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Hi everyone,
Before I even start the rest of my post, I know that the answer is to talk to your Dr., but since he is at NASPE until next Monday when I see him, I will post and see what everyone else thinks so I will be prepared next week.
I have HOCM, and was implanted with an ICD/pacemaker in February.
I was feeling pretty good, being paced at 60 bpm about 50% of the time, and am taking 25 mg. of atenolol twice a day. I was having the occasional arrythmia, but feeling less short of breath and generally better until last week when I went to visit my family in New Orleans where it is much hotter and more humid than here in sunny California.
(I was also taking antibiotics and guenafenesin for a sinus infection which may or may not enter into this), but anyway, while I was there, I started having much worse arrythmias and almost fainted several times. My ICD was quiet at least, so apparently the rhythms weren't dangerous, but I was feeling really bad.
I called my doctor at home who wants me to have blood work done and who I will see Monday, but in the meantime over last weekend I almost fainted several times in one day. In a panic I called my dad's cardiologist who is also a friend of our family and treats my dad's HCM. He felt sure that my symptoms were being caused by obstruction and not arrythmias since my ICD didn't go off and due to the weather and other circumstances. He advised me to drink alot of water and to be very careful, advice which I took to heart and which really did help.
In the meantime, though, I still am having terrible palpitations. I am sure my meds need some tweaking and I am thinking about asking for Verapamil. Up until now, the only thing I have taken is atenolol, which has been ok, but is obviously not entirely taking care of the problem.
Any thoughts or words of advice?
Before I even start the rest of my post, I know that the answer is to talk to your Dr., but since he is at NASPE until next Monday when I see him, I will post and see what everyone else thinks so I will be prepared next week.
I have HOCM, and was implanted with an ICD/pacemaker in February.
I was feeling pretty good, being paced at 60 bpm about 50% of the time, and am taking 25 mg. of atenolol twice a day. I was having the occasional arrythmia, but feeling less short of breath and generally better until last week when I went to visit my family in New Orleans where it is much hotter and more humid than here in sunny California.
(I was also taking antibiotics and guenafenesin for a sinus infection which may or may not enter into this), but anyway, while I was there, I started having much worse arrythmias and almost fainted several times. My ICD was quiet at least, so apparently the rhythms weren't dangerous, but I was feeling really bad.
I called my doctor at home who wants me to have blood work done and who I will see Monday, but in the meantime over last weekend I almost fainted several times in one day. In a panic I called my dad's cardiologist who is also a friend of our family and treats my dad's HCM. He felt sure that my symptoms were being caused by obstruction and not arrythmias since my ICD didn't go off and due to the weather and other circumstances. He advised me to drink alot of water and to be very careful, advice which I took to heart and which really did help.
In the meantime, though, I still am having terrible palpitations. I am sure my meds need some tweaking and I am thinking about asking for Verapamil. Up until now, the only thing I have taken is atenolol, which has been ok, but is obviously not entirely taking care of the problem.
Any thoughts or words of advice?
(I've learned that the hard way!)
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