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Forum Name: Arrhythmias

Question: can memory loss occur?

lifeXplorer - Mon Apr 30, 2007 11:52 pm

I am 18 and do not myself have arrthymias. One of my best friends does and is not doing to well. She is the same age as me and has both Bradycardia and Tachycardia. I want to know... is it possible to have memory loss after having had some attacks? (of the heart) Is there any way in which she can have this because of a medication she might get prescribed to take?

Marceline F, RN - Wed May 02, 2007 3:29 pm

Dear LifeXplorer,
Glad to see how much you care about your friend. There are tests your friend should take to find out what is going on with her heart. A tachy-brady Arrhythmia can be caused by medication, and can also be a malady of the heart's electrical system. One version is called a sick-sinus syndrome, and can be pretty serious. Certain legal and illegal drugs have serious impact on the function of the heart. Only tests can reveal what is happening to her - and there may be simple treatment options available, depending on the cause. Please have your friend either see her family doctor or go to a local emergency room to look further into her complaint, and symptoms.

lifeXplorer - Thu May 03, 2007 9:18 pm

Thank you very much for your reply. She has gone through a series of test, but of which ones I know not of. What is one of the medications people with Arrhythmias take when their heart problem is serious?And even though its her heart that has the problem, can anything else in her be affected as well such as her memory or way of being?

Marceline F, RN - Sat May 05, 2007 6:36 am

Dear LifeXplorer,
Her docs could put her on ony one or combination of Arrhythmia medications such as : Digoxin (Lanoxin), Codarone (Amiodarone), Cardizem (Diltiazem), and there are many others. It is possible for ANY medication to possibly adversely affect ANYone. If she is receiving a medication and is having bad side effects, or suspected bad side effects, she needs to communicate that to her MD. The practitioner is the only one who can weigh all the benefits and risks of a treatment option based on all the information regarding the patient at hand.

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