I have LD, has anyone else had a heart attack or suffered damage to their heart from LD?
[ 20. August 2007, 12:39 AM: Message edited by: kbholley ]
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
WELCOME*)!*)!! *)!*!)!)!!
VERY VERY VERY rarely are bad complications. Yes, people do get heart stuff, but usually not fatal. Very rarely cardiomyopathy can develop and there have been successful transplants for that.
Some people get transient heart stuff, conduction blocks...
I got mitral valve prolapse and so did my daughter, who is 10. Hers got better on Mepron for Babsiosis, but didn't go away entirely. MVP is no big deal unless severe and I think they watch hers just because it was disease induced- she had a bad murmur at birth so they had checked out her heart and she wasn't born with it. But again, no big deal!!!
What I see most commonly here is racing heart palipitations which can feel REALLY scary but are pretty HARMLESS and they most often seem to be associated with Babesiosis-
Defniteily get your heart checked out if you are having heart symptoms but I wouldn't worry a lot about it if not- it is rare-
but WELCOME*)!*)!!
Posted by bubbear (Member # 8976) on :
I have a very rapid heart beat and irregular ones too....amd the blood does not fill te lower chamber properly....or so one Dr says......but none of this before Lyme
Posted by kbholley (Member # 12938) on :
The reason I ask, is because I had a heart attack last november that was caused from a 100% blockage in the Right Coranary Artery and I still have a 30% blockage in the Left Coranary Artery. I also have a regurgatation from a MVP.
I have had undiognosed LD for the last 6 1/2 yrs. Because the Doctors here in Northern Florida say it can't be LD because its not digonious to our area. I had the bulls eye rash and all of the early symptoms , but because the test came back neg. they refuse to even consider the symptoms.
Posted by savebabe (Member # 9847) on :
Lyme disease can cause heartblocks which lead to heart failure.
I have also noticed that since I contracted lyme, my cholesteral has gone through the roof.
So, I believe there is a connection between heart disease and lyme.
My suggestion would be to see a llmd and get treated while monitoring your heart.
Feel better.
Posted by kbholley (Member # 12938) on :
I have a cardioligist now and am taking 9 pills per day just for the stint that had to be put in and to control the cholosteral that is way high. He doesn't think it is from the ld and my primary who knows nothing about ld, agrees with him. So, I am on the look out for a great primary doctor who will listen and care, and proof to shove in the Cardioligist face.
I'm 5'7" and weight between 135 to 146, depending on being bloated.
Posted by just don (Member # 1129) on :
Most people dont think so,,,specially MY heart doctor that I saw when sxs arose. This was the last straw in the mirage of sx I had and couldnt explain there similiar possible causes,,,BEFORE I knew what I had.
I had shortness of breath on exertion suddenly. I had JUST inhaled some smoke from a trash fire and thought I got too much of it!!
It persisted and so went to doc. He puts this gizmo on me and declares NO work, no lifting no nothing till you get a heart cath.
So I travel 120 miles and get the cath. I was last one of the day and it was pretty early yet and all the techs in there was laughing, joking and saying what they were going to do with all there extra time off that day.
Anyway they didnt even give the numb stuff a chance to work before they stuck that rusty screwdriver in my groin artery(thats what it FELT like). Oh you felt that???? Hold on it will get better soon.
I lay there on that COLD table fully expecting to get the 'balloon' treatment or stent to 'fix' the problem. Little camera says NOPE not today!! Heart coronary artery 100% blocked and they said that part of the heart had already died from lack of blood supply. They said no hope for you ,,,go home and enjoy whats left of your life.
Also they couldnt get there stuff thru a 100% blocked artery,,needed room to work back then!!
I asked doc IF lyme causes artery blockage(I was highly suspecting lyme at this point) and he said NO way!! He was really insulted that I knew anything,,,he said HE was the expert and I didnt know squat!!
He said that when the heat of summmer rolled around I would probably collapse and die right on the spot,,,someplace while working outside,,,,he measured my ejection fraction at about 30% and ANY lower and I am dead!! Normal is like 65-70% ejection,,,which is a measure of the heart pumping efficiency!!
About that time I was dx by a great LLMD and started abx treatment. "MY" opinion was that maybe that artery blockage was a keet in coccoon form started the clot.
I did the cardiac rehab program and completed with no other adverse event. I made it thru the whole summer heat time without collaping and dieing(that I KNOW of),,and about 5 more of them after that.
Went back like a year or two later and had the chemical stress test. And THAT heart doc could find 0% of damage or even evidence it ever happened to me!! AND I have 0 residual problems with it and am not restricted what or when I wish to do whatever I want!! 100% normal(((OOPS,I didnt really mean NORMAL))) Only normal of the heart,,,VERY abnormal of the head!!!
So IF this gives you any clue,,,get good treatment, take long term abx,,,and HOPE your story ends 'better' than mine. AND you wont find a doc that will say it works THAT way,,,but it may have HERE!!!
Hopeful for YOU--just don--
Posted by kbholley (Member # 12938) on :
I called my primary the monday after it happened with what I thought was the starting of an Upper Res. infection, I didn't know it at that time that I had had a heart attack, all I had was intense upper back pain and had a hard time catching my breath. They listened to my chest and decided to do an EKG and told me I had a heart attack and was being sent to the hospital via ambulance.
The doctors in the ER room had a hard time beliveing that I had a HA and told me the blood test would prove if I really had a heart attack so it would be usless if I was faking it. I told him, that I wasn't the one who stated it was a HA that I thought is was just a chest cold/ infection.
The next day they preformed the Card. Cath. and it wasn't numb at all and you are right it fills like they are jabbing a rusty screw into your groin, they preformed the angioplasty (Balloon) and placed a stint in and then told me it was the medicated stint and I would be on the med. for the rest of my life. I went back to work three weeks later and have yet to make it through a full week.
I'm not sure if its from the LD or the heart attack. I have not been treated for the LD, the doctors here think its uncommon for our area in Northern Florida - even though I had the tick, the bulls eye rash and all of the symptoms (flu, fatigue, fever etc). So 6 1/2 yrs later I am still fighting to get the proper treatment.
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Wow, Brenda-lee, you are going through it- keep fighting!!! ANd Just DOn, never heard that before, you've BEEN through it, that is amazing- I believe you, and I agree, I think it causes a great many problems that never get attributed to it- the amount of actual research being conducted on this disease is almost zilch when it comes to actual effects on people- BL, keep on with the course you are taking- obviously your docs don't know much at all- wish they were better- Doc Sch of FL is in FL if you could ever get to or afford him- a newly emergent LLMD- Take care-
Posted by lymeladyinNY (Member # 10235) on :
Wow, some dramatic accounts here!
I have mitral valve prolapse and an irregular, racing heart beat.
I've had the irregular, skippy heart beat for many years, since my early 20s, and it's one of the reasons my LLMD believes I was infected as a child living on a farm in upstate NY.
The other night I was sound asleep when my heart woke me up. It was pounding and racing very hard.
It scared the heck out of me. Afterwards I had pretty bad chest pains.
Last year I fell to the floor with chest pains and was sure it was a heart attack. Two days later at a routine visit to my primary doctor I told the nurse about it and they decided to run an EKG.
Next thing I know the nurse is stuffing aspirin in my mouth and they've called the ambulance.
I stayed overnight in the chest pain center of my local hospital and they said they could find nothing wrong with me.
I don't know what my primary doctor saw on the EKG to cause her to send me to the hospital.
The cardiologist and I discussed my situation and he actually agreed with me that it was probably the chest pains caused by Lyme.
So, that's my heart story!
Lymelady
Posted by Kevin Hamblin (Member # 12019) on :
I was a cross country runner/ semi-pro volleyball player/ avid softball player/ personal trainer etc...
I had a perfect heart. Now I've had 6 irregular EKGs with two regeritating valves and a enlarged chamber.
My cardiologist said it could easily be from a systemic infection such as Lyme.
Luckily I had had a complete workup on my heart prior to Lyme, so I'm convinced it's the cause.
I've suffered many arrythmia's and slow heart beats over the last year.
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Watch for Bartonella when heart issues arise. It has been known to block up arteries and cause heart block.
Also note the body makes cholestrol to help protect your cells when you have an infection. It coats the cells.
Sooooooooo... Lyme patients could have a high chlosterol level and not be able to lower it unless they are treated.
Also... the blood cells and garbage can get gobbed up together (infections, toxins, etc).. causing blood to be thick. This can increase the risk for heart attacks and strokes.
Tell those idiot ducks in Florida they are wrong. DEAD wrong! They just can't imagine Micky Mouse with Lyme disease... and don't want him to have it either. I mean HEY! Tourists would stay away if they found out Mickey could have Lyme!
Keep pushing to get treatment! Feel better soon!
Posted by cjnelson (Member # 12928) on :
I have bouts of palpitations - PJC's and PAC's. Never had them before. Started after my hive outbreak in 03.
Dr says they are benign and nothing to worry about. I was 34 when they started.....
4 years AFTER the bulls eye rash and many other symptoms have plagued me..
No! It couldnt be attributed to LYMES!?!!?? (sarcasm intended!)
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