[HCM and Asthma]
Author: Brody (218.145.25.---)
Date: 11-17-02 23:31
Hi,
Lee is doing better, a 2nd Cardiologist has looked at him and has reduced his Atenolol to 25Mg and added another hypertensive medications. Today because he is still short of breath the doctor had a Pulmonary Function Test performed. They give him the test in 'normal' state and then administered Albuterol and retested. It indicated a much better respiration and 172% increase in capacity. It maybe that he has asthma also. Has anyone experienced the same, and are there drug interactions between the beta blockers and asthma meds?
Thanks for all of the support and help,
Brody
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: HCM and Asthma]
Author: Board Moderator (Sarah Beckley (---.client.attbi.com)
Date: 11-18-02 03:38
Dear Brody,
Beta-blockers can cause respitory problems and taking something to relax the heart and what is basically a stimulant (the asthma drugs) together kinda defeats the point of the beta-blocker. Calcium channel blockers are the drug to talk about with the doctor.
Good luck,
Sarah
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: HCM and Asthma]
Author: Brody (218.145.25.---)
Date: 11-18-02 11:54
Thank you, that is why this board and forum are so important. Will do.
Brody
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: HCM and Asthma]
Author: Brody (211.218.19.---)
Date: 11-18-02 12:46
Sarah,
I found a new drug called Cozaar, has it been evaluated for use with HCM?
http://www.heartcenteronline.com/myh...reutersid=2442
This link may give you information on it.
Brody
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: HCM and Asthma]
Author: Brody (211.218.19.---)
Date: 11-18-02 12:46
Sarah,
I found a new drug called Cozaar, has it been evaluated for use with HCM?
http://www.heartcenteronline.com/myh...reutersid=2442
This link may give you information on it.
Brody
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: HCM and Asthma]
Author: Erin (12.10.17.---)
Date: 11-18-02 16:01
Yes! I started taking Advair with my heart drugs (Norpace and Nadolol) and by the next evening I was in the emergrency room with Atril fib. Be careful with any meds that can speed up you heart (and many asthma drugs do). I have been told that I should use only steriod-based drugs to reduce the risk of interaction.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: HCM and Asthma]
Author: Lisa Salberg (167.165.39.---)
Date: 11-18-02 19:22
Brody... have you been seen by an HCM specialist?
Lisa
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: HCM and Asthma]
Author: Board Moderator (Sarah Beckley (---.client.attbi.com)
Date: 11-18-02 19:54
B
I'll look up Cozaar soon. I'm at AHA with Lisa and sooooooooooo tired. Just got home (and Lisa, don't make any cracks about my having had a nap either --I'm in afib!!)
S
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: HCM and Asthma]
Author: Lisa Salberg (167.165.39.---)
Date: 11-19-02 04:04
OK you opened yourself up here...YOU had a 3hr nap...and I sat through "new techniques in Echo's in HCM" and 'program stimulation in children with HCM' which were a bit dry...although "longevity in HCM" was a good talk... full report later...but yes I did not get a nap....simple jealousy here
Lisa
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: HCM and Asthma]
Author: Dolly (Andrew's mom) (---.pressenter.com)
Date: 11-19-02 05:09
Hi Brody,
After my son was diagnosed with HCM at age 5 and started on beta blockers he gradually started having asthma like attacks. Extreme wheezing and shortness of breath. He was sent for pulmonary function tests and asthma was diagnosed. Through all of this I just didn't feel he had asthma. there was never any sort of "pattern" to these attacks and he had NEVER had any signs of asthma previously. It was suggested he be placed on asthma meds (steroids) and that he would take these every day, regardless of symptoms. We were not comfortable with that and decided we would not go with that treatment. So he was given abuteral to use on a "as needed" basis.
At his next cardiology appoinment, due to schedules, we saw a collegue of his regular cardiologist. He asked about the notes in Andrew's records of asthma and I told him I didn't feel he had asthma and that is why chose not to use the steroids. We discussed it a bit and he said that some beta blockers have been known to cause asthma like symptoms in some patients. He suggested we switch to a different beta blocker or verapamil (calcium channel blocker)and see if it makes a difference. We tried the verapamil but it quickly caused some severe "negative" behavior in Andrew. Verapamil was stopped and we switched to a different beta blocker then he was taking before..........and have had no more of the asthma attacks since!
Just something to think about ..................different meds can have a variety of affects on different people.
Dolly
Andrew's heart story:
http://www.designsbydolly.com/andrew
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: HCM and Asthma]
Author: Lisa Salberg (---.dyn.optonline.net)
Date: 11-21-02 08:53
I have had a pulmonary function test to evaluate my breathing..in hopes that it was something other than HCM causing my shortness of breath. The woman who did the test had never seen results like mine..(so again the word interesting was used!) She came up with "restrictive breathing" not asthma.... What does this mean...not much. I made no change in meds just knew that it was not asthma and that was several years ago...
Nothing really much to add to your situation just a different angle.
Best wishes,
Lisa
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: HCM and Asthma]
Author: Brody (211.218.19.---)
Date: 11-23-02 01:33
All,
thank you. Dolly, I went to Andrew's web site, he is quite a young man. His strength is an inspiration for us all.
Lee had a 2nd pulmonary function test yesterday along with another echo and EKG. We are to see the cardiologist on Wednesday and will be able to ask about options and medications.
I read with interest other posts about being tired. Lee is very, very tired. They did change the atenolol from 50mg to 25mg and added 25mg Losartan. That was a week back and this week he did have some chest pain and the tiredness was less severe...he didn't fall asleep in class, but it is still pretty intense for him. As was said, it is really hard for a 17 year old that has been a cross country runner, Eagle Scout, camper/backpacker, 10 years of martial arts to suddenly have to stop and feel to tired to do anything.
Thank you all again for the help, advise and support. God Bless,
Brody
Author: Brody (218.145.25.---)
Date: 11-17-02 23:31
Hi,
Lee is doing better, a 2nd Cardiologist has looked at him and has reduced his Atenolol to 25Mg and added another hypertensive medications. Today because he is still short of breath the doctor had a Pulmonary Function Test performed. They give him the test in 'normal' state and then administered Albuterol and retested. It indicated a much better respiration and 172% increase in capacity. It maybe that he has asthma also. Has anyone experienced the same, and are there drug interactions between the beta blockers and asthma meds?
Thanks for all of the support and help,
Brody
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: HCM and Asthma]
Author: Board Moderator (Sarah Beckley (---.client.attbi.com)
Date: 11-18-02 03:38
Dear Brody,
Beta-blockers can cause respitory problems and taking something to relax the heart and what is basically a stimulant (the asthma drugs) together kinda defeats the point of the beta-blocker. Calcium channel blockers are the drug to talk about with the doctor.
Good luck,
Sarah
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: HCM and Asthma]
Author: Brody (218.145.25.---)
Date: 11-18-02 11:54
Thank you, that is why this board and forum are so important. Will do.
Brody
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: HCM and Asthma]
Author: Brody (211.218.19.---)
Date: 11-18-02 12:46
Sarah,
I found a new drug called Cozaar, has it been evaluated for use with HCM?
http://www.heartcenteronline.com/myh...reutersid=2442
This link may give you information on it.
Brody
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: HCM and Asthma]
Author: Brody (211.218.19.---)
Date: 11-18-02 12:46
Sarah,
I found a new drug called Cozaar, has it been evaluated for use with HCM?
http://www.heartcenteronline.com/myh...reutersid=2442
This link may give you information on it.
Brody
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: HCM and Asthma]
Author: Erin (12.10.17.---)
Date: 11-18-02 16:01
Yes! I started taking Advair with my heart drugs (Norpace and Nadolol) and by the next evening I was in the emergrency room with Atril fib. Be careful with any meds that can speed up you heart (and many asthma drugs do). I have been told that I should use only steriod-based drugs to reduce the risk of interaction.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: HCM and Asthma]
Author: Lisa Salberg (167.165.39.---)
Date: 11-18-02 19:22
Brody... have you been seen by an HCM specialist?
Lisa
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: HCM and Asthma]
Author: Board Moderator (Sarah Beckley (---.client.attbi.com)
Date: 11-18-02 19:54
B
I'll look up Cozaar soon. I'm at AHA with Lisa and sooooooooooo tired. Just got home (and Lisa, don't make any cracks about my having had a nap either --I'm in afib!!)
S
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: HCM and Asthma]
Author: Lisa Salberg (167.165.39.---)
Date: 11-19-02 04:04
OK you opened yourself up here...YOU had a 3hr nap...and I sat through "new techniques in Echo's in HCM" and 'program stimulation in children with HCM' which were a bit dry...although "longevity in HCM" was a good talk... full report later...but yes I did not get a nap....simple jealousy here

Lisa
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: HCM and Asthma]
Author: Dolly (Andrew's mom) (---.pressenter.com)
Date: 11-19-02 05:09
Hi Brody,
After my son was diagnosed with HCM at age 5 and started on beta blockers he gradually started having asthma like attacks. Extreme wheezing and shortness of breath. He was sent for pulmonary function tests and asthma was diagnosed. Through all of this I just didn't feel he had asthma. there was never any sort of "pattern" to these attacks and he had NEVER had any signs of asthma previously. It was suggested he be placed on asthma meds (steroids) and that he would take these every day, regardless of symptoms. We were not comfortable with that and decided we would not go with that treatment. So he was given abuteral to use on a "as needed" basis.
At his next cardiology appoinment, due to schedules, we saw a collegue of his regular cardiologist. He asked about the notes in Andrew's records of asthma and I told him I didn't feel he had asthma and that is why chose not to use the steroids. We discussed it a bit and he said that some beta blockers have been known to cause asthma like symptoms in some patients. He suggested we switch to a different beta blocker or verapamil (calcium channel blocker)and see if it makes a difference. We tried the verapamil but it quickly caused some severe "negative" behavior in Andrew. Verapamil was stopped and we switched to a different beta blocker then he was taking before..........and have had no more of the asthma attacks since!
Just something to think about ..................different meds can have a variety of affects on different people.
Dolly
Andrew's heart story:
http://www.designsbydolly.com/andrew
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: HCM and Asthma]
Author: Lisa Salberg (---.dyn.optonline.net)
Date: 11-21-02 08:53
I have had a pulmonary function test to evaluate my breathing..in hopes that it was something other than HCM causing my shortness of breath. The woman who did the test had never seen results like mine..(so again the word interesting was used!) She came up with "restrictive breathing" not asthma.... What does this mean...not much. I made no change in meds just knew that it was not asthma and that was several years ago...
Nothing really much to add to your situation just a different angle.
Best wishes,
Lisa
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: HCM and Asthma]
Author: Brody (211.218.19.---)
Date: 11-23-02 01:33
All,
thank you. Dolly, I went to Andrew's web site, he is quite a young man. His strength is an inspiration for us all.
Lee had a 2nd pulmonary function test yesterday along with another echo and EKG. We are to see the cardiologist on Wednesday and will be able to ask about options and medications.
I read with interest other posts about being tired. Lee is very, very tired. They did change the atenolol from 50mg to 25mg and added 25mg Losartan. That was a week back and this week he did have some chest pain and the tiredness was less severe...he didn't fall asleep in class, but it is still pretty intense for him. As was said, it is really hard for a 17 year old that has been a cross country runner, Eagle Scout, camper/backpacker, 10 years of martial arts to suddenly have to stop and feel to tired to do anything.
Thank you all again for the help, advise and support. God Bless,
Brody