Hi, Sorry I am posting so frequently these days. I just am trying to figure out why things are backsliding.
I was told the other day by my cardiologist that he thinks I may need to do a heart cath ablation. My heart rate has been doing very strange things. I just feel like this is so crazy to do at my age...not that it isn't at any age, but geez!
Anyway, if I am on lots of antibiotics right now (including IM Bicillin) could it be damaging my heart?
Posted by kgg (Member # 5867) on :
I hope you are having your lyme doc in the loop on this cardiac stuff. If your cardiologist is talking ablation then you are experiencing Atrial Fibrillation?
Unfortunately, Lyme can infect the heart just as well as any other organ in our bodies.
It is my opinion that Bicillin is not damaging your heart the infection is responsible.
You state that you are backsliding now, please be in contact with your LLMD. It is really their job to figure out what is going on, not the patient. I know that we have to be very involved in our treatment, but they are the experts. That's why we pay them the big bucks.
Hope you feel better quickly!
Posted by seibertneurolyme (Member # 6416) on :
It would be very unusual for antibiotics to cause actual heart damage. Can lyme do that -- absolutely. Can bartonella damage the heart -- another big yes.
Do you take CoQ10, taurine, hawthorne or any other herbs or supplements which can help heart function? Sometimes herbals and supplements can be a big help in helping the body heal and prevent further damage from the infections.
Bea Seibert
P.S. Zithromax is about the only antibiotic I know of that can have cardiac side effects. And possibly some of the babesia meds I think.
Posted by terv (Member # 29410) on :
In my case we think treatment damaged my hearing. LLMD theorizes that there were a lot of cysts sitting on the nerve and they burst after taking flagyl. I had been on his flagyl protocol for a year and no herx ever involved my ears or hearing.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Add Biaxin to the list .. and Avelox for causing heart problems.
Life+Lyme .. You probably have babesia and since you aren't taking anything for that, it could be the infection going rampant.
Also .. you could be herxing. I ended up in the ER from a herx that was affecting my heart (twice actually).
As kgg asked .. Do you have A-fib?
Posted by Life+Lyme (Member # 33568) on :
Thanks Kgg. I am in contact with my LLMD some. At this point, I am just waiting on a lot of test results from both them and my cardiologist...it's at a bit of a stand-still.
I am not sure if we are talking A-fib. My cardiologist didn't communicate much with me. I think he wanted to get back some results first. All he said was my episodes I described were reasons people have ablations.
Bea, thanks so much. I was taking those things, but the CoQ10 interacts with one of the meds I was taking, so I had to discontinue it. That is good to keep in mind, though!
Terv, so sorry you have had damage. Thanks for the heads up.
Lymetoo, I really don't know if it is a herx or just an invasion of the bad guys.
I'm currently on the following antibiotics/antimalarials: Bicillin LA, Plaquenil, Cryptolepis, Malarone, Moxatag, Minocycline, and Zithromax 4d/week.
Now, I know there is a lot about Zithromax and heart stuff, but I'm not convinced they are related. I took IV Zithromax for months last year with no heart issues. I wouldn't think oral would be more harmful. Also, I was having issues before I even started the Zithromax. No prolonged QT intervals...I checked into that.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- First consideration with ANY heart rhythm issue:
MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY &/or TAURINE DEFICIENCY
Second: absolutely, your LLMD MUST be involved in this matter. Absolutely. Because lyme often causes heart issues and just because one is on treatment that does not mean lyme is not still causing some effects.
The LLMD also needs to be in the loop because some Rx can cause rhythm issues.
Third: Acetaminophen can affect the heart by robbing / preventing glutathione in the body. See links about this in the Liver Support links to follow.
Fourth: Liver & Kidney support are vital to keep the neurotoxin levels lower. Without such support, higher toxicity can affect heart rhythm.
A pulmonolgist [just told me that] "is notorious for causing heart arrhythmias."
Discussion in this thread also touches on the errors and deception in the way side-effects of many drugs are reported - so that they can be approved for market and increase profits.
Antidepressants cause bradycardia and heart block in GD 13 rat embryos in vitro. (April 2012)
Excerpts:
. . . . One drug, trazodone, caused arrhythmia consistent with blockade of the hERG (human ether-a-go-go related gene) potassium channel. . . .
. . . The least margin of safety was seen with the tricyclic antidepressants and the serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitor trazodone. . . . (end excerpts)
---- Also realize that the "over" dose for some may be quite lower, especially for those with liver &/or kidney stress (nearly everyone with lyme) because metabolism can be altered. Many with lyme are very sensitive to even tiny doses of certain pharmaceuticals in this class so it can take less to "over" dose, so to speak.
Some meds that cause heart rhythm problems can do so by lowering magnesium or blocking glutathione, etc. So if the sooner the underlying CAUSE can be addressed, the better. Magnesium really is THE number one place to start looking. INTRACELLULAR testing, not serum levels. -
Posted by Life+Lyme (Member # 33568) on :
Thanks so much, Keebler.
I am not on Trazadone and am doing all natural things for sleep support.
I do have POTS in addition. I avoid Acetaminophen like the plague due to liver problems in the past. I will make an effort to keep my LLMD in on all this.
I'll update this thread when I hear back later this week. I don't know what I'll decide if the cardiologist gives me the choice. I guess my LLMD will be the tie-breaker.
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