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My Wife Had High HR And And Low BP So
Question: My wife had high HR and and low BP so I took her into the ER last week. They ran all kinds of tests and finally had her quit Amiodarone and take Diltiazem. The DR said that Amiodarone may had lost its effectiveness and she should try something different. Also to take two lopressor in the morning and two in the evening. The new med seemed to work OK but after one day of taking it her ankles and legs became swollen so she quit taking it. Now she is taking neither and being Friday when we called her DR she got no response. The warnings for the new med said swollen legs were an indication of alarm and she should contact her DR. Well good luck with that now a Saturday. SO what should she do, go back to the ER?
Brief Answer:
I would explain as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Welcome back on - Ask a Doctor - service!
I passed carefully through your wife's medical history and would explain that it is true that Diltiazem may lead to limbs edema.
The first step to take would be stopping Diltiazem; once the drug has been stopped, this adverse effect will diminish and disappear in a few days.
Anyways, if some edema persists, low dose diuretics would be helpful in this regard.
Now, returning to your exact questions, I would suggest to consider her actual symptomatology; if her blood pressure is stable, heart rate doesn't show important fluctuations, and no chest pain or shortness of breath is present, then she may wait until the beginning of the new week to discuss with her attending doctor on the ongoing therapy.
But, in case she has important complaints, it is necessary to ask immediate medical assistance to the nearest ER service at your living area.
My recommendation would be discussing with the prescribing doctor on the possibility of reviewing her medications, like Xalatan (could lead to heart palpitations), Calcitriol (could lead to dehydration and cardiac arrhythmia).
Also, Synthroid dose should be reviewed according to her actual blood hormones level (excessive dose could lead to increased heart rate).
Hope to have been helpful to you!
In case of any further questions, feel free to ask me again.
Kind regards,
Dr. Ilir Sharka
cardiologist
I would explain as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Welcome back on - Ask a Doctor - service!
I passed carefully through your wife's medical history and would explain that it is true that Diltiazem may lead to limbs edema.
The first step to take would be stopping Diltiazem; once the drug has been stopped, this adverse effect will diminish and disappear in a few days.
Anyways, if some edema persists, low dose diuretics would be helpful in this regard.
Now, returning to your exact questions, I would suggest to consider her actual symptomatology; if her blood pressure is stable, heart rate doesn't show important fluctuations, and no chest pain or shortness of breath is present, then she may wait until the beginning of the new week to discuss with her attending doctor on the ongoing therapy.
But, in case she has important complaints, it is necessary to ask immediate medical assistance to the nearest ER service at your living area.
My recommendation would be discussing with the prescribing doctor on the possibility of reviewing her medications, like Xalatan (could lead to heart palpitations), Calcitriol (could lead to dehydration and cardiac arrhythmia).
Also, Synthroid dose should be reviewed according to her actual blood hormones level (excessive dose could lead to increased heart rate).
Hope to have been helpful to you!
In case of any further questions, feel free to ask me again.
Kind regards,
Dr. Ilir Sharka
cardiologist
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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