| Author | Message | ||
     P Grey |
I was diagnosed with Borderline LQT through routine ECG about 4 years ago. I went through many tests at that time. Nothing showed up other than 488 QTC with corrected aroung 466 then. Asymptomatic until recently. I was hospitalized with flu and after home started fainting/near fainting several times week. Holter monitor read 650 over half of the day, but other times normal. EP said was corrected to be nearer 500. I have been put on Beta Blocker therapy. He did not suspect my faints were QT related as I felt them coming on and was able to put head down most of the time. Tilt was negative. About 2 months later faints lessened and I failed second tilt, heart rate stayed at 40 and no arrhythmias. This was on a second opinion. That EP said my original holter looked "normal" to him and considers faints to be vaso vagal. Although glad for good news, very confused now with this second opinion. How can this be? Do you think Beta blockers are helping faints even though they are vaso vagal or do you think the faints were QT related but beta blockers have helped? I think both EP's are well versed, the first EP was even considering ICD implant but wanted to wait to confirm fainting to be QT related. Can you have LQT and vaso vagal symptoms? PG | ||
| Debbie |
My sister has been dianosed with LQT and there have been times that she knew when a faint was coming. I fainted Christmas eve after taking sinus tablets I could feel the faint coming had time to grab my boyfriend and tell him that I didn't feel good. One of my Ekgs showed 450 which is boarderline. I have had near faint episodes also and think that the beta-blocker I'm on has helped me not to faint. I had the tilt table test done may 5th I felt myself starting to faint and got very sweaty just like I did christmas eve. My doctor thinks that it was caused from being dehydrated not from QT I don't believe this. My niece would do this also she would get very sweaty at times and feel faint. She passed away sept 1,2001 from long Qt. My doctor told me to stay on beta-blockers but that an ICD wouldn't help my symptoms. | ||
| Dr. Jorgen Kanters Username: Jorgen Registered: 08-2003 |
yes LQT can have vasovagal symptoms. We actually believe that it is common. However in contrary to vasovagal faintings in healthy subjects, we believe that these faintings in LQTS patients are dangerous. We have published an article regarding vasovagal fainting in LQTS patients Toft E, Aaroe J, Jensen BT, Christiansen M, Fog L, Thomsen PE, Kanters JK. Long QT syndrome patients may faint due to neurocardiogenic syncope. Europace 2003 5(4):367-70. | ||
| Cliff |
My 8 year old son was diagnosed with LQT early 2003 after fainting 4 times in 2002. He weighs 27Kg and is on 20mg of Nadolol per day. He has so been fine on this now for 16+ months although sometimes mentions that he occasionally goes "fizzy" (as he calls it) and everything seems to stop for a few seconds. Is this the vasovagel symptoms you refer to and should we be concerned about this ? | ||
| victoria brown |
I have long QT Syndrome and I was misdiagnosed with epilespy for 20 years. I went into Torsodes and I knew it was going to happen because while I was sleeping I woke up right before I went out. They recoreded this on tape (Torsodes de pointie) My pulse rate was 278 beats per minute and I was in vfib or over 3 minutes with never being shocked. My QTC was 700/670. I think that everyone is different with there long Qt. We have to remember that each person is different and they may have the same type but do somethings different. I only had maybe 1 0r 2 pass outs that I didnt get a warning other wise I got the warning. I have a pacemaker and so far I have not been shocked. Which I am glad. I know that when I would pass out I would get real dizzy when waking up and then I would go out and when coming too I could hear my self gasping for air and i could hear my heart beating in my ears or some strange noise when coming out of it and I could not move or talk right away till my heart came back down and I would be in a cold clammy but hot sweat like I had just got out of the shower. When you get dizzy you want to run if anyone knows what I mean when you have a spell. Cliff what your son is talking about is maybe every thing feels like it stops and you can't move it is a strange feeling. I would sometimes get these feeling through out the day thinking they where panic attacks but they where not. I think they are warning spells or little episodes. What Type do you have in your family Cliff. | ||
| Dr. Jorgen Kanters Username: Jorgen Registered: 08-2003 |
To cliff. Its impossible to tell without examining the patient. You have to dicuss that with your electrophysiologist | ||
| p grey |
Has beta blocker therapy been proven successful for LQT type 2? Is it the preferred choice of most EP's? PG | ||
| Dr. Jorgen Kanters Username: Jorgen Registered: 08-2003 |
Yes betablockers also works in LQT2, although it works best in LQT1. It is the only proven drug. From a theoretical viewpoint, increasing potassium could work. In some cases we give potassium supplement eventually with a potassium sparing diuretic, spironolactone. The problem is that often very high doses of both potassium and spironolactone is needed before potassium is increased, because the ability of the kidney to excrete potassium. This can give adverse events. Furthermore there is no practical evidence that it actually will save lives. | ||
| cann |
i am 48 and i had sudden cardiac death in dec.2003. i have never had any of the symptoms as the others have stated. no warning.my customer that am was an off duty fireman who started cpr till the ems came. my potassium at the time was 2.7. they dida cath test to see if there was blockage then they made me heart do the same thing it did that am.{i am only going by what i was told} they the ep decided at that ime i needed and icd a was put on potassium,mag-ox, and a beta blocker. they told me that it was a potassium problem. ok what happened to my potassium? i do not diet etc. and would someone please tell me what qt i have. i have asked the cardio and the ep and they tell me not to worry about that they are taking care of me. all i want is a few answers. | ||
| Dr. Jorgen Kanters Username: Jorgen Registered: 08-2003 |
It is impossible to diagnose you without examing you and your ECG. The only one who can give you specific answers about your case is your electrophysiologist. I can only give general answers about Long QT | ||
| MO |
I am 39 old male & I passed out in the middle of the night.they did all the posssible tests on me in the hospital & came out with the results of vasovagal. Now before my passing out on that night,after my morning jog I had pulputations in my left arm & upper part of my chest on on going basis. then at night i woke up from really fast pulputations of the heart then I went to the bathroom & passed out, the cardio working on me said it is all vasovagal related. but what about the pulputations?????? Secondly after the incident I get little chest pain on small time intervals.My cardio says this is related to maybe muscle pain???? | ||
| Dr. Jorgen Kanters Username: Jorgen Registered: 08-2003 |
It is impossible to evaluate your condition via the internet. You have either to trust your doctor, or see another doctor for a second opinion. | ||
| mcarr |
I have Long QT (with syncope and Intensive Care in 1981 - no episodes since), been taking beta blocker since 1981. Now, I am taking neurontin and relpax for migraine headeaches. I am also dealing with depression and a new physician wants me to take lexapro. Do you know of any problems with these drugs together? When the neurologist gave me relpax, he said for me not to let any doctor give me an antidepressant. Now, the neurologist is out the country for a while and I am afraid to take the lexapro without consent of a neurologist or someone who knows about these drugs. I talked to a pharmacist and he was not sure. | ||
| sherry |
A few months ago, I had to have a strangulated hemerrhoid lanced. They injected epinephrine and lidocaine in the area prior to the procedure. When I got home 45 mins. later, I was having rectal pain, became diaphoretic(sweaty)w/ cold,clammy skin, felt nauseous and very weak and almost fainted. I made it to the bed and layed down. My breathing was shallow and rapid,& I was extremely tired. I tried to get up once, but all the symptoms returned. I was ok after about an hour.I attributed the symptoms to the rectal pain or the lidocaine/epi causing me to have a vaso-vagal reaction. Today, I was walking on my treadmill ( I do this 3-5x a week for 35 minutes) and after 12 minutes my abdomen started to hurt-like cramps from menstruating. I am on my period, but its been 4 days and I dont normally cramp like this, and if I do, never this late in the cycle...then I started in with the same symptoms I had the day of my rectal surgery--weakness, feeling faint, nauseous, feeling of needing to have BM etc and had to lay down once again.I have no idea what caused these symtoms today. These are the only 2x's I have experienced this, & it is, to put it mildly, AWFUL! I am a nurse & I determined it to be vaso-vagal the first time,but what do you think caused it the second time? Of course, I intend on getting to the bottom of this because this cannot be good & and have racked my brain trying to figure out what is causing this. Thanks for your comments | ||
| Dr. Jorgen Kanters Username: Jorgen Registered: 08-2003 |
It sound vasovagal, but everyone who faints should have an ECG taken. If thats normal the diagnosis vasovagal is OK | ||
| nava Skolnik |
My husband (48)had two episodes of blackout that were not diagnosed yet. I was told by the nurse that maybe it is Vaso Vagal. The first one was almost 2 years ago. He went to the bathroom to urinate in the middle of the night. I heard a thud and found him with the upper part of his body inside the bathtub. I tried to pull him out he made strange gurgling snoring noise and his head kept moving to the right side. I could not see his eyes because he was facing down. He seemed to be in a deep sleep almost snoring, until he woke up. The entire episode took maybe 1-2 minutes. Unfortunately, his right eye was punctured from the fall; we assumed he hit the faucet. He also hit his head. I took him to the hospital, and since all of us were busy with trying to save the eye, (which we couldn’t three operation and 6 months later). No one really paid attention to why he fell on the first place. We assumed the bathroom floor was wet and he slipped. A CT test was done but nothing else. He did not have any memory of what happened. He since then, tried to sit for a few second before he walks to the bathroom. 3 days ago, again in the middle of the night. I was in the bathroom after a shower drying the floor before I go to sleep, he walked into the bathroom start urinating, I talked to him but he did not answer, all of the sudden he bend and closed the lid (very un-common for him) and then his body spiral to the right and again he landed in the bathtub, making this snoring gurgling noise when I tried to pick him up. Again, I cannot see his eyes because he is facing down his body moves, like he is trying to get up. He woke up again and says to me that he just slipped and hit his leg. Later he said that he felt weird, and that is why he bent down. He is a tall man and I am glad he did that because to fall again from his height could be devastating. We are going to see the Dr. today, and hear what he thinks happened. It seems that it is happening when he his half asleep, so now I make sure he talks to me before he walks to the bathroom to make sure he is awake. And he sits on the toilet instead of standing. Any advice? | ||
| Dr. Jorgen Kanters Username: Jorgen Registered: 08-2003 |
Examine his ECG, make a neurological examination, perform a 24h Holter ECG monitoring. Its probably a vasovagal syncope but other things have to be excluded | ||
| Lisa |
I was wondering if any of you have this blinding headache when this comes on. It WAS only happening whenI was trying to have a bowel movement, Now it's anytime my BP is low or high, I have not seen a doc. yet. It just started happening and I am 42. I have a block somewhere in my intenstines and am waiting for an appoitment to see a GI spec. It makes me scream and I cannot sit still or lay down, can anyone help? thanks so much | ||
| Lisa |
Mr.Cann, as I understand it, it stands for Quotient:the numerical ratio usu. multiplied by 100 between a test score and a measurement on which that score might be expected largerly to depend on. Or it could be a quart,  and I'm probaby way off. Maybe someone else has a better answer or the right one I should say, good luck. | ||
| Theresa Vogel |
i am having spells off and on. it only starts when i start to eat. I can fell it coming on. I have a funny feeling in my head, my eyes turn red, i feel like i could pass out,then i have pressure in my head and ears.Then i will either have alot of pressure or pain in my stomach area. I also feel like i could throw up. i have to lie flat on the floor when this happens. i have passed out once because i went to put my head between my legs and i woke up in the hallway.I cannot eat all day but I can drink, for some reason when I try to eat it brings this on. I could go a week or two and may not have another. I have had two doctors tell me they think i am having a vaso-vagal spell, but they are not sure what is causing this. I have taken my bloodpressure when this is going on and it drops. | ||
| David A george |
vasovagal?12 yr old son keeps passing out.My son has passing out episodes all most every day,been to doctor many times still haven"t found out anything.Does anyone have any helpful advice.Concerned father | ||
| David A George |
My 12 yr old son,has had eeg,ekg,ecg and has had a ct scan and holter moniter,all has came back normal,can anyone maybe help lead me in the correct direction,almost seems like im at a dead end street.The doctor says its vasovagal episodes hes having.But i just dont no.Its very scary to watch your son passout many times a day,it makes you feel helpless.Any advice!! | ||
| Bionic Roadrunner |
David, when the doctors were trying to find out the reason for my fainting spells and all the tests had failed to show anything, an electrophysiologist decided to do a tilt table test. In this test they strap the patient on a table, then thread a catheter to the heart through the groin and by sending electric shocks into the heart try to induce fainting in the patient to try and figure out the reason. I do not know if this is done in children but this is probably the best way to figure out what is going on. It sounds scary, but it is really not because the patient is sedated enough not to be afraid or feel anything. I can understand your worry and hope you get some answers very soon. Take care and good luck! | ||
| Jmac |
Are you seeing an electrophysiologist? LQT is electrical problem of the heart. Needs to be evaluated by someone who is VERY VERY familiar with LQT. So many docs miss some of the signs. Many things it could be. Does he take any meds? Any sudden deaths in family? Have they ever put an event monitor on? They can put a 30 day monitor on and he would push button when symptom occurs. It would backup a few seconds to catch the event so the doctors could see if anything showed up. I wore one for 2 months and did not show anything either and my EP was saying borderline LQT and vaso vagal. Sent all records off to specialist in LQT and he confirmed diagnosis, sometimes it can be very hard to diagnose. They saw consistent t-wave abnormalities along with QTC prolonged. They even saw v-tach other docs had missed. Keep searching. Never hurts to have second opinion (s) when symptoms appear. Are you in States? Jmac | ||
| Jmac |
George: One more thing, prolonged QT does not show up all of the time either. That is why it is so dangerous. Jmac | ||
| Dr. Jorgen Kanters Username: Jorgen Registered: 08-2003 |
To diagnose LQTS there must be some other positive features than fainting. Although a normal QT interval does not exclude LQTS, 10% of healthy subjects will experience faintings and most of them have something like vasovagal episodes. |