Long QT Syndrome

Question: What are some of the expenses of Long QT Syndrome? What will I have to pay for my child with Long QT Sydnrome? How much will these expenses cost and are any of them optional?

Answer: long qt can cause sudden cardiac death. possibly a pacemaker or implanted defibrillator or some medications can help.

Question: How do the symptoms differ - Anxiety vs Long QT syndrome? I get this fluttering in my chest when I'm stressed or sometimes while falling asleep. Went to a cardio 2 years ago and after many tests he said I'm fine. There are skipped beats but nothing to be worried about. I do have anxiety issues and always had them but still, this bothers me. Since I gave birth to my daughter the symptoms have become a lot worse.

Answer: Signs and symptoms of Long QT syndrome: About half those with long QT syndrome don't have any signs or symptoms. They may be aware of their condition only from results of an electrocardiogram (ECG) performed for an unrelated reason, because they have a family history of long QT syndrome or because of genetic testing results. For people who do experience signs and symptoms of long QT syndrome, the most common symptoms include: Fainting. This is the most common sign of long QT syndrome. In people with long QT syndrome, fainting spells (syncope) are caused by the heart temporarily beating in an erratic way. These fainting spells may happen when you're excited, angry, scared, or during exercise. Fainting in people with long QT syndrome can occur without warning, such as losing consciousness after being startled by a ringing telephone. Signs and symptoms that you're about to faint include lightheadedness, heart palpitations or irregular heartbeat, weakness and blurred vision. If you think you're about to faint, sit or lie down and tell someone near you about your symptoms. However, in long QT syndrome, such warning signs before fainting are unusual. Seizures. If the heart continues to beat erratically, the brain becomes increasingly deprived of oxygen. This can then cause generalized seizures. In fact, some people with long QT syndrome have been misdiagnosed as having a seizure disorder and have even been treated with anti-epileptic medications. Sudden death. Normally, the heart returns to its normal rhythm. If this doesn't happen spontaneously and paramedics don't arrive in time to convert the rhythm back to normal with an external defibrillator, sudden death will occur. Signs and symptoms of inherited long QT syndrome may start during the first months of life, or as late as middle age. Most people who experience signs or symptoms from long QT syndrome have their first episode by the time they're age 40. Most LQTS-related deaths occur in people ages 11 to 30. Rarely, signs and symptoms of long QT syndrome may occur during sleep or arousal from sleep. Some doctors believe that inherited LQTS-causing mutations likely explain about 10 percent to 15 percent of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Signs and symptoms of generalized anxiety: Signs and symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder can vary in combination or severity. Generalized anxiety disorder symptoms may include: Restlessness Feeling of being keyed up or on edge Feeling a lump in your throat Difficulty concentrating Fatigue Irritability Impatience Being easily distracted Muscle tension Trouble falling or staying asleep Excessive sweating Shortness of breath Stomachache Diarrhea Headache If you have generalized anxiety disorder, you may experience times when your worries don't completely consume you, but you still feel rather anxious. You may feel on edge about many or all aspects of your life. For example, you may feel intense worry about your safety or that of your loved ones, or you may have a general sense that something bad is about to happen, even when there's no apparent danger. Generalized anxiety disorder often begins at an early age, and the signs and symptoms may develop more slowly than in other anxiety disorders. Many people with generalized anxiety disorder can't recall when they last felt relaxed or at ease.

Question: How common is Long QT Syndrome and heart arrhythmia problems in a 15 yr old female? I have heart problem and had to have sugury at 15 and now i have anxiety attacks and severe Anxiety Disorder i am on Effexor 150 mg for the anxiety disorder and the Dr has tried 5 different migraine meds im currently on 1 of them right now but i cant tell that it has done anything yet so so far nothing has helped them and now they think it might be from my pupils not contracting right and i am on Zertec or how ever you spell that lol for terrible allergies too and i am on birth control (not b/c im a havin sex or nothing) for ungodly periods and cramps they last 7-8 days heavy flow the whole time so i was just wanting to know how common is it for a 15 year old female to have this many problems???

Answer: While I'm not sure how common it really is, I have heard that this can be genetic. Do either of your parents suffer from the same long QT Syndrome? I have an associate of mine who's wife, and 15 year old daughter both suffer this same condition, they have both had to have a surgery to implant a pace maker. You'll recover the surgery fairly quickly, and I know that the scar can be made almost completely unnoticeable. Good luck!

Question: can i apply for disability if i have long qt syndrome? i wasnt suppose to have a kid but i did and almost died in the process.i have a defibrillator and pacemaker so therefore whenever i get stressed out,angry,excited or upset it usually goes off.i can only lift so much weight with my left arm.

Answer: Disability application forms are based on Activities of Daily Living. You need to demonstrate in your application that you are unable to perform these normal activities without pain, help or risking your life. Your doctors will have to provide information to back up your claims. It is useful to get photocopies of all your medical records to send with your application.

Question: My 19 year old Sister long Qt syndrome!!! do you think she can get on rides in Six Flags???? My cuzins have invited me and my sister to six flags, my sister has long Qt syndrome n i dont want to go if she is not gonna be going on rides because shes afraid she sumthing might happen!! do you think she will be find getting on rides?? also im not really sure wut long Qt syndrome is!!

Answer: She should absolutely NOT go on the rides that are very excitiable. With prolonged QT syndrome your heart's electrical system has a delay in recovery after the initial excitation phase that causes the heart to contract. It is associated with fainting and heart rhythm problems. She could go on rides that are gentle only.

Question: prognosis or statistics or interesting facts about Long QT Syndrome?

Answer: Reciting Poems Is Good For The Heart Thought that's be interesting to start off with. The hereditary long-QT syndrome is characterized by prolonged ventricular repolarization and a variable clinical course with arrhythmia-related syncope and sudden death. Mutations involving the human ether-a-go-go-related gene (HERG) channel are responsible for the LQT2 form of long-QT syndrome, and in cellular expression studies these mutations are associated with reduction in the rapid component of the delayed rectifier repolarizing current (I(Kr)). We investigated the clinical features and prognostic implications of mutations involving pore and nonpore regions of the HERG channel in the LQT2 form of this disorder. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 44 different HERG mutations were identified in 201 subjects, with 14 mutations located in the pore region (amino acid residues 550 through 650). Thirty-five subjects had mutations in the pore region and 166 in nonpore regions. Follow-up extended through age 40 years. Subjects with pore mutations had more severe clinical manifestations of the genetic disorder and experienced a higher frequency (74% versus 35%; P<0.001) of arrhythmia-related cardiac events occurring at earlier age than did subjects with nonpore mutations. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis revealed that pore mutations dominated the risk, with hazard ratios in the range of 11 (P<0.0001) for QTc at 500 ms, with a 16% increase in the pore hazard ratio for each 10-ms increase in QTc. CONCLUSION: Patients with mutations in the pore region of the HERG gene are at markedly increased risk for arrhythmia-related cardiac events compared with patients with nonpore mutations. Cardiac arrhythmias are a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in Western society. In some specific instances, these arrhythmias are caused by abnormalities of cardiac ion channels, such as sodium, calcium, and potassium channels, which carry ionic currents and are fundamental determinants of cardiac excitability. Abnormalities of these ion channels are attributed to mutations in the genes encoding the channel protein and cause altered function of channels, which can predispose to arrhythmias. During heart failure, many channels also malfunction because of altered expression, resulting in lethal arrhythmias. http://lib.bioinfo.pl/meid:230453 check out that site good luck! BEST (answer) OR BUST!! lol

Question: Does anyone know what Long QT syndrome is? my brother had it and i just wanted to know if anyone knew about it. Its sort of a new discovery, but not very old. John javolta's kid died of this.

Answer: Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a heart rhythm disorder that can potentially cause fast, chaotic heartbeats. The rapid heartbeats, caused by changes in the part of your heart that causes it to beat, may lead to fainting. In some cases, your heart's rhythm may beat so erratically that it can cause sudden death. You can be born with a genetic mutation that puts you at risk of long QT syndrome. In addition, more than 50 medications, many of them common, may cause long QT syndrome. Medical conditions, such as congenital heart defects, also may cause long QT syndrome. Long QT syndrome is treatable. You may need to limit your physical activity, avoid certain medications that can cause the condition or take medications to prevent a chaotic heart rhythm (arrhythmia). Some people with long QT syndrome also need an implantable device to control the heart's rhythm and to prevent against sudden death.

Question: My sister has long Qt syndrome type 5, what does this mean and what are the treatments?

Answer: The answers above are quite good, but not easy to understand. Long QT Syndrome is a condition in which the cardiac tissue in the ventricles take longer to become responsive after a heart beat than normally. This is known as prolonged repolarization, showing a longer QT interval than normal (>450 ms) on an ECG readout. When the prolonged interval causes electrical disturbances in the heart, symptoms such as syncope (fainting), or severe lightheadedness. Unfortunately, another far too common symptom is SCD, or Sudden Cardiac Death, due to a fatal arrhythmia called Torsades de Pointes; this abnormal rhythm in the heart causes the ventricles to contract so quickly, not all of the cardiac cells get a chance to "recover." When this happens, usually the heart rhythm degrades into an even more fatal rhythm, called Ventricular Fibrillation; unlike Torsades, Ventricular Fibrillation causes the heart to cease pumping effectively, ultimately causing death. Long QT Syndrome type 5 is a classification of this syndrome. Specifically, type 5 occurs from an autosomal dominant gene, which means that one of the parent's have it, and out of their children, there is a 50% chance that the each of the children might carry be affected or carry the gene. Subsequently, each of the affected children may have children with the same statistics. Basically this means in your family's case, the LQTS gene has been received by your sister and if she has children, there is a chance that the syndrome might be passed down to her children. LQTS5 is a very uncommon type, and is rarely seen associated with deafness with the child, found in another type of gene change. This leads to an additional syndrome called Jervell and Lang-Nielson Syndrome. Like the person above me, the possible treatments involve prevention (which is harder), and termination during an arrhythmia. Prevention includes the use of medications called Beta Blockers, which control the rate and rhythm of the heart; Antiarrhythmics, Potassium supplementation, Sodium Channel blockers, and as a terminative method, ICD implantation (which has shown to be the most beneficial in treatment of this arrhythmia.) An ICD is a device which is implanted into a pocket in the chest area, leads (pronounced LEEDS) are inserted into the heart, and the device is tested for its protective capabilities by restarting a lethal heart rhythm and letting the ICD automatically stop it within 15 seconds.

Question: Long QT Syndrome? I have Long QT Syndrome and need to know if I can take Prilosec OTC. Are there any other antacids I can take? I know I can take Pepcid AC, but it does nothing. My doctor used to prescribe Prevacid, which worked great, but UHC won’t cover it any longer. My acid reflux is so bad I will be going to the emergency room if I don’t get some relief soon.

Answer: I found a great web site in regards to 'long qt' syndrome, I think I just typed it in web address. It had alot of info, along with meds to avoid.

Question: ...What is Long QT Syndrome?!? about 7 years ago, my little sister died of a condition called 'Long QT syndrome. it was sudden, and we didn't even know she had the disease. but i'm not sure exactly what went on. can anybody tell me what Long QT syndrome is, and is there any chance that i might have it too?

Answer: Sorry about your sister. Long QT syndrome is a disorder of the heart's electrical system. It may be a congenital problem (born with it) or due to medication use. Here is more info: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/qt/qt_whatis.html

Question: Is it okay to drink with Long QT Syndrome? I'm 18 years old, and naturally its about that time im at parties that involve drinking. I have had Long QT Syndrome my whole life, and I was wondering if it was okay to have a few drinks here and there. Could I get drunk? Buzzed? If anyone with Long QT could help, I would greatly appreciate it. This question is not regarding underage drinking, so save yourself the time of answering with "you shouldn't be drinking anyway!"

Answer: It sounds risky to me. In what I read about Long QT they talk about limiting alcohol consumption. That generally means a maximum of two drinks. The problem is two drinks are just enough to get you started and reduce your willpower. Most likely if you have two, you will have 6 or 8 or....... Don't ask how I know that. Alcohol can cause rhythm problems. Long QT can cause rhythm problems and if you put the two together, you may be headed for trouble. I'm not an anti alcohol person but it's bad for the heart. I've included a couple of links you should look at and see for yourself. If you get a chance to talk to your doctor about it, do. I'm sure he will be shocked and surprised. No 18 year old ever drinks alcohol do they? A quote from the first link: Analysis of ECGs performed following resolution of arrhythmias in patients who have consumed a large quantity of alcohol show significant prolongation of the PR, QRS, and QT intervals compared to patients who experienced arrhythmias in the absence of alcohol consumption. The arrhythmogenicity of alcohol has also been examined in the electrophysiology laboratory."

Question: Can i take singular for asthma with long qt interval? I have congenital long qt syndrome and have developed asthma at the age of 70. Can I take singular and or albuterol to control my asthma symtoms?

Answer: I don't have any idea about the problem you have. It is better to consult your doctor regarding this for safety reasons. For more info about asthma you may visit: Asthma Guidelines: http://asthma.health-board.com

Question: Can Long QT Syndrome & Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome co-exist?

Answer: Yes it can

Question: I was recently told i have either Long QT syndrome or low blood pressure. Any info, and is it safe to FLY? is air travel safe with heart dicisions? any info will help

Answer: Who told you that? Let's hope it wasn't a physician, because LQTS requires medical supervision. It can be fatal. (A good friend of mine has it.) It's easy to find out if you have low blood pressure--just get it measured. Some drugstores have places where you can have it done. People with low blood pressure usually know it, because they get light-headed or pass out. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/low-blo… LQTS is harder to diagnose. It is a genetic disorder that causes irregular heartbeat. Some drugs can cause it, too. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/long-qt… I have low blood pressure and I fly. My friend with LQTS flies, but she also takes drugs and has an implanted pacemaker/defibrillator. Yahoo Answers isn't the place for concerns like this. The first symptom of LQTS can be sudden death. You should be talking to a doctor.

Question: is cymbalta safe for people with long qt syndrome?

Answer: I didn't find anything to indicate that it wasn't safe. Make sure to check with your doctor. I did find this inforamtion I hope it helps. See the web site listed below.

Question: My friend told me that I might have Long QT syndrome based on my symtoms and I don't know that much about it?

Answer: Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a heart rhythm disorder that can potentially cause fast, chaotic heartbeats. The rapid heartbeats, caused by changes in the part of your heart that causes it to beat, may lead to fainting. In some cases, your heart's rhythm may beat so erratically that it can cause sudden death. You can be born with a genetic mutation that puts you at risk of long QT syndrome. In addition, more than 50 medications, many of them common, may cause long QT syndrome. Medical conditions, such as congenital heart defects, also may cause long QT syndrome. Long QT syndrome is treatable. You may need to limit your physical activity, avoid certain medications that can cause the condition or take medications to prevent a chaotic heart rhythm (arrhythmia). Some people with long QT syndrome also need an implantable device to control the heart's rhythm and to prevent against sudden death. This is cute and pasted from the Mayo Clinic. Long story short if you have it then it needs to be treated as it can lead to fatal arrhythmias. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/long-qt…