recent blood pressure/ heart rate check

I recently was at the doctors and they said that I had tachycardia.  and i checked my own heart rate and blood pressure at a blood pressure checker and it was 119 bpm each time.  with a diastolic of 77, and a systolic that varied between 135 and 144.  i am extremely alarmed at this as I am only 22 years old and deal with anxiety issues, yet I might hav been a little bit dehydrated at the time.  I take seroquel and gabapentin for sleep/ anxiety related issues.    

[jaksmom03]

get in and get an echo and a heart holtier!!!!!! I have the same issue, and there is something wrong with two of my valves. what is your resting heart rate oh I am 27. I live with one of those polar heart montiors from target!!!

[degrassi]

what is a polar monitor form Target?  I think Michael would like one. Is it a BP machine?

[jaksmom03]

hi it is a watch to wear that tells time and has a stop watch and you wear this band around under your chest and when you clcik the button on the watch it tells you your heart rate its pretty neat you can get them for around $50.

[Jack54]

Did you know that there are many lawsuits against the manufacturers of Seroquel, and other drugs of this class, atypical antipsychotic medications?

FDA Alert on seroquel from WebMD Medical News:

Check with your physician if you have any of the following:

Conditions:

Abnormal Movements of Face Muscles and Tongue, Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome, Tobacco Smoking, Epileptic Seizure, Cataracts, Metabolic Syndrome X, Dementia in an Elderly Person, Heart Attack, Disease of Inadequate Blood Flow to the Heart Muscle, Abnormal Heart Rhythm, Chronic Heart Failure, Any Disorder of the Blood Vessels of the Brain, Blood Pressure Drop Upon Standing, Abnormally Low Blood Pressure, Liver Problems, High Blood Sugar, Decreased Blood Volume, Underactive Thyroid, Diabetes, High Amount of Fats in the Blood, Extreme Loss of Body Water, Overweight, Having Thoughts of Suicide

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Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS)

A potentially fatal symptom complex sometimes referred to as Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS) has been reported in association with administration of antipsychotic drugs, including SEROQUEL. Rare cases of NMS have been reported with SEROQUEL. Clinical manifestations of NMS are hyperpyrexia, muscle rigidity, altered mental status, and evidence of autonomic instability (irregular pulse or blood pressure, tachycardia, diaphoresis, and cardiac dysrhythmia). Additional signs may include elevated creatine phosphokinase, myoglobinuria (rhabdomyolysis) and acute renal failure.

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Cardiovascular System

Frequent: palpitation; Infrequent: vasodilatation, QT interval prolonged, migraine, bradycardia, cerebral ischemia, irregular pulse, T wave abnormality, bundle branch block, cerebrovascular accident, deep thrombophlebitis, T wave inversion; Rare: angina pectoris, atrial fibrillation, AV block first degree, congestive heart failure, ST elevated, thrombophlebitis, T wave flattening, ST abnormality, increased QRS duration

Cholesterol and Triglyceride Elevations

In schizophrenia trials, the proportions of patients with elevations to levels of cholesterol ≥240 mg/dL and triglycerides ≥200 mg/dL were 16% and 23% for SEROQUEL treated patients respectively compared to 7% and 16% for placebo patients respectively. In bipolar depression trials, the proportion of patients with cholesterol and triglycerides elevations to these levels were 9% and 14% for SEROQUEL treated patients respectively, compared to 6% and 9% for placebo patients respectively.
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January 30, 2004

Dear Health Care Provider,

AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP would like to inform you of important labeling changes regarding SEROQUEL ® (quetiapine fumarate). The FDA has asked all manufacturers of atypical antipsychotic medications, including AstraZeneca, to add a Warnings statement describing the increased risk of hyperglycemia and diabetes in patients taking these medications, including SEROQUEL.

Accordingly, the SEROQUEL Prescribing Information has been updated with the addition of the following information:

WARNINGS

Hyperglycemia and Diabetes Mellitus
Hyperglycemia, in some cases extreme and associated with ketoacidosis or hyperosmolar coma or death, has been reported in patients treated with atypical antipsychotics, including Seroquel. Assessment of the relationship between atypical antipsychotic use and glucose abnormalities is complicated by the possibility of an increased background risk of diabetes mellitus in patients with schizophrenia and the increasing incidence of diabetes mellitus in the general population. Given these confounders, the relationship between atypical antipsychotic use and hyperglycemia-related adverse events is not completely understood. However, epidemiological studies suggest an increased risk of treatment-emergent hyperglycemia-related adverse events in patients treated with the atypical antipsychotics. Precise risk estimates for hyperglycemia-related adverse events in patients treated with atypical antipsychotics are not available. Patients with an established diagnosis of diabetes mellitus who are started on atypical antipsychotics should be monitored regularly for worsening of glucose control.

Patients with risk factors for diabetes mellitus (eg, obesity, family history of diabetes) who are starting treatment with atypical antipsychotics should undergo fasting blood glucose testing at the beginning of treatment. Any patient treated with atypical antipsychotics should be monitored for symptoms of hyperglycemia including polydipsia, polyuria, polyphagia, and weakness. Patients who develop symptoms of hyperglycemia during treatment with atypical antipsychotics should undergo fasting blood glucose testing. In some cases, hyperglycemia has resolved when the atypical antipsychotic was discontinued; however, some patients required continuation of anti-diabetic treatment despite discontinuation of the suspect drug.

AstraZeneca remains committed to providing you with the most current product information available for the management of your patients. You may immediately review the Warnings statement about hyperglycemia and diabetes mellitus in the SEROQUEL Prescribing Information by visiting the web site www.Seroquel.com. Updated package inserts containing the additional hyperglycemia and diabetes mellitus information will accompany the medication in the near future and you should, of course, refer to the insert for full Prescribing Information.

As always, we request that serious adverse events be reported to AstraZeneca at 1-800-236-9933 or to the FDA MedWatch program at 1-800-FDA-1088, by fax at 1-800-FDA-0178, or by email at www.fda.gov/medwatch. For additional medical information about SEROQUEL, please call 1-800-236-9933 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm EST, Monday through Friday.

Sincerely,

Wayne Macfadden, MD

Senior Director/Clinical Research

AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals

[southerncharm]

Now Jack, Seroquel is one of the safest of the new antipsychotics, for most people.

[southerncharm]

so, about that polar monitor, is that for exercise?  I think I have seen them then.

[Jack54]

Seroquel has been on the market for at least 10 years, and I really disagree with you about the safety of it. Sorry, but I have read a lot about this drug and subsequent lawsuits.....Don't want to make anyone with a screen name " Southern Charm" mad :) Though

Try googling it. Many doctors have quit prescribing it. Little is known about how this class of drugs work, BUT much is known about the very serious side effects they cause. It won't be on the market too much longer.....

[FLBrat]

I dont trust the heart information coming from an $800 treadmill and you depend on a $50 watch??  Do yourself a favor, go to a medical supply store or pharmacy and buy a self taking blood pressure kit.  Not a plug in, a stethescope cuff kind.  As far as a blood pressure checker (at WalMart, grocery??) those have been beat to death and are not dependable either.  Good luck bruegger.