PVCs and chest pain

Before I got my PM, I had chest pain associated with PVCs. It felt like a hammer blow on my chest from the inside.

After the PM, I had gradually worsening chest pain associated with episodes of PVC mediated tachycardia. It felt like severe squeezing terminating in the hammer blow and I would nearly pass out. Turning off the ventricular lead stopped the episodes of severe pain.

I still had/have PVCs and I still occasionally have mild chest pain associated with them. I can ignore the pain, but the feelings of weakness and spaciness caused by the PVCs--I call them sinking spells--greatly reduce my quality of life.

On Thursday my EP prescribed flecainide, an antiarhythmic a (dangerous drug, I know, but my heart is strong and healthy and I have none of the risk factors.) It worked. The PVCs are greatly reduced and the ones that get through don't wipe me out. The episodes of chest pain are less frequent, but when they hit the pain is much worse.

So here's my question. Have you had chest pain associated with PVCs? What makes PVCs (only occasionally) painful?

At present, the benefits of the flecainide far outweigh the occasional pain, and the EP assures me that PVCs are not life threatening. But I would like a better understanding of what about PVCs can cause pain. Can anyone help?

1 Comments

PVC's

by sherida - 2014-10-11 05:10:52

PVC are premature ventricular contractions. Ventricles contract simultaneously with of even before the atria.
These contractions are less effective than the normal contractions (atria first, ventricles next) and because of the atria pumping blood against closed valves, strange feelings can occure. Some peoples don't notice them, others feel every PVC. Not dangerous, but very uncomfortable when sensitive to it.
When being paced in the ventricle, heartcontractions are also different, which you might feel as uncomfortable.
I don't know what kind of device you got, but most pacemakers have features to minimize unnecessairy ventricular pacing.

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