PVC's and Stress

Diseases & Conditions Heart & Cardiovascular Disease
1
I am curious if anyone that actually suffers from PVC's or skipped beats (extra beats) has ever noticed whether the amount of them increase with stress and anxiety over it?  I am just curious because when I wake up in the morning I have none, but the more I start wondering if they are going to start or not.  Then they start.  The more I think about them during the day the worse they get. I also have this bad habit of feeling my pulse and when I am doing that I start feeling 5-7 skipped beats in a row.  Now I have heard that if you feel your pulse to much your heart will start doing all sorts of crazy things.
 
So I guess my question is does anyone else know if this is something that is true?  Can I actually  make them worse by thinking about it to much.  The doctor and the nurse I saw the other day both said that my biggest problem is stressing over it and not just ignoring them.  I can't just ignore them that is impossible.  All though I apparently ignored them for 3 wks when they went away all of a sudden.
 
Also does anyone have any ideas on the kinds of things that you can do to ignore them. To occupy my mind on something to not think about them so much. I mean I have to say it's really really hard to ignore something when I can feel it and when it's something "that hits so close to home" as the doctor put it.  Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated. If it weren't for this forum I don't know what I would do.  So I do want to thank you all in advance. If for nothing else then just for putting up with my ranting.
2

hi bandit..

just wanted to say i know how you feel... but i believe stress and worrying about PVCs can definately bring them on or make them worse.. it happens to me all the time.. it took me a long time to realize that i had to start doing something to ignore them.. and trust me,, its not easy. For me.. i have had the EKG, Echo, and holter. I was diagnosed with Mitral Valve Prolapse but a grade one which is very very mild and requires no meds. They just told me that i would have to deal with the PVCs... So when i get them the first one always scares me and for a split second i get panicked,, but then i talk myself down and keep telling myself that they are nothing to worry about. Its almost as if your body is testing you to see if you can handle it. Also i try to stay away from caffeine (which is REALLY hard for me becuz i love chocolate and pepsi lol) So basically talk yourself out of it, also i take hot baths since that seems to relax the body. Hope the advice helps.. i am sure thru trial and error you will find something that will help you too. Keep us posted!

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Bandit, stress really does seem to make mine worse. So does pain. My knees hurt incredibly yesterday and while my doc is talking to me about MRI's and the protocol of things that can happen that I need to notify him immediately or go straight to the ER, my chest was jumping like crazy. Didn't bother to mention this..lol.
One, I can blow off. Two, I get a little antsy. If I hit that third one in a day, I tend to get really nervous about it.
I don't take my pulse anymore. It was a pointless venture for me. Either my heart is beating or not, and taking my pulse wasn't going to change that. It just made my heart speed up and made me nervous. Since I did feel things, and sometimes I think it had nothing to do with my heart and all to do with my nerves.
I started out this whole venture with a heart rate of 113 on my first doc visit. Now, over a year later, I tend to run consistently in the 70's at his office. Most of the improvement was due to learning about panic and anxiety and PVC's. And another large part was Healing Well and all that the members have done to help me understand!!
Just relax and let them go. If they get really bad, try coughing.... supposed to regulate back to a normal sinus rhythym.
Best wishes,
Sarah

I'm not procrastinating----I'm still doing yesterday!!!! 
I have no medical training, any medical opinions expressed in my posts are just that....opinions.