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Azathioprine and heart palpatations?

I've had some minor heart palpatations before (woke up in the middle of the night with my heart pounding), and some fast heart beating a few times, but it looks like ever since I had a very bad reaciton to azathioprine (vomitting, nausea, temperature), that my heart palps have increased in general.

I had a monitor and my cardiologist diagnosed me with SVT and A-fib.

I'm on beta blockers currently (40mg Sotalol twice a day), but I can't help but wonder if I had SVT/A-fib before I had the Azathioprine, or if the Azathioprine made it worse or caused it.

Has anyone had heart palps from this drug as a side effect?
 

Scipio

Well-known member
Location
San Diego
I haven't had that drug (yet), so I can't speak from personal experience. However, inflammation in general is a well-known trigger for Afib. So maybe the inflammation of the Crohn's may have coincidentally increased your risk of Afib.
 
I've been taking azathioprine and getting some heart palpitations. I asked my doctor and he mentioned magnesium supplements might help. They seem to be working, but I don't know if it will be the same for everyone.
 
Thanks for the response. I've also been taking Magnesium supplements to keep them at bay, although my cardiologist has also put me on some new stronger medication which has been helping alot.
 
Forristicat - Yes, I had the same symptoms and diagnosis a couple of years ago. Sadly, my GI didn't (and still doesn't) believe it had anything to do with the aza. Actually collapsed a couple times and didn't figure out that it was the med until my PCP put a holter monitor on me and diagnosed the SVT. I ended up in a cardiac care unit for about a week and now have diagnoses of not only SVT, but syncope as well.

I stopped taking aza when I was shipped to the CCU and have never gone back. While there though, they implanted a cardiac loop recorder which monitors my heart's function. Haven't had any significant events since I stopped taking the aza. I am still on beta blockers at this point.

Have just started Humira after avoiding meds (other than prednisone and entocort) for the past 2+ years. Hope things have turned around for you and you don't have any further cardiac events. That was scary stuff.
 
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