Arrhythmia and blood pressure medication

[RedAngel84]

I'm 25 years old and got my arrhythmia diagnosed for the first time today, so I'm a bit clueless here. A few weeks ago, my PCP put my on blood pressure meds to control my slightly elevated bp, which was when I started noticing my heart racing very easily, I would black out if I stood up quickly- and things just kept getting worse. I stopped the new medication after 5 days of taking it. However the blackouts came from going up stairs, bending over, my heart would race along with them, and take hours to go back down. Exercising was a nightmare, made me feel terrible, I had episodes where the same as the above would happen, but I would go very pale, my chest would hurt terribly and my heart rate would go to over 200 and take 5-6 hours before it would go back to under 100. After the last episode yesterday my friends begged me to go to the ER (and yes, I probably should have) but my PCP saw me today, ran a bunch of tests and I'm off to a cardio asap. The ECG was abnormal, and something about my orthostatic hypotension heart rate was off. The blood pressure itself did the right thing (went from 114/72 while lying down to 123/78 while standing), but my heart rate went from 68 to 98. I have no idea what these results mean though.

Does anyone know what these ECG results mean?

Sinus arrhythmia
moderate right-precordial repolarization disturbance, consider feminine pattern
negative T in V3 with small negative T in V2
Heart rate: 64 BPM Abnormal ECG

It had seemed to me that the worse of everything came while I was exercising, but if I got these results in the doctor's office, I guess not. Is it possible that all of this was an effect of the medication, or that the medication just triggered something that was there all along? Is it possible that this is will resolve itself since I've stopped taking the medication? I'm also taking migraine meds as well (topamax and the occasional Relpax)- is there any way that the combo could have triggered this?

[RedAngel84]

If that's to me Gene, then nope, not me. I'm currently taking 75mg of Topamax and that's it. I stopped taking the Lisinopril a week ago. I called my neuro to see if there was any way the Relpax could be responsible, and she said it was possible and to discontinue it. Haven't used any since Tuesday anyway.

Today my heart rate seems to be in the low 50's (blood pressure content to stay in the normal range) which has left me feeling dizzy, lightheaded, horrible. Doing almost anything at all is making my heart pound. I'm starting to think this has less to do with the meds and more to do with a messed up heart.

Too bad that cardiologist appointment is a month away.

[Gene918]

I've noticed in a couple of your posts that you take 200 mg of metoprolol daily, which is exactly what I have been on until recently. Have you ever been on any other BB? Do you take anything else in combo with the BB?

[Gary3201]

Lots of people cannot tolerate Lisinopril as it does cause so many various severe side effects to some individuals, but there are a lot of other options out there. See your Cardiologist  I am sure he can get you on the right med and then go from there

gary

[RedAngel84]

Thank you so much for the responses! I Can't believe I forgot to mention what I'd been taking... it was was 20mg of Lisinopril (generic zestril). It's actually an ace inhibitor.

I took it for less than a week, so I was surprised to have such a violent reaction to it. Maybe the whole thing was just a coincidence, or it maybe it was a trigger. I know my mom has SVT, so maybe there's a link there somewhere. I was just hoping I'd be able to wait a year or 30 before I'd have to deal with this.

Good luck to you and your daughter kozlosap! You're definitely right, 25 is WAY too young for all of this!

[kozlosap]

My 25 year old daughter had this develop around 5 weeks ago.  She has been on Beta Blockers for 3 weeks and they increased her dose last week to 100 mg.  She saw with cardiologist yesterday and was told that she would be scheduled for an ablation within the next three weeks to prevent cardiomyopothy (sp).  She just called me and is very shaky right now and came close to passing out.  I "ordered" her to get to the ER immediately.  Please make sure and press for a quick appointment.  This is not normal in healthy active 25 year olds!  Good Luck

[DodyRosy]

Orthostatic hypotension is when your blood pressure drops suddenly and can cause fainting. When your blood pressure drops your heart rate should increase (sometimes dramatically) to compensate for the decreased blood flow. Beta blockers keep this from happening in some people so they will pass out or get dizzy upon standing or anything that lowers the blood pressure (cause the heart rate is blocked). Sometimes exercise can aggravate low blood pressure and so can getting overheated - I have this problem. I have bursts of tachycardia that make me feel like I'm going to die during exercise. This is due to a drop in blood pressure.

Beta blockers can be very difficult for people to adjust to.

Sinus arrhythmia is when your heart rate slows down and increases when you inhale and exhale. Usually this is benign.

I don't think I can help with all your concerns. You're probably better off to specifically as a cardiologist about the EKG results. The auto readings aren't always accurate and he/she will look at the actual strip. Good luck.

I can not take migraine medication due to heart problems. You should ask your cardiologist about those - sometimes physicians don't think about everything.

[Jerry_NJ]

It will not help me answer your questions, but it may help if you told us what type of medication you per prescribed for your high BP.  I will guess a beta blocker, and I can say I know BB can have dizziness, suppose even passing out, as an unwanted side effect.  However, this is usually, in my experience, because BB lowers the BP too much, easy to fix, lower the dose.  

I take BB to lower my HR, and get unwanted lower BP, which has caused some dizziness for me in the beginning, when I wen to high dose levels.  I have grown out of that at this point.  

I think it unlikely that a BB would cause any heart problems.  Dizziness, yes, very possible, but a fully reversible condition when the BB is stopped.  Or, maybe just lowering the dose.

I take up to 200 mg of Metoprolol at day myself, and I have gotten mostly used to that level, no dizziness, but some fatigue problems persist.