Anyone with Long QT Syndrome specifically?

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Kanodin
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 11:32 pm

Re: Anyone with Long QT Syndrome specifically?

Post by Kanodin »

MrJackFrost wrote:
Kanodin wrote:
Nope, can't say that I have, considering I never forget the Mexiletine or the Propranolol. Almost always forget the Potassium though. I do every now and then get some Palpitations, but nothing that's really worrisome. The one thing being diagnosed with Long QT had helped me with was an anger issue, I find that I have become much more zen in my approach to problems.
Really respect you, Sir. Not many people could face their own self, and here you are, facing your own (sorry for the word) issue with courage. I respect you for that.

Eh? no sense in letting it control my life. The way I see it is if I'm meant to go, I'm meant to go. Until then, I'm going to live my life out. Even if it involves taking a lot of meds.
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Char
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:38 pm
Location: Santiago, Chile

Re: Anyone with Long QT Syndrome specifically?

Post by Char »

panique wrote:
Char wrote:If it's not a bother, I would really like to know how your problems affect you, how they materialize and the consequences. That could give me a better idea of what I might have, and if there is anything in particular that I should do.
I rarely have pain in that area, and if I ever do, it's not hugely debilitating. Just a bit of an "ouch" every so often. I've searched around a little bit, and it may actually be some harmless lung pain, so it's nothing that really ever concerns me.

Growing up I used to complain about feeling my heart 'skip' while I was lying in bed, and I was told that it was normal. It's the same feeling I feel now, and I've pretty much concluded that it's my heart regurgitating the blood. Sometimes certain sleeping positions make it worse. It's not painful, just a little uncomfortable, and I prefer to avoid sleeping in ways that trigger it because it doesn't seem particularly healthy to encourage it.

If you're concerned about your heart, see if you can get to a cardiologist. I went to my GP for a cold that wouldn't go away, and when listening to my heart he heard a murmur, and referred me to a cardiologist to have it checked out.
Mmh... I have felt pain sometimes while in bed. Don't think it's connected to a sleeping position though, or I would have attacks more often. Thing seems to be pretty random.

I might just see a cardiologist this summer. I was discouraged last time since I was told I had nothing. But then again, my heart seems to work normally most of the time, so I would guess it's not something that can be easily detected. I'll just tell him how it manifest and what could cause it.
Thanks for the advice.
Kanodin wrote:
MrJackFrost wrote:
Kanodin wrote:
Nope, can't say that I have, considering I never forget the Mexiletine or the Propranolol. Almost always forget the Potassium though. I do every now and then get some Palpitations, but nothing that's really worrisome. The one thing being diagnosed with Long QT had helped me with was an anger issue, I find that I have become much more zen in my approach to problems.
Really respect you, Sir. Not many people could face their own self, and here you are, facing your own (sorry for the word) issue with courage. I respect you for that.

Eh? no sense in letting it control my life. The way I see it is if I'm meant to go, I'm meant to go. Until then, I'm going to live my life out. Even if it involves taking a lot of meds.
I might be a little too unreasonable here, but I don't think I would be able to take on medications. I'm not one to just roll over and die, but I can't come to accept that one would need to rely that much on a bunch of chemicals to stick around a little more. Did you ever felt like that about them, is it just a phase when one faces such a burden or is my own stupidity getting the best of me?

Sorry for being a bother, and congrats' on choosing to live to the fullest despite your problems.
Regards.
Kanodin
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 11:32 pm

Re: Anyone with Long QT Syndrome specifically?

Post by Kanodin »

Char wrote:
I might be a little too unreasonable here, but I don't think I would be able to take on medications. I'm not one to just roll over and die, but I can't come to accept that one would need to rely that much on a bunch of chemicals to stick around a little more. Did you ever felt like that about them, is it just a phase when one faces such a burden or is my own stupidity getting the best of me?

Sorry for being a bother, and congrats' on choosing to live to the fullest despite your problems.
Regards.

It's either the meds or get an ICD implanted in my chest, something that after watching my sister get it, I don't want. You do eventually get used to taking the meds, it becomes like second nature. To answer your question though, for the first six months I felt that way about them.
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Brisingr
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Location: Michigan

Re: Anyone with Long QT Syndrome specifically?

Post by Brisingr »

I don't have anything long lasting now but I've had several things that could, if not should, have killed me if they were never discovered. I don't know about everything (never really asked my parents) but here is what I do know:

I was born with Tetralogy of of Fallot, which includes Ventricular septal defect (a hole between the right and left ventricles), Narrowing of the pulmonary outflow tract (the valve and artery that connect the heart with the lungs), Overriding aorta (the artery that carries oxygen-rich blood to the body) that is shifted over the right ventricle and ventricular septal defect, instead of coming out only from the left ventricle, and a thickened muscular wall of the right ventricle (right ventricular hypertrophy). External symptoms include clubbed fingers or toes (toes in my case), Difficulty feeding as a baby, (as part of this, I was diagnosed with "Lack of will to live" soon after birth, meaning that I never wanted to eat and anything I did eat, I would vomit out. I required a feeding tube first through my nose to my stomach and later a feeding tube surgically inserted directly to my stomach. The second tube was removed I think around 7 and I still have the scar.) Failure to gain weight, ( I have always been small but genetics also come into account here), Passing out (don't know if I ever did), and squatting during a tet spell (again, no clue if I did). Soon after birth, my cardiologist noticed an irregularity in my heartbeat which lead to an x-ray. The irregularity was blood flowing through the hole between the left and right ventricles. My parents decided to have it repaired when I reached 7 months to help build up my strength and because of this, I no longer need to worry about my heart excluding checkups with my cardiologist. The only real side-effect I have noticed over the years is that I don't have as much endurance as other people and for example, can't run as far as others. I am still physically capable of anything a normal person my age can do, just not for as long. Even with my heart after the repairs, I'm still likely to have a shorter lifespan compared to somebody without the condition in the first place. I have heard that the average lifespan for a person without the repairs is 20-22 years. I'm 20 at the moment and will likely make it past 65 but all bets are off after that.

I was also born with an improperly developed skull. I know less about this but from what I do know, this would have caused my skull to improperly fuse together and limit space for proper brain growth between adolescent to adult. This could have meant anything between mental retardation to death. This one was actually noticed by chance as I understand it. A doctor passing by my room while I was in the hospital for my heart noticed my skull looked a little different. My parents decided to put me through some tests and it was determined that my skull had been improperly developing while in the womb. To repair it, the doctors had to remove a section of my forehead, re-shape my skull, and temporarily bind them together with 16 metal plates, each smaller than my pinky fingernail. I still have the scar from the surgery, a long line traveling over the top of my skull ear to ear and because of this, I tend keep my hair just long enough so nobody will notice it simply because I don't want people to ask all the time. I'm not sensitive about it but every person I meet asking about it would get annoying. I still have the metal plates binding my skull together and while redundant now that my skull is properly fused together, I have no reason to have them removed and they will likely follow me to the grave. While I was growing up between the surgery to fix my skull and I think 3, I was required to wear a protective helmet that I apparently hated because I would cry when It was put on. I have no actual memory of any of what I have written thus far and is entirely based on what my parents tolled me and my own research.

I am not aware of anything else of such major severity with my well being (assuming there is anything else) but these two things alone that if untreated, would have sent me to the grave before 3 or 4 as I understand it. I have/had a few other things but nothing life-threatening such as frequent ear infections around 8 or bunions on my feet. I have never felt resentment toward my conditions as I have survived all of them and limit me in only the smallest facets of my life so I have no reason to. I am now perfectly healthy and baring a slightly shorter lifespan and reduced physical endurance, I am likely to live a full and happy life.
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russianspy1234
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Joined: Wed May 27, 2009 2:24 am

Re: Anyone with Long QT Syndrome specifically?

Post by russianspy1234 »

i have a minor heart abnormality, recently had a bunch of tests run, including a tilt table test with a high dose of drugs, and then wore a heart monitor almost 24/7 for two weeks. although my heart rate can get fairly high during activity (noticed it going as high as 180 at one point, but that was dancing dubstep) it isnt enough to cause me too much trouble.
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Char
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:38 pm
Location: Santiago, Chile

Re: Anyone with Long QT Syndrome specifically?

Post by Char »

After much debate with myself, I decided to take the advice received here. Told my parents about my condition and explained it with quite some detail.
So, I will finally get myself tested in a few days, probably on Thursday. Seems like I will be using a heart monitor for some time as well.

Thanks guys.
Kanodin
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 11:32 pm

Re: Anyone with Long QT Syndrome specifically?

Post by Kanodin »

Char wrote:After much debate with myself, I decided to take the advice received here. Told my parents about my condition and explained it with quite some detail.
So, I will finally get myself tested in a few days, probably on Thursday. Seems like I will be using a heart monitor for some time as well.

Thanks guys.


With today's medicine, they will be able to tell you if you have a heart condition in a matter of hours. Especially if it's Long QT.
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