Question:I have hypertension (high blood pressure) and have been having a rapid heart beat. If I take my blood pressure medication, it stops within 2 hours. What is causing this? Dr. Hibberd Responds: Any symptoms of rapid heart beat that persist as long as you describe need immediate evaluation.
Some medications used for Blood Pressure control are very potent and specifically can cause heart beat irregularities especially in patients with conducting system disturbances.
You need urgent review of her EKG and specific attention paid to the potential presence of a "bypass tract" conducting system disturbance (such as Wolf Parkinson White Syndrome and Long Ganong Levine Syndrome). The use of some medications need special attention when used with these conditions.
It is equally possible that you have a normal conducting system, but are having extra ventricular beats called PVC's. PVC's are undesirable and may reflect impending problems that are developing and need immediate attention. It is clearly unsafe for you to leave this unaddressed and unsafe for you to try to remedy this yourself. Consult your doctor now and ask him /her to assess you.
Ask your doctor to check you for underlying conditions your medication may be unmasking and request an alternate medication for blood pressure control without delay.
Peter Hibberd is a medical doctor with over 28 years of outpatient and hospital-inpatient experience. He is board certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine and is a member of the American College of Emergency Physicians. He also is a member and a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians.
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