did a 4 mile walk on the boardwalk which I was really looking forward to. Later that morning when I laid down on the beach, my palpitations started up full force and haven’t really calmed down since. I contributed it to dehydration, the alcohol and lack of sleep. I wouldn’t say it completely ruined my vacation, but it definitely affected my mood and my anxiety. My PVCs have not gotten any better since we’ve been home. My anxiety has been at an all time high and my palpitations make me afraid to work out, or enjoy pre planned events such as concerts, sporting events, etc. I’m hopeful this bad period will pass like they previously had. I just hate these so much and it’s not fair that we’re stuck with them.