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Have I Damaged My Heart Taking Hydrocodone ?
Question: I have been taking hydrocodone and I recently had a fast hard beating heart palpitation, I though I was having a heart attack. I went to ER and got EKG with the results: slight left precordial repolarization disturbance secondary to lvh. Chest xray and blood test normal for abnormalities or heart attack. When I got home I took another pill and got another fast hard palpitation. I have stopped taking the medication and not had one since. Have I damaged my heart? Will it go back to normal? Did I almost die?
Brief Answer:
I would explain as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
I understand your concern and would explain that these ECG changes are not indicative of anything serious.
Your symptoms could be related to cardiac arrhythmia, as a possible adverse effect of this drug. But there is low chances for the heart to be damaged.
Anyway considering these ECG findings I would recommend performing a cardiac ultrasound in order to examine your heart structure and function and an ambulatory 24-48 hours ECG monitoring in order to examine your heart rhythm trends for a prolonged period of time and exclude possible cardiac arrhythmia.
Hope you will find this information helpful!
I remain at your disposal in case of further questions whenever you need!
Kind regards,
Dr. Ilir Sharka, cardiologist
I would explain as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
I understand your concern and would explain that these ECG changes are not indicative of anything serious.
Your symptoms could be related to cardiac arrhythmia, as a possible adverse effect of this drug. But there is low chances for the heart to be damaged.
Anyway considering these ECG findings I would recommend performing a cardiac ultrasound in order to examine your heart structure and function and an ambulatory 24-48 hours ECG monitoring in order to examine your heart rhythm trends for a prolonged period of time and exclude possible cardiac arrhythmia.
Hope you will find this information helpful!
I remain at your disposal in case of further questions whenever you need!
Kind regards,
Dr. Ilir Sharka, cardiologist
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I have uploaded two ekg that were taken a bout 2 hours after the event.
I am concerned because my limited study of this slight left precordial repolarization disturbance secondary to lvh when symptomatic with an actual palpitation (ventricular arrhythmia? Tdp?) seems to be a common electrophysiologic mechanism leading to SCD.
Also, the palpitation lasted about 2 to 3 minutes. After them My chest was sore. I had them several times every hour to two hours getting softer each time.
I want to ask in your opinion was it a possible Tdp arrhythmia that I experienced or some supra ventricular tachycardia?
I am concerned because my limited study of this slight left precordial repolarization disturbance secondary to lvh when symptomatic with an actual palpitation (ventricular arrhythmia? Tdp?) seems to be a common electrophysiologic mechanism leading to SCD.
Also, the palpitation lasted about 2 to 3 minutes. After them My chest was sore. I had them several times every hour to two hours getting softer each time.
I want to ask in your opinion was it a possible Tdp arrhythmia that I experienced or some supra ventricular tachycardia?
Brief Answer:
Your ECG does not show any specific signs of cardiac ischemia.
Detailed Answer:
Hello again!
I carefully reviewed your ECG images and would explain that no specific signs of cardiac ischemia are present on these ECGs.
Coming to this point, the main tests to perform are the above mentioned (cardiac ultrasound and Holter ECG monitoring), in order to examine your heart anatomic structure and to detect possible cardiac arrhythmia.
Another test to consider in case of suspicions of cardiac ischemia would be cardiac stress echo or cardiac stress MRI, which is a more accurate test to examine the cardiac tissues and the possible ischemic changes.
Hope to have been helpful!
Wishing all the best,
Dr. Iliri
Your ECG does not show any specific signs of cardiac ischemia.
Detailed Answer:
Hello again!
I carefully reviewed your ECG images and would explain that no specific signs of cardiac ischemia are present on these ECGs.
Coming to this point, the main tests to perform are the above mentioned (cardiac ultrasound and Holter ECG monitoring), in order to examine your heart anatomic structure and to detect possible cardiac arrhythmia.
Another test to consider in case of suspicions of cardiac ischemia would be cardiac stress echo or cardiac stress MRI, which is a more accurate test to examine the cardiac tissues and the possible ischemic changes.
Hope to have been helpful!
Wishing all the best,
Dr. Iliri
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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