posted
Ok on saturday, I woke to chest prussure, and couldn't get back to sleep. I ended up going to a urgent care center later that day. I saw a doctor who didn't see all up on everything, put order a EKG. When the RN came to do the EKG, I told here I had a pacemarker, she went on and on how I was the youngest person she ever met with a pacemaker, so I know she knew I had one. The she does the EKG, and says, I am going to do another one to make sure. ( I was like OK?) Then she says well, it looks good, but the doctor needs to talk to you. I am like ok. So the doctor comes in and ask how long I have had a heart block. I was like I have never been told I have one. SO she goes well don't worry treatment for heart block would be a pacemaker. (OK I already have on, so what now ) so then she says, follow up with you Cardio doctor the first part of the week.
So I am going to call my cardio office on monday and have them get a copy of the EKG. I have not had a EKG ran om 3-4 months, but can things change that fast. Or can the Computer be off? Can Lymes cause Heart Block. I have been on treatment now for 30 days, and am starting my next 30 days?
If any one have anything to add, or information to help please let me know!!!
Thank You Posts: 51 | From Des Moines, Iowa | Registered: Jul 2006
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posted
Yes, Lyme can cause heartblock. Don't know anything more about it. Going to bed now, but I am sure that someone else will be along soon to answer your questions.
posted
Thanks for the info. I am going to read up on it. I go a callinto my doctor already so hopufully I find out somthing today!
Posts: 51 | From Des Moines, Iowa | Registered: Jul 2006
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treepatrol
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 4117
posted
Lyme & Cardiac Complications Lyme goes to the heart very quickly. If treated promptly the outcome seems to be good. The problem would be using eccentrically interpreted antibody tests of the CDC and following Yales 1990s approach to diagnosis. Go with Columbia and the research clinicians who actually treat thousands of patients from all over the world, and have treated more Lyme than all of these been places combined.
Cardiac manifestations of Lyme disease: a review.
Nagi KS, Joshi R, Thakur RK.
Arrhythmia Service, University Hospital, London, Ontario.
OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical features of cardiac manifestations of Lyme disease, the most common vector-borne illness in North America, which occasionally results in cardiac involvement.
DATA SOURCES: A review of the English-language clinical literature pertaining to Lyme disease and Lyme carditis indexed in MEDLINE from 1975 to 1995. DATA EXTRACTION: Studies describing diagnosis, clinical features, treatment or outcome were reviewed.
DATA SYNTHESIS: Cardiac complications of Lyme disease may occur in up to 8% of patients. Cardiac manifestations occur in the early phase of the illness, at a median of 21 days from the onset of erythema migrans. Manifestations of Lyme carditis include atrioventricular block, myopericarditis, intraventricular conduction disturbances, bundle branch block and congestive heart failure.
Temporary cardiac pacing may be required in up to a third of cases and complete recovery occurs in most {greater than 90%} patients. The overall prognosis of Lyme carditis is very good, although recovery may be delayed and late complications such as dilated cardiomyopathy may occur.
CONCLUSION: Lyme disease is a tick-borne spirochetal infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi. Cardiac complications of Lyme disease generally occur in the early phase and include conduction system disturbances, myopericarditis and congestive heart failure.
Can J Cardiol. 1996 May;12{5}:503-6.
***** Cardiac manifestations of Lyme disease.
Pinto DS.
Harvard Medical School, Department of Internal Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. [email protected]
Lyme disease is a vector-borne illness that can affect numerous organ systems during the early disseminated phase, including the heart. The clinical course of Lyme carditis is usually benign with most patients recovering completely.
In rare
Temporary pacing may be necessary in more than 30% of patients, but permanent heart block rarely develops. Myocardial and pericardial involvement can occur but generally is mild and self-limited.
Diagnosis is made by associating the clinical and historical features of borreliosis, such as previous tick bite, EM, or neurologic involvement, with electrocardiographic abnormalities and symptoms such as chest pain, palpitations, syncope, and dyspnea.
Serologic studies and endomyocardial biopsy can support the diagnosis in the correct clinical setting, and MR imaging, echocardiography, and gallium scanning have utility in selected circumstances. No treatment has been shown clearly to attenuate or prevent the development of Lyme carditis, but mild carditis generally is treated with oral antibiotics and severe carditis with intravenous antibiotics in an effort to eradicate the infection and prevent late complications of Lyme disease.
There is conflicting evidence regarding the role that B. burgdorferi plays in the development and progression of chronic congestive heart failure. Because of the significant false-positive ELISA rate in this population and the unclear benefit of antibiotic therapy, confirmatory Western blot analysis is recommended.
Routine therapy and screening of patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy is of limited utility and should be reserved for patients with clear history of antecedent Lyme disease or tick bite.
Med Clin North Am. 2002 Mar;86{2}:285-96.
****** Cardiovascular manifestations of Lyme disease.
Cox J, Krajden M.
Department of Microbiology, Toronto General Hospital, Ontario, Canada.
Although the cardiac manifestations of Lyme disease may be diverse, in general they are treatable with currently available therapies.
A high index of suspicion is required to make a diagnosis, especially for patients who may lack a suggestive history of tick exposure or residence in an endemic region. Lyme disease-related heart block may require pacemaker insertion and supportive care.
The efficacy of antibiotics in the therapy of acute and chronic cardiac Lyme disease will require further study. Serologic testing and cardiac histopathology are the most precise methods of diagnosis. There is a need to develop more sensitive and specific diagnostic tests for Lyme disease and for Lyme carditis in particular.
-------------------- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Remember Iam not a Doctor Just someone struggling like you with Tick Borne Diseases.
posted
Why was the pacemaker placed to begin with?
The most common indicator for a pacemaker is a heart block.
Another common reason is uncontrolled atrial fibrillation.
Many people have pacemaker/defibrillators (ICD)inserted because of poor left ventricle function which makes them more prone to life-threatening arrythmias.
Posts: 340 | From Ohio | Registered: Oct 2005
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) so then she says, follow up with you Cardio doctor the first part of the week. ![[confused]](graemlins/confused.gif)
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