For decades I have struggled with anxiety and persistent heart arrythmias, both SVT and PVC’s. It's possible you’ve experienced both of these at one time or another and may not have even realized it. Or, maybe you’re like me and they were, or still are, out of control and ruining your life.
What are SVT and PVC's?
PVC’s (pre ventricular contractions) are abnormal contractions that begin in the ventricles. Although it feels like your heart is skipping a beat it’s actually an extra beat occurring just before the next expected beat. You might experience one or two here and there or you could have them all day, every day. Sometimes the pause, or skip, is barely perceptible, but sometimes it can last so long you actually have a split second to wonder if your heart is going to start up again.
My first experience with SVT was when I was 23. Although, looking back and knowing what I know now, I'm sure I had been experiencing milder episodes from the time I was 16. But at 23, it was bad enough it could not be ignored. I was pregnant with my first child, so I just chalked up my uncontrollable exhaustion to that and reassured myself that it would get better during my second trimester. But, it didn’t. It was worse! A 24 hour heart monitor revealed that my heart would beat in bursts of up to 180 bpm. That’s 3 beats per second! I can still remember my doctor saying, “No wonder you're tired! It’s as if you’re running a marathon every day!” So, I was promptly put on a beta blocker. End of story? Kind of. Not really though. I still struggled nearly every day but overall I was better and I could function once again.
Fast forward 12 years. My SVT was still there, but manageable, and we were now a family of 5. It was at this time I kept waking up in the middle of the night knowing that my heart was acting weird but not sure what it was. After an emergency room visit and a follow up with a cardiologist, it was determined I had PVC’s. Not just a skipped beat here or there, but 20,000-30,000 PVC’s a day. I couldn’t sleep and was barely getting though my days of homeschooling 2 elementary age kids with a toddler under foot.
I was desperate for answers, but doctors would just tell me that my problems were all in my head and that I needed to be on antidepressants. If any of you have ever gotten that response from your doctor, you know how helpless and hopeless that can make you feel.
To be clear, I didn’t doubt for a second that anxiety played a part. After all, who wouldn't have anxiety when their heart was so completely out of control not to mention the lack of sleep, all while trying to maintain some sort of normality for your little kids. But deep down I just knew there was another missing piece to the puzzle.
I set out to find that missing piece and what I discovered was a whole world of minerals and how vital they are to life. What I learned has literally given me my life back. I no longer suffer with arrythmias and was even able to wean off a beta blocker that I had been taking for 17 years!
Although that was a wonderful improvement to my life, I still hadn’t achieved health. My next battle was with melanoma and breast cancer. But that is a story for another day. 😊 Suffice it to say that we are a product of our environment and my toxic environment along with decades of uncontrolled anxiety had taken a huge toll.
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