Missing a Beat!

Thursday night my PCP prescribed Lopressor for my BP. I took a half of one that night and took half Friday morning as directed. After getting to work on Friday, I started getting weak, and told my boss I was going to the ER. I came to find out that the Lopressor (Metoprolol Tartate) was causing my heart to drop a beat. They said it looked like it was not letting the signal get to the bottom for some reason. Needless to say, I ended up staying the night and came home today. I have a new HP med to try (Diovan) and will probably start it Monday. I just found it odd that a medicine can cause problems like that with the pacemaker, but of course I only have one lead.

2 Comments

heart blocks

by golden_snitch - 2009-09-20 03:09:21

Hi!

Betablockers may cause heart blocks, just like some other anti-arrhythmic meds. I guess you have a single-lead atrial pacemaker. Have had that for almost nine years, then had an upgrade to a dual-lead pacer because I needed anti-arrhythmic medication (first betablocker, then flecainide, now amiodarone) again, and this caused heart blocks. I have second degree heart block type 1 and 2, sometimes also third degree heart block. I'm paced around 2% - sometimes less, sometimes more - in the ventricle. Not a lot, but good to know that I have this back up.

Try some other meds, and find out if they all cause heart blocks. For the BP you don't necessarily need to take betablockers, but could also be taking ACE inhibitors. Actually, I have read that ACE inhibitors should be the first choice, unless the patient also has issues with a fast heart rate or heart failure. ACE inhibitors don't slow the heart rate down.

Best wishes,
Inga

Diovan

by tomh140 - 2009-09-20 07:09:31

Hi

I have had a dual lead Metronic pacemaker for 6-1/2 years now and I have taken Diovan for 5 of those years and never had any problems. You have to watch and make sure that your medicines don't cause a problem with any other medicines. I always discuss changes with my doctor and pharmacist but I also do some research before trying a new medicine. I have a problem taking statins and have tried them all. I was taking 2000 mg of niaspan every day but my doctor has me back on Crestor (only 5mg every other day) and that small amount started to affect me. She then told me to take 100 mg Co Q 10 / day and I don't notice the crestor any more. After my next check up in November maybe I'll try 5 mg of crestor / day.

Diovan is getting expensive and the price has really gone up recently for me. My doctor says they are going to come out with a generic for Diovan and I hope it is soon cause I was going to switch to something else but think I will wait.

Good luck with the Diovan

Tom

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