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Can excess weight worsen PVCs and aggravate tachycardia?

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Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

I am 23 years old and have been diagnosed with PVCs, which I know are harmless, but I have been reading a lot, and people are saying PVCs that are constant or in a "run" three or more are considered ventricular tachycardia now I have had a stress test done ekg ultrasound, and everything came back fine. I am scheduled for a holter in about two weeks, and it is a week monitor compared to the last test. I am deathly afraid of this arrhythmia (I am just a kid, and I know it can be worse, but I thought I was doing better. Let me explain. I smoked weed and cigarettes for about six years and am quite overweight. I am 6'2 in height and 350 lbs. I quit cold turkey, all weed, cigarettes, and my horrendous eating habits about two months ago. When I was smoking heavily, I would sometimes get PVCs, and sometimes I would get them all day for one to three days, and then I would not get them for months or weeks. I was not very concerned at the time because I was told they were benign and did not cause any harm, so I went on my merry way.

Well, one night, I thought I was having a heart attack, and long story short, it was not heart-related but, in fact, stomach, Indigestion so I went to the GI doctor and tested positive for H.pylori; I am not aware if I still have it for I just took the antibiotics for it and am waiting to get tested again. I also have a hiatal hernia and some reflux. Now, I know the hiatal hernia can irritate the vagus nerve, which can cause PVCs, but I rarely get them while resting during weight lifting or any type of cardio. It seems like I only get them during sexual activity. Now, I do not understand why, all of a sudden, I get multiple PVCs in a row. They do not last longer than 30 seconds, and my pulse is not over 100 bpm when I get them, nor does it skyrocket as people with ventricular tachycardia get, forex, something like 175 or 200 heart rate. Now, I was able to measure my pulse with a reader I have during this PVC or ventricular tachycardia incident, and it was around 35 bpm. What does that mean?

But it confuses me, considering I know ventricular tachycardia is usually a fast heart rate tachycardia, meaning anything over 100 bpm. Now, I did get this sensation of "ventricular tachycardia" before, three weeks after quitting my old habits, and it would only be at night when I hopped into bed, but it went away, and I was fine after that. Does ventricular tachycardia just happen suddenly, or is it induced by something? Do I even have ventricular tachycardia? My heart rate has never gone over 90 when having PVC run episodes. So I am uber confused and scared. I have high anxiety from all the health problems that have arisen. It seemed like they came out of nowhere cause I never had problems when I was smoking.

Also, what does ventricular tachycardia feel like? Is it a super fast heartbeat with irregular heartbeats? And should I be worried? I am a very obsessive person and very worried about this, which I know makes my PVCs worse. I will tell you they have never been this bad in my whole experience with them. Please help.

Thank you.

Answered by Dr. Amiya Kumar Chattopadhyay

Education:

MBBS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Amiya Kumar Chattopadhyay is an experienced Cardiologist with advanced certifications, including DTM&H, Diploma in Cardiology, and PGDCHC. He specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cardiovascular diseases, offering patient-centered care with a focus on heart health management and lifestyle modification. With his extensive expertise, Dr. Chattopadhyay is committed to delivering comprehensive cardiac care tailored to each patient’s needs.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I read your query and understand your concern. You have multiple problems which you can correct with conviction, determination, and application. You are. Grossly overweight, smoked weed and cigars, and you have H. pylori infection, GERD, and hiatus hernia. However, our focus is on PVCs (premature ventricular contractions) and Vtac (ventricular tachycardia).

To achieve good health, you have to work hard. Simple walking for 30 minutes daily, if possible, two times a day. Breathing exercise for five minutes two times daily. Follow a diet for weight reduction. Take more fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains. Restrict fat and sugar intake. Follow a proper diet. Target a BMI of 25, and most of the problems will be solved. Do not worry about premature ventricular contraction and ventricular tachycardia. Kindly undergo Holter monitoring; this will help diagnose properly​ , and then the next course of action will be decided.

I hope I have answered all your questions.

Thank you.

Medically reviewed by iCliniq medical review team
Published At August 29, 2023
Reviewed At November 6, 2024

Education:

MBBS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Amiya Kumar Chattopadhyay is an experienced Cardiologist with advanced certifications, including DTM&H, Diploma in Cardiology, and PGDCHC. He specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cardiovascular diseases, offering patient-centered care with a focus on heart health management and lifestyle modification. With his extensive expertise, Dr. Chattopadhyay is committed to delivering comprehensive cardiac care tailored to each patient’s needs.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Education:

MBBS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Amiya Kumar Chattopadhyay is an experienced Cardiologist with advanced certifications, including DTM&H, Diploma in Cardiology, and PGDCHC. He specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cardiovascular diseases, offering patient-centered care with a focus on heart health management and lifestyle modification. With his extensive expertise, Dr. Chattopadhyay is committed to delivering comprehensive cardiac care tailored to each patient’s needs.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

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