Long Q T syndrome

[Vanna-C]

I have AF, and I have just heard that my 13yr old niece (younger brothers daughter) has been diagnosed with Long Q T syndrome. The hospital have said that it is hereditary, -does anyone know if there is any association with AF, or is it a just a coincidence?

The hospital is going to check her brother and sister for the condition, but there are several other youngsters in the family, who, if the condition is hereditary, may be at risk.

[SRMGrandma Volunteer]

Hi Vanna, You are correct, that long Q-T syndrome is hereditary. It can also be a side effect of some of the AFib meds, most notably, Tikosyn, which is why that requires a 3 day hospital stay to start it, and also can happen with Amiodorone. Long Q-T syndrome and AFib do not typically run hand in hand, but as I said. It can happen.

[Vanna-C in reply to SRMGrandma]

Many thanks for that reply, so can be linked by medicine, but one is not a precursor of the other.

[slipmaster in reply to Vanna-C]

my wife has LQTS but not AF , she also has a twin sister who doesn't have it and neither do any of ours or her children.

[Spoiler in reply to SRMGrandma]

I had a cardiac arrest from the second pill of Tikosyn and Vtach on a stress test with Flecainide. The antiarrhymics have been a problem with me. I have a long QT and always had bradycardia, finally a dual pacemaker in 2016, but they still say no to several drugs for me. I take metoprolol 50 mg twice daily and 5 mg warfarin daily. The pacemaker has enabled me to tolerate the metoprolol (beta blocker)

[Vony in reply to Spoiler]

This is so scary. I got long QT when on disopyramide. I have not been on an anti arrhythmic ever since. I am getting a pacemaker soon as I get long pauses. I currently feel fearful so often of ever getting ill and needing a drug eg antibiotics which can prolong QT. I have been advised I should be cautious with all drugs which prolong QT as I may be vulnerable. This scares the life out of me I hate having this heart condition sometimes. I feel so vulnerable and at risk because of the past long QT

[cuore in reply to Spoiler]

I am really confused about the drug metoprolol that you are taking. You say you always had bradycardia which is a low heart rate yet you take metoprolol which is a beta blocker to reduce heart rate? And, you are even not on a low dose of metoprolol.

[Spoiler in reply to cuore]

I have a dual pacemaker, otherwise I would never be able to take the drug. I was given this exact same drug over 30 years ago, but unable to tolerate it/bradycardia. My pacemaker is set at 60, it paces me 90% of the time.

[SRMGrandma Volunteer in reply to Spoiler]

Wow, that is why Tikosyn requires a hospital admission to be started. Glad you are ok!

[EngMac]

I was told by my cardiologist that my left bundle block causes long QT and yet he wanted to give me sotalol which lengthens the QT also. He said I did not need to be in a hospital to start it even though the drug sheets say you do. I did not take the drug. When AF was first diagnosed, I was given some drug that nearly did me in. I have a low ejection factor and longer than normal QT which was not checked before giving me the drugs, and even if it was, the hospital staff may not have known that this could be problem.

I suspect the initial treatment of AF in many hospitals is done by rote; and since most people survive, it is not a big deal unless of course you have heart attributes that make it a big deal. Then you better hope they know enough to reverse the result. Otherwise another heart failure statistic with no accountability for incorrect treatment. I now realize the hospital that I was in did not know what to do.