Does anyone have any useful info. on PVC or angina? I think I may have one...?
347900
PVC and angina are two completely different things.  Most of us have PVC's (premature ventricular contractions) - sometimes you feel them and sometimes you don't.  I am not saying they occur on a daily basis, but it is normal to have a PVC every once in a while.  Regarding angina, if the picture is you, you look too young to have angina.  Angina is a symptom of coronary artery disease which you are unlikely to have unless you are over 45 or so.  So unless you use cocaine or other illicit drugs, you very likely do not have angina.  My bet is that you have anxiety.  Hope this helps.
606824
I am not a med student but I have a st jude pacemaker. Are you having problems with your equip? I have had to have my wires replaced twice and now the new set is fractured, I clotted the first time so my cardiologist says that when he changes them he will have to open my chest and put me on the by-pass machine so that he won't disturb any of the clotted area.....I' m really worried about it.
900204
It sounds like a heart problem associated with your circulation. I would go to a doctor.
55269
I've never heard of this, so first of all my thoughts are with your family.  I knew strokes, heart attacks and those types of things didn't only happen to "older" people anymore, but that they were also happening to people as young as their 20's.  I had absolutely no idea, I am going to try to look this up tho, as I have two young children.  Were there any symptoms, something long coming that didn't get noticed because it was also considered a normal thing?  I hope he stays strong and has a great turn around back to good health.
725288
My father had this surgery after having heart problems caused by the weight. I have done a lot of research on it and have not heard of a clinical link to a post surgical link and would guess it is related to pre surgery health. My cousin who had the surgery has had deteriorarating health since surgery that they thought was heart related only to discover it was caused by severe anemia. Take your vitamins and b-12 as directed and I doubt it was the surgery but look out for other side effects.
296400
A PVC is a premature ventricle contraction.  It is caused when the atrioventricular node discharges its electric current before the sinoatrial node gets a chance to fire itself.  The atria sit, so to speak, above the ventricles and when the SA node fires, the atria contract, which fills the ventricles.  The electric current then travels to the AV node which contracts the ventricles and pumps the blood to the body.  But when the AV node fires before it receives its current from the SA node, the result is a premature ventricle contraction.
778000
Have you told your doctor (PCP) everything you've just posted here? If not then do so and if you have and then I would suggest for you to get a second opinion. Good luck and I hope you feel better.
1048135
What you are experiencing is not a murmur, it is "palpitations".  It probably is an irregular heart beat, possibly something called "premature ventricular contractions" or "PVC's", but only a doctor can tell you for sure.  This is something that I would definitely see a doctor about.\n\nPVC's can often be greatly reduced by staying off caffeine and certain medications.  PVC's are only one possible cause of palpitations though.  You really should get this checked.\n\nYou can learn more about PVC's here:\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premature_ventricular_contraction
509937
PVC's are generally benign. They are typically caused by caffeine intake, certain medications such as decongestant use, increased stress, lack of sleep are potential triggers. If you are continually worried about the PVC's and palpitations reducing your stress and practicing relaxation techniques may help to reduce them. \nIf you feel your concerns are being ignored you need to go to another provider. Keep in mind he is essentially working for you and you can "fire" him at any time. \nIf you have a family history of cardiac problems that needs to be taken into account. \nUnfortunately medicine is not an exact science.
174156
First let me say I work in Cardiology so please follow up.\nWe I have never heard anyone discribe a heart spasm, so I can not offer much help. That said, it is possible to have coronary artery spasms, the are caused by many things cocaine being one of the most common and deadly. You should call 911 and go to the ER now if it is on-going. If not you should make an appointment and get seen SOON.
59335
I urge you in the strongest possible terms to have your symptoms investigated immediately.  I think the emergency room would be appropriate.\n\nYour kids need you, and you need your heart.  \n\nIf your problem is not a heart problem, well, great.  That will be good to know.  But please don't delay getting help.  Chest pain is not something to ignore.
98377
Angina is a serious condition generally a precoursor to severe heart issues. Be careful about your self treatment for a suspected angina problem. Having said that...\n\nExcessive gas and bloating in the stomach can cause a type of angina attack. It puts pressure on the heart from the bottom side and feels like a heart attack. It is very difficult for the average person to be able to tell the difference. For more information of Angina, visit...www.webmd.com   good information and explainations. And then go see your doctor.
368832
Nikki - I'm happy to give you some information as a cardiologist, but the best thing for you to do is to go back and see your cardiologist in order to have these questions answered because there are several things important to making a diagnosis that you don't mention.  One of the big factors is how old you are and what your risk factors for coronary disease are (high blood pressure, lipid levels, family history, whether you smoke).  Also, it helps to know what brings on your shortness of breath and/or chest discomfort.  Is it with activity only?  Does it happen at random?  How long does it last?  What makes it go away?\n\nLet's talk about your bicuspid aortic valve first.  A bicuspid aortic valve is an aortic valve that has developed abnormally such that two of the three cusps have fused into one.  There are two main issues with this.  The first is that bicuspid aortic valves have a much higher than normal tendency to become stenotic, meaning it can become calcified, hardened, and interfere with the normal ejection of blood from your heart.  The first sign of this would be a heart murmur.  Over time, if the valve becomes severely stenosed, it can cause chest pain, shortness of breath with activity, or fainting spells.  Patients with bicuspid aortic valves should undergo routine echocardiograms every one to two years to assess the valve function.  Once the valve becomes severely stenosed, surgery to replace the valve should be discussed.  Not all patients with bicuspid valves will go on to have aortic stenosis, but those that do typically require surgery in their 40's or 50's.\n\nThe second issue with patients with bicuspid aortic valves is that they commonly have aneurysms (or dilatation) of the aortic root and/or ascending aorta.  This is important because patients with a bicuspid aortic valve are also at a higher risk for dissection (a tear in the lining of the aorta) than other patients with the same degree of aortic dilatation.  Therefore, this is also something that should be followed by serial echocardiograms.  The recommendation for surgery in a patient with bicuspid aortic valve is an ascending aortic aneurysm of approximately 5.0 to 5.5cm, but this varies somewhat from doctor to doctor.  (This is a bit earlier than would be recommended for a patient without a bicuspid aortic valve.)\n\nBeta-blockers, such as atenolol, have been shown in one study to reduce the rate of growth of the ascending aorta in a group of young males with Marfan syndrome.  Since patients with bicuspid aortic valves have histologically similar changes in their aortas, this data has been extrapolated and applied to patients with bicuspid aortic valves as well.  While there are no hard and fast rules, I would personally keep all patients with a bicuspid aortic valve and an enlarged aortic root on beta-blockers for life.  This reduces the blood pressure and amount of stress placed on the wall of the aorta, and this is how it is thought to reduce growth of the aneurysm.  For this reason, patients with a dilated aortic root and/or ascending aorta are advised to restrict their activity to moderate aerobic exercise (no training for marathons or that sort of thing) and no isometric exercises.  That's primarily heavy weight lifting, but really includes any activities where you Valsalva (straining, such as when you're constipated), so stomach crunches are sort of on the borderline of what would be recommended.\n\nTwo last thing about bicuspid aortic valves... there is a strong familial tendency, so most cardiologists would screen siblings of patients with a bicuspid aortic valve as well.  Also, as one of the previous doctors recommended, you should have a prescription to take antibiotic prophylaxis before dental procedures to prevent infection of the valve.  By the same token, you should make sure you get regular dental care because poor dental health increases your risk as well.\n\nNow regarding the shortness of breath and che
931787
whats wrong with PVC ???
608905
Ok, hang in there, I hope you'll get the angiogram done as soon as possible. I also work in England- in a hospital that does angiograms, not an NHS hospital.. Consider a private insurance (BUPA is good)..
153717
It would be very unusual for a 19 y.o. to be having coronary problems.  You say your chest feels tight when you lie down at night.  I wonder if it isn't just chest wall pain from your workouts.  You say you get short of breath when you run, and you develop a pain in your lower left chest then.  I don't know how bad your shortness of breath is.  You can simply be short of breath running, because you are overweight or out of shape.  Chest pain of a heart attack or angina usually presents right in the middle of your chest as a pressure type pain, not off on the left side like you describe.  I would be more concerned about a valvular heart defect, than coronary disease.  Have you ever had a heart murmer?  I'd recommend you go and get a good physical.  He should listen to your heart carefully for any murmur.  He should get a chest xray and a resting EKG.  If there is any question of a murmur, I would get an echocardiogram.  The chest xray as well as the echo, together with the physical exam would make sure you got a normal size heart and no valve abnormalities.  The other thing he might want to get is a treadmill EKG, to see if when you have those symptoms running, there is any change in the EKG to indicate ischemia. You didn't say what your weight was. If you are overweight, I would recommend walking, rather than running, at least until you take off some pounds.
377893
Yes, definitely see your doctor. Anxiety, depression, ADD, and the like are complicated and are many times just the body and brain reacting to either an inherent or temporary chemical imbalance. Stress, in general, can hurt your arteries regardless of your coronary health.  You may also have a sleep disorder that you are unaware of. \n\nI had funny things happening in my chest and it scared me to death. The problem actually went away, but the doctor said that it was a normal expression of abnormal stress. It wasn't even a rough period I was going through. Although he didn't put me on medication, you may need it, and there are plenty of good, tested over time, anti-depressants/antianxietal drugs such as Wellbutrin XL that are for people who are dealing with anxiety but are still quite able to function in day to day life. So, no Prozac or Zoloft would be needed here... \n\nbut DEFINITELY go to the doctor to eliminate anything regarding your coronary system. But, like I said, if you are in good health otherwise, don't jump to conclusions about your heart and follow your intuition: Yes, it is possible to have mild anxiety all the time. You are not crazy, you are normal, and there are things that will help you...