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What Does It Mean When The ECG Shows Irregular Heart Rate A While After Taking Clarithromycin Post A Bike Accident?
Question: I'm currently waiting for a 3 day ECG as I've been experiencing cardiac problems for a good few months. Heart rate goes very high 140-180 and keeps fluctuating up and down irregularly when i have an episode. Echocardiogram came back clear.
ECG taken at several times shows an irregular heart rate. Apparently my heart constantly misses beats but the ER tell me its not dangerous. They also diagnosed a RBBB in the last few months.
The cardiac problems started after a dental infection i had never had any before that. The dental infection started a couple of days after i gave oral sex to an escort, could just be coincidental. The dental infection was treated with metronidazole.
A couple of months before this i had a motorcycle accident and was prescribed clarithromycin antibiotic for infection surgery.
After taking the clarithromycin for the first time i noticed that it caused chest pains and a strange fluttering sensation in my chest. It was like a general discomfort. The sensation would pass after a few hours of taking it but would return every time i taken the clarithromycin.
The doctors are telling me my irregular heart rate and missing beats is down to cocaine use over 2 years ago. But i had no heart problems and plenty of ECGs in that time that all came back clear! So i find it very odd for cocaine to mess with the electro pulses of my heart 2 years after using it.
What i want to know is can any STI or STD cause these heart problems?
I am also curious if the metronidazole or clarithronycin antibitotics could have caused the irregular heart rate and problems with the electric pulses? Especially the clarithromycin as i remember experiencing the chest discomfort on the first time i taken it.
Thanks
ECG taken at several times shows an irregular heart rate. Apparently my heart constantly misses beats but the ER tell me its not dangerous. They also diagnosed a RBBB in the last few months.
The cardiac problems started after a dental infection i had never had any before that. The dental infection started a couple of days after i gave oral sex to an escort, could just be coincidental. The dental infection was treated with metronidazole.
A couple of months before this i had a motorcycle accident and was prescribed clarithromycin antibiotic for infection surgery.
After taking the clarithromycin for the first time i noticed that it caused chest pains and a strange fluttering sensation in my chest. It was like a general discomfort. The sensation would pass after a few hours of taking it but would return every time i taken the clarithromycin.
The doctors are telling me my irregular heart rate and missing beats is down to cocaine use over 2 years ago. But i had no heart problems and plenty of ECGs in that time that all came back clear! So i find it very odd for cocaine to mess with the electro pulses of my heart 2 years after using it.
What i want to know is can any STI or STD cause these heart problems?
I am also curious if the metronidazole or clarithronycin antibitotics could have caused the irregular heart rate and problems with the electric pulses? Especially the clarithromycin as i remember experiencing the chest discomfort on the first time i taken it.
Thanks
Brief Answer:
I would recommend perfoming further tests:
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I passed carefully through your question and would explain that clarithromycin may lead to QT prolongation in the ECG and thus trigger cardiac arrhythmia.
But metronidazole does not lead to this adverse effect.
Regarding your actual symptoms it is necessary to perform a differential clinical diagnosis between different possible causes that may trigger this clinical situation:
- possible episodes of atrial fibrillation as complication of a right cardiac disorder, related to the asthma or a congenital heart disorder like atrial septal defects
- the past abuse of cocaine may have some implications on this situation too, caused by the cardiac heart changes.
- the tooth infection may trigger this symptomatology by inflammation.
- thyroid gland dysfunction may mimic this situation too
- an electrolyte imbalance, etc.
I don't think that your symptoms are related to a STD, especially if you do not have any local symptoms.
I would like to directly review your resting ECG and cardiac ultrasound report.
Anyway, I would recommend further tests:
- a ventilation-perfusion pulmonary CT scan or angio CT scanto exclude a possible pulmonary embolism and evaluate your pulmonary function
-a trans-esophageal cardiac ultrasound to evaluate your heart function and structure better and exclude a possible congenital heart disorder
- an ambulatory 24-48 hours ECG monitoring to examine your heart rhythm trends for a prolonged time and investigate for the type of cardiac arrhythmia
- thyroid hormone levels for thyroid gland dysfunction
- blood electrolytes for any possible imbalance
- complete blood count, PCR, ESR for inflammation.
Hope you will find this answer helpful!
Kind regards,
Dr. Iliri
I would recommend perfoming further tests:
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I passed carefully through your question and would explain that clarithromycin may lead to QT prolongation in the ECG and thus trigger cardiac arrhythmia.
But metronidazole does not lead to this adverse effect.
Regarding your actual symptoms it is necessary to perform a differential clinical diagnosis between different possible causes that may trigger this clinical situation:
- possible episodes of atrial fibrillation as complication of a right cardiac disorder, related to the asthma or a congenital heart disorder like atrial septal defects
- the past abuse of cocaine may have some implications on this situation too, caused by the cardiac heart changes.
- the tooth infection may trigger this symptomatology by inflammation.
- thyroid gland dysfunction may mimic this situation too
- an electrolyte imbalance, etc.
I don't think that your symptoms are related to a STD, especially if you do not have any local symptoms.
I would like to directly review your resting ECG and cardiac ultrasound report.
Anyway, I would recommend further tests:
- a ventilation-perfusion pulmonary CT scan or angio CT scanto exclude a possible pulmonary embolism and evaluate your pulmonary function
-a trans-esophageal cardiac ultrasound to evaluate your heart function and structure better and exclude a possible congenital heart disorder
- an ambulatory 24-48 hours ECG monitoring to examine your heart rhythm trends for a prolonged time and investigate for the type of cardiac arrhythmia
- thyroid hormone levels for thyroid gland dysfunction
- blood electrolytes for any possible imbalance
- complete blood count, PCR, ESR for inflammation.
Hope you will find this answer helpful!
Kind regards,
Dr. Iliri
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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