Marijuana and SVT/PAC

[Cheers]

I am worried about posting this question...but will do so.

I am 38 and pretty healthy. I eat a good diet and exercise about 45 minutes a day 5 days a week. I take vitamins and supplements. I never have more than one or two glasses of wine occasionally. I do not smoke.

I do have a hx of occasional SVT and PACs as well as anxiety. I take metoprolol for the heart and klonopin for the anxiety. Both have worked wonderfully for years with decreases in dosage, no increases.

My palps were getting worse around the time of my period so I had a 30 day event monitor. It found a 7 beat run of SVT and some PACs. I posted about this seperately. I am seeing the EP about this on Friday.

Question is this...I sometimes smoke pot to help with sleeping and social anxiety situations. It helps me tremendously. I quit for years and there was NO change in heart effects. So I started again and use as "needed".

Can the pot be dangerous with the SVT/PACs? When I smoke it...it is very low grade and only take 1 or 2 hits at most. Again, when I quit, I still had symptoms. Of course, if this is truly dangerous for me - I will stop. Just curious what others may have to say about this.

Thank you.

Heather

[josh246]

First I would like to inform you of a few things that I think will help you. When ever you smoke your heart rate will increase doesn't matter what you smoke. Think of it this way when you smoke you have less o2 going were it needs to go so to help make up for this your heart rate will increase.Now I must advise you to not drink on your klonopin as this is a unsafe practice.When you make your heart work harder you are more likely to have it act up. Stay away from wine all together it makes you more likely to have PAC and PVC witch can trigger your svt.If you smoke you have less o2 in your blood and low o2 can trigger PVC and PAC and your heart rate is increased. Do your self a favor guys if you have heart problems of any kind put down the smoke and beer.I myself have had a ablashion for svt in 2006 i know how scary it can be.I still have small runs of PAC and PVC but i can tell you drinking or smoking will make it worse over time.  Best of luck to all of you guys I hope you feel better soon.

[juice865]

i am on the same meds ur friend is on an do smoke the only problem that ive  had with weed an svt is that metoprolol slow your heart rate an weed speeds it up it can be like speed ballin it can be dangerous weed in svt it can trigger especially if u slow down on your meds  with that said i do smoke an alot i have been on atenolol for 2 years  for psvt and weed has trigger mine an ive had to up my meds because with that said  weed is the only drug i like an  as long as i can i will smoke but need to quit ciggerets  stay healthy an enjoy you life try not to let svt enjoy you tell your friend wait two hours after taking meds atleats if she going to smoke it just to keep if from messing with her meds orthostatic hypotension ***** i promise

[Cheers]

Richard - LOL do you have a warrant?? And it is true my friend does not like to feel out of control or wasted or stoned in ANY way so it is just the tiny bit. Light weight big time.

Sassy - Bajeepers is a great word!!

[SassyLassie]

I really do not know, haveing never smoked it myself. I do know that some folks are more sensitive than others and the least little thing can trigger these horrid things off. I have PAC's, not a lot mind you, but even one can scare the bejeepers out of me, mine are stress related, I have had the echo, holters, and am now wearing a 7 day KOH monitor, it seems whenever I wear it, nothing happens, proves to me that it is stress related.

[RICHARD566]

You are under arrest.  Just kidding.  I would think that the small amount that you said that a friend of yours uses would not be a problem.

Take care

[Cheers]

Thank you Michelle. I appreciate that. Yes, I do know that smoking ANYthing is not good for overall health. I guess, for me, the teeny tiny amount I have smoked to help with anxiety and sleep was always a much better choice than pharmacutical alternatives. Those medications have done terrible things to me and others in the past. So I figured it was the less of two evils...but I do know it isn't the greatest thing for me at all.

Thank you again!!!

[MichelleP_3811]

If you have a classic accessory pathway svt smoking would not cause you to fall into an episode.  It may raise your sinus rate as Dawn pointed out but in general it would not cause the high rate svts to be triggered.  I smoked cigarettes for 25 years until I quite about 4 years ago and my EP claimed that none of my issues svt or pvcs were due to smoking.  That said, smoking does affect your lungs and overall health so smoking in general is not good and quiting was the best thing I could have done for myself my EP proclaimed.  

[Cheers]

Thank you DeltaDawn. I probably have not noticed due to the beta blocker. I appreciate the response.

[DeltaDawn23]

My sum total of information is that pot can speed your heart up.  That is not from personal experience, but I have read it and heard it more than once.