Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

[MelissaA]

If they suspect that you may have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy on an echo and then do a Cardiac Cath both left, right, coronary arteriography and left ventriculography and that was normal.  Would you agree the enlargement in the echo on the posterior walls, and septum was nothing to worry about.  It was right above what is considered normal? My septum was 1.31 cm in d and 1.66 cm in s on the echo.  I am really worried my children need to be screened and I need to be treated.  First they said no strenous excercise, than I got it was okay to excercise.  Makes me scared to.

What does a poor R wave mean on an ekg?  I have had several of these and they all say abnormal.  Also what exactly are the P waves?  (I think it is where the heart signal begins in the SA node)

If you run years (lets say about 5 years) in a tachy above 100 will that damage your heart?  Could that increase those wall measurements?

Are PVC's and PAC's harmless?  I don't have any coronary blockages.  I just have the slighly enlarged walls, and MVP, and Tricupsid Reguritation at trivial, and a very small hole in the heart.

Thanks in advance for your reply

[Melisa41]

A related discussion, MILD HCM was started.

[Mary Duffy]

I was on the drug "neurontin" for pain management,,,  shortly
there after, I started developing high blood pressure, pain in
left arm, chest pains, and edema.  No proir hx of heart problems
before this drug was used.  Since, I had a cardiac cath done,
my heart was found to be functioning at 40%!!  I was dx with
cardiomyopathy.  Is this drug known to cause heart problems?
What test(s) can be done to find out if NEURONTIN caused this?
Please reply to MDUFFY29 @hotmail.com

[Cleveland Clinic, MD]

Dear Anne,

Have you actually been diagnosed as having hypertrophic cardiomyopathy?  I would be suspect of that diagnosis based on the data you told me but it is impossible to know without reviewing the actual studies.   R waves are due to the ventricle and poor R-wave progression refers to the pattern as it shifts across from leads V1 to V6.  You are correct that the P wave is due to atrial contraction which is usually due to the sinus node.  A rapid tachycardia, even for just a short time, can cause damage to the heart.  Generally this is a decrease in the pumping function of the heart, not an increase in the wall size.  PACs and PVCs are generally regarded as harmless.