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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffMost people with premature ventricular contractions and an otherwise normal heart won't need treatment. Rarely, if you have frequent, bothersome symptoms, you may be offered treatment to help you feel better, but PVCs are typically not harmful.
In some cases, if you have underlying heart disease that could lead to more serious rhythm problems, you may need to make efforts to avoid triggers or perhaps take medications.
- Lifestyle changes. Eliminating common contraction triggers — such as caffeine or tobacco — can decrease the frequency and severity of your symptoms.
- Medications. Beta blockers — which are often used to treat high blood pressure and heart disease — can suppress premature contractions. Other medications, such as calcium channel blockers, or anti-arrhythmic drugs, such as amiodarone, also may be used if you have ventricular tachycardia or very frequent premature ventricular contractions that impair your heart's function, causing severe symptoms.
If you have very frequent PVCs associated with underlying heart disease and periods of ventricular tachycardia, your doctor might recommend other treatment.
- Yealy DM, et al. Dysrhythmias. In: Marx JA, et al, eds. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 6th ed. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby; 2006. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/130129214-4/826148372/1365/221.html#4-u1.0-B0-323-02845-4..50083-4_3679. Accessed April 2, 2009.
- Arrhythmias. In: Libby P, et al, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4106-1..50054-6--cesec188&displayedEid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4106-1..50054-6--cesec196&uniq=130129214&isbn=978-1-4160-4106-1&sid=826147556. Accessed April 2, 2009.
- Podrid PJ. Clinical significance and treatment of ventricular premature beats. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 2, 2009.
- Arrhythmia. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/arr/arr_whatis.html. Accessed April 2, 2009.
- Martin DT. Arrhythmias. In: Noble J, et al. Noble: Textbook of Primary Care Medicine. 3rd ed. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby; 2001. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/130129214-5/826149799/959/391.html#4-u1.0-B0-323-00828-3..50066-2_1733. Accessed April 2, 2009.
