Do some heart diseases mixed with wrong pills cause a sudden death?
1 June 2009
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2 CommentsOkay, this is important so please answer seriously. If someone has a left bundle branch block and they take a sleeping pill such as seroquel what happens? Is it possible that if the person is also porphyritic and has a lot of differendiseasesss that prevent them from taking certain pills that it could cause ventricl fibrillationtion or sudden death?
I repeatedly say that people simply do not give enough information in this forum for a really good response. I also say that this is a potentially dangerous forum to ask questions about serious health problems. You do not give your age which would be helpful. Left bundle branch block represents a slowing of the electrical impulse of the heart through the left ventricle (the main pumping chamber). The term ‘block’ is a misnomer. It is an historical term as early in the days of studies on the electrophysiology of the heart animals were used and we literally cut their ‘bundles’ which represented a true block. Left bundle branch block almost always implies the presence of significant coronary artery disease and/or other structural abnormalities of the heart. Quetiapine (Seroquel) may increase the QTc interval. This represents the time it takes the electrical impulse to travel throughout the heart and for the heart to recover and be ready for the next impulse. Prolongation of the QTc interval has been linked to sudden death due to heart rhythm abnormalities. If you have porphyria bear in mind that there are many types and yes some of the treatments available for porphyrias may increase the risk of a fatal heart rhythm. The heart rhythms at issue are ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation. These occur without warning and may be fatal in minutes if there is not a defibrillator handy - which usually is not the case. It sounds as if you have cause for some concern and therefore cause to discuss these matters with your physician. Let me emphasize that just because something is possible does not mean that it is likely. For example - quetiapine has been widely prescribed and sudden death due to QTc prolongation has been rare. If I may be of further assistance please email me at johnerussomd@jhu.edu. I wish you the very best of health and may God Bless.
2 June 2009 at 4:02 pm