Plaquenil and heart flutters anyone?

[Someonesmother]

Has anyone else experienced heart fluttering and faintness while on Plaquenil? It has been going on for about a month and so I went to GP today who did ecg and now I have to do a holter monitor for 24 hours. I did ask if it is the Plaquenil and he said hmmm it can cause that and that my heart is adding extra beats and that was it until I have the test and get the results. I hope it isn't because then I will have to start all over again on something else and the rheumy is pushing for MTX and I don't want to take it.

[Hidden]

I have never heard of Plaquenil causing fluttering. It is supposed to be one of the easiest RA meds to tolerate. I hope everything turns out OK.

I take MTX by injection and it is working well with very few problems. Nothing to be scared of really.

[Someonesmother in reply to Hidden]

Well I suppose I will find out after the holter monitor test. My sister was on MTX for Lupus and she was sick for most of the time, ;lost her hair, mouth ulcers the whole bit. I am so intolerant to drugs I am not keen to try it after her experience and I have to work full time so couldn't afford to be taking 4 out of every 5 days of work off. I also have a very dodgy liver and don't want to push it too much. rheumy has said it will be tablets too and I already have reflux from a hiatus hernia and cannot eat a whole lot of stuff so that is another reason not to want to upset the the balance. aghhhh I just want this one to be OK so I don't have to go down that path.

[sandraw21]

If it was me, I would stop taking it. Done it before when side effects started. As far as I am concerned if there are side effects then it is not for you. There are other drugs for them to try, many of them !

[Someonesmother in reply to sandraw21]

Thanks Sandraw21 I guess I will await the results of the test and see what next. I really don't want to go on MTX and that will be my next option I guess as you have to fail that before they will try anything else.

[francherry]

I experienced heart palpitations & dizziness on another drug, not Plaquenil- actually had the ECG and Holter test last week but they were ordered by my cardiologist (my rheumy wrote to them asking to investigate the palpitations). I wore the Holter monitor for another 24 hours before Christmas which showed ectopic (extra) beats but the hospital lost my diary so I had to repeat the test. I have now stopped this drug. Agree with Sandraw21 about stopping Plaquenil. Hope you get the answer soon. Take care, Fran

[Someonesmother in reply to francherry]

thanks Fran. I had a test almost 2 years ago showed palpitations nad some errant electrical activity can't remember what GP called it had the whole cardiac testing thing and the cardiologist didn't seem too worried so I guess it is the drugs this time, it is the only thing I am doing different. Funnily it seems to be worse when I stop what I am doing and sit down or when I rest so that is a new one on me! Guess I will find out after they get the results.

[Cougan]

I have been on hydroxycloroquine for 8 years. At the beginning of this year I started having palpatations, irregular heartbeats, ectopic heart beats, feeling light headed, whenever I was resting, going to bed etc.

Having seen GP's, had ECG's through Cardio, and am now on an app called Kardio to send EKG's to the cardio dept. At my last RA appt, having explained my problems, I was taken off it with the excuse of it can cause retinal damage. When I decided to look into it myself, I found that it had been linked to cardiotoxity.

I have only been off it for about 2 weeks, and things are calming down. but looking online at a case study, the patient although getting better, still died 2 months after stopping the drug, from a heart attack, so not out of the woods yet.

I am also on Eternacept and sulfasalzine for my RA.

At no time did any of the GP's, doctors in hospital including in A&E, knowing what medications I am on, do any checks on the medications to see whether they were the culprit.

I am losing faith in the medical profession completely.

[Someonesmother in reply to Cougan]

I went off it about 5 or 6 years ago now. Turned out I had Wolffe Parkinson White Syndrome and had 3 cardiac ablations to get the SVT under control. I have since had 2 strokes adn a had a heart attack a few months ago. Could be related to RA could be who knows. A lot of these drugs are so toxic and they have no idea the long term affects. I am currently only on Brenzys as I cannot take any DMARDS. Good luck and hope it gets better for you.

[Saphy1 in reply to Cougan]

I too, have very little faith in the US medical system. I have been suffering for 2 years...MRSA infection dangerously close to my brain in November 2018, then severe head stabbing pains all over my head for months and months. Tested positive for Lyme disease, iv PICC line for 30 days with rocephin, kept getting new and disabling symptoms randomly. Was recently doagnosed with MTCD. Started on hydroxychloroquine on March 18, 2020...on March 31, 2020 began having serious skipping heart beats. Stopped the medicine on April 1, 2020...have a holter monitor on ow for 4 days....have been to ER 4 times for this. Dizziness, cough, short of breath, pains numbness in left arm and hand. All heart tests good, all lung tests and scans good. How long does it take for hydroxychloroquine to leave your system completely? Have al so had extremely low BP...now taking midodrine 3 x day (.625 mg do to ultra sensitivity to meds). Any help or others experiencing any of these symptoms would be soooo

appreciated. God bless you all🙏🙏🙏