Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum.  ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Heart Disease  (Expert Forum)
 | 
Heart Cath & Memory Loss
This forum is for questions and support regarding heart issues such as: Angina, Angioplasty, Arrhythmia, Bypass Surgery, Cardiomyopathy, Coronary Artery Disease, Defibrillator, Heart Attack, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Mitral Valve Prolapse, Pacemaker, PAD, Stenosis, Stress Tests.

Heart Cath & Memory Loss

by Eva-Eaton, Jul 24, 1998 12:00AM

  I am interested in learning whether a 38 year old individual who underwent cardiac catherization in 1992, during which he developed some transient bradycardia, successfully treated with approximately 1 mg Atropine, had atypical chest pain, and also developed some transient hypotension, which responded to fluid boluses, could develop limited memory for things both prior and subsequent to the cardiac cath.  This gentlemen also has hypertension, which is often out of control, smokes 3 packs of cigarettes a day and suffers from an ongoing addiction to Vicodin.  Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Eva:
Sometimes relaxing medicines such as intravenous valium are given before/during a catheterization.  These medicines can cause a person's recollection of events during and slightly before and after the catheterization to be shaky.  I am talking about minutes or hours, not days, of memory loss.
I hope this is useful. Feel free to write back with further questions.
If you wish to be evaluated here at the Cleveland Clinic, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE for an appointment with a cardiologist at desk F15.  Information provided in the Heart Forum is for general purposes only.  Specific diagnoses and therapies can only be provided by your doctor.





Continue discussion
RSS Expert Activity
Sad cases of Animal Cruelty
Dec 18 by Thomas Dock, Vet. Technician
Cost and Availablity of Medical Car...
Dec 17 by John C Hagan III, MD, FACS
Behavior Medications for our Pets -... 
Dec 17 by Jim Humphries, B.S., D.V.M.