Symptomatic PVC’s

Dear Ask The Doctor: In your opinion, is it plausible that frequent premature ventricular contractions could cause weakness, light-headedness, and shortness of breath so severe that it's often difficult for me to walk up a flight of stairs, drive or do other daily activities? I'm also very disoriented and struggle to concentrate. A cardiologist recently sent me home with a cardiac event monitor, and from these readings he found PVCs occurring as often as every other beat and sometimes two PVCs in a row. I'm having PVCs frequently throughout every day. However, he didn't find anything else abnormal and doesn't think that this heart irregularity should cause symptoms as severe as I'm describing. What do you think? Thank you.

Dear L.: Premature Ventricular Complexes (PVC's) can cause symptoms. The most common symptom is the sensation of a missed beat. In fact this is due to a compensatory pause between the PVC and the next heart beat. If PVC's occur more frequently, they may produce unpleasant symptoms. If not already completed, I would recommend a 24 - 48 hour Holter (heart) monitor, to record a 24 - 48 hour electrical trace of the heart, and an echocardiogram to assess your heart function. I would also advise consulting with a Cardiologist that specializes in Electrophysiology or heart rhythm disturbances.