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Premature Ventricular Contractions (PVCs) - Causes

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What was the cause of your premature ventricular contractions?

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What causes premature ventricular contractions?

There are many causes of premature ventricular contractions, which include:

  • heart attack;

  • high blood pressure;

  • cardiomyopathy, including congestive heart failure;

  • disease of heart valves such as mitral valve prolapse;

  • hypokalemia (low blood levels of potassium), and hypomagnesemia (low blood levels of magnesium), hypokalemia and hypomagnesemia can occur, for example, in patients taking diuretics (water pills);

  • hypoxia (low amounts of oxygen in the blood), for example, hypoxia occurs with lung diseases such as emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD);

  • medications such as digoxin (Lanoxin), aminophylline (Phyllocontin, Truphylline), tricyclic antidepressants, and ephedrine containing, decongestants;

  • excessive intake of alcohol;

  • excess caffeine intake;

  • stimulant drug use such as cocaine, and amphetamines;

  • myocarditis (heart muscle inflammation) and cardiac contusion (heart muscle injury), and

  • premature ventricular contractions also occur in healthy individuals without heart diseases.
Return to Premature Ventricular Contractions (PVCs)

See what others are saying

Comment from: NP6, 45-54 Female (Patient) Published: May 29

The doctor would never confirm it, but I say stress caused my PVC's. I was exhausted by them. There were days that I would sleep like I was drugged. Finally, the doctor gave me 50mg of Flecinaide twice daily. In a week I noticed a difference in two weeks a huge difference! Don't give up there is help!

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Comment from: 35-44 Female (Patient) Published: July 29

I first noticed PVCs about three weeks ago during a particularly vicious attack of heartburn. The heartburn went away, but the palpitations did not. I went to the doctor who ordered a Holter monitor and discovered I was having them many times a day, several times a minute. They were happening more often then I realized. It felt as though my heart would beat very forcefully and then flutter. There seems to be no rhyme or reason as to when they happen. Luckily, I have not experienced any shortness of breath as some have. I do notice sometimes I feel the need to cough as some have described. My pulse rate does not seem to change in response to the PVCs. But it looks like I need to make some lifestyle changes--more exercise, less caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine. I do feel relieved that I've been diagnosed and they are not life threatening.

Was this comment helpful?Yes

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