Tachycardia from seroquel

[Angelwings]

I recently started taking seroquel, and it's been pretty good. My doc increased my dose to 300 mg at night, and since then I've been having tachycardia and irregular heart beats. It's not dangerous, just a pulse of around 120-150 for about two hours at bedtime. Should I tell my doctor? I don't want her to take me off of it.

 

[EveHarrington]

Yes, it could be dangerous. There’s something called QT interval prolongation that can cause death in some cases. Seroquel carries this warning in its literature. I suggest calling your doctor ASAP.

 

[Angelwings]

Yes, it could be dangerous. There’s something called QT interval prolongation that can cause d...

I called her. She said to cut the dose in half tonight. If I continue to have shortness of breath and weakness upon standing/walking she's going to decrease it permanently. BUT if it happens as bad as it was last night, with the weakness and not being able to catch my breath, I'm just going to the ER to get an EKG. That'll show QT interval prolongation, and whatever else it could be.

 

[Daph]

I called her. She said to cut the dose in half tonight. If I continue to have shortness of breath a...

I am so glad you called your doctor! I know sometimes panic attacks can mimic symptoms of heart trouble. But if it is new to a person or different in anyway, it is better to err on the safe side whether taking a new med or not.

I know each med will list more symptoms/side effects that they say which ones are critical and seek medical care immediately.

But I also like the general rule of LOC ABC (CAB) which your symptoms fell in.

Altered level of consciousness?
Airways problem (usually most think of facial swelling, but even difficulty to swallow)?
Breathing? Too slow or fast (can change your consciousness), difficult or short of breath, sounds (wheezing)?
Circulation? Anything that involves heart pretty much like chest pain/discomfort, palps, bleeding, skin discolouration etc.

Lol I recently found out SSRIs can mess with the C. It can drastically change a females' menstrual cycle that it scared the carp out of me! I got pale, super ill and anaemic.
I had seen some have gastro bleeding but they were usually taking some other culprit like naproxen with the SSRIs.
Hence, I never put two and two together until I experienced a problem and @brokenEMT informed me SSRI's can cause some problems because it messes with your platelets. Which would have been good to know beforehand. When I talked to the Pharmacist afterwards she even had to look the platelet thing up. I am extra careful now in other areas like avoiding all NSAIDs.

I hope cutting the dose down helps you seeing you said the seroquel has been generally good!

 

[gealach]

@brokenEMT informed me SSRI's can cause some problems because it messes with your platelets

yeah, SSRI's are (side effect) platelet inhibitors, similar to ASA/aspirin, ibuprofen, NSAID's, warfarin, cumadin, etc. The higher the dose/longer you take it, the more it effects your ability to clot.

 

[Angelwings]

I am so glad you called your doctor! I know sometimes panic attacks can mimic symptoms of heart trouble. B...

I actually have quite the extensive cardiac history, that's why I know it was probably not something dangerous, but at the same time different kinds of tachycardia are part of my problem, or were, before two cardiac ablations. Now I get tachycardia occasionally, but not nearly as long as it was last night. Knowing that there are some things that can be caused by seroquel, I'd rather get an EKG if it happens again tonight, just to be on the safe side. I HATE the emergency room, though, so wish me luck.

 

[Friday]

Best of luck to you.

:sneaky: My experience with luck, however, is the less you need it? The more you have it. So by being proactive and getting checked out medically? Ie doing the work... you’re more likely to have luck in spades. Meanwhile if you stayed home and did nothing? Luck would flee like the wind. So good on you, and keep up doing the things you don’t want to do, but are better for them.

Looooooove it when I hear someone going after good science & good health! :D

***

Same -but different- by the by. I’m so used to panic attacks and 120-140bpm for hours and longer that I mostly tend to ignore it, or poke fun at it. Yay! Lazy man’s cardio! I can sit on my ass and still have my heart fighting the good fight ;) No freaking wonder my resting bpm is usually 55! I may be flabby and out of shape, but my heart? One sexy mother! <cough> Yeah. Cardiologists look at me all pale and “Please tell me she doesn’t actually believe that nonsense” when I tell them that, too. <cough> That said, I still go get checked out by a cardiologist about once a year, just to make sure I’m not ignoring something serious / misdiagnose/mistake the new for the familiar. And When a little voice says “It doesn’t feel wrong, BUT you just ....started a new med, also have a fever, et cetera... which could make this a very different animal” do the same durn thing you are, and drag myself off to experts to tell me I’m fine. Or not. I’ve also been admitted to the ICU a time or three because it really was a big deal. (Honey, your white count is almost at leukemia levels, your tachy is from a massive pericardium infection. If you’d stayed home, you’d have woken up septic or dead.). Which I count as good luck, by the by ;) Being exactly where I need to be for someone to save my ass? Damn good luck.

 

[Daph]

I actually have quite the extensive cardiac history, that's why I know it was probably not something...

I hate the ER too like most.
And having the symptoms last that long, would be uncomfortable.

Spent a lot of time there going back and forth with my mom. My mom went through a CABG. And then the following summer my parents went camping, the wiener dog thinking she found a friend brought a cougar back to camp. That caused my mom some problems....she couldn't even talk about it without heart issues and pain.