Heart Rythm Issue

[frogger275]

My 66 yr old husband has had a problem for at least the last 10 years.  He collapses and appears to not be breathing or have a heart beat.  Once he was in a restaurant and they called the EMTS.  Once he was in a class and they started CPR and called EMTS.  Once he was at home and I called EMTS.  This happens about every 2 to 3 years. After the time he went out in a class he saw a Cardiac Electrophysiologist who did a Tilt Table test.  This doctor told me that while on the table, my husbands heart didn't do anything until they gave him Nitro.  At that point his heart had several extremely long pauses and at one point they were getting the "Crash Cart" when he finally came around.  My husband was very sick after that.  This was the worst one he had.  It takes him days or a week or so to feel himself after these incidents.  He was placed on Norpace and did well for around 4 years. The doctor said that if he didn't improve he may need to have a pace maker at some point.  We moved and the new doctor took him off of the Norpace and placed him on Topral.  He did fine with that for about a year and when he was switched to a generic he had another attack.   This doctor says it is black outs.  I don't believe it. I think is must be something more.  If it is simply a black out why would so many people including the other doctor get ready to start CPR and why does it take him so long to recover? This new doctor also said that a pace maker would not help him. That it would be a waist of money.  Can you shed some light on this.  Thank You

[frogger275]

Thank you so much for your reply. It was very informative and helpful.  It does sound like the same problem.  I hope you continue to stay in good health.  We will be getting another opinion. Will update later.  Thanks Again

[dolfnlvr]

I certainly can.  It sounds to me as though your husband is suffering from something called neurocardiogenic syncope or vasovagal syncope (these mean the same thing).  And, more than just that, his "spells" sound exactly like mine.

You may want to visit the following site and click around for some specifics about this syndrome.  I've found that this site describes most of what I've been through, and been spoken to about by cardiologists.  http://www.syncope.co.uk/

When I was 15 or 16 I was eating dinner with my family when I suddenly felt ill.  My cousin said, "well don't pass out in your food." and that is the last thing I remember.  Next thing I knew the medics were standing over me preparing me to ride to the hospital in the ambulance.  That was the first episode.

Later, I had a wisdom tooth extracted and while paying the co-pay I passed out cold.  I scared the dentist and his staff so badly that they refuse to do anything more than a filling on me without sending me to an oral surgeon.  Why??  Well, my heart rate drops to about 11 beats/minute (nearly undetectable) when I faint.  

I was told over and over again that I was a fainter.  I was susceptible to fainting...no big deal.  Then I went to my doctor and had a mole removed in the office.  I warned him, but he said I'd be fine.  Well....I fainted on him.  My heart rate dropped so low that he thought my heart had stopped, and suddenly it became a priority to get me checked out by a cardiologist.

I had a tilt exam and fainted within the first 10 minutes, without any medication.  As I said, my heart rate was clocked at 11 BPM and the cardiologist had them push atripine to get it moving again.  Gee it's a nice feeling when you scare the **** out of your cardiologist at the age of 17 :-).  So reassuring.

Anyway, I was put on Norpace (sound familiar) and it did the trick.  If it had not worked they were going to put a pacer in.  But it did work, and I don't currently have to take anything for the fainting at all, though I've been warned that it will return and in the future I will likely need a pacer (I'm 34 now).

Thing is, my heart is 100% fine.  It's been well studied, let me tell you.  Between the fainting as a teen, the PVC's and SVT as an adult, it's had more pictures taken then Cindy Crawford.  But, my brain seems to be a bit overreactive to certain situations.  

Normally the autonomic nervous system controls cardiac function and the vagus nerve sends a lot of the signals for adjusting heart rate, blood pressure and respiration rate.  My vagus nerve is overly reactive, and after having a fright, a trauma, or some blood pressure lowering experience, my heart rate slows, my blood pressure plummets and...well...so do I.

It sounds to me like your husband is suffering from spontaneous bradycardia.  For some reason, your husbands heart rate drops significantly causing low BP and low blood flow.  This causes a lack of oxygen in the brain and sudden unconciousness.  This can be dangerous and it CAN BE TREATED.  Norpace is one solution (though it has some nasty side effects).  And another treatment is a pace maker.  This CAN help maintain conciousness and ensure that the heart rate stays stable even if the vagus nerve sends the calm down message.  

I think you need to find a different cardiologist.  One that has had experience dealing with neurocardiogenic syncope/syndrome and one that is willing to take your husband's medical history seriously.  

Let me know if you want to talk some more.  I'm happy to share anything I know on this subject with people who are struggling with treatment/diagnosis.

You can post here, or contact my personal message board by mousing over my blue screen name and clicking on "Leave message."

Take care,
April