HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Has anyone else developed QT Prolongation from Nortriptyline or Methadone?

Support Forums
>
Chronic Pain
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 3/13/2009 8:07 PM (GMT 0)
I've been on methadone for years and was having an EKG every so often to make sure my heart was ok. In Feb. of 2008, I had one and it showed that I had a QT of close to 500! They were afraid of the possibility of a heart attack so they had me come off of nortriptyline within a week to see if that was the culprit (I guess it often is..though methadone can cause QT prolongation too which can result in torsades de pointes, a fatal erythmia..which is rare but, still, that's why I had the EKGs to begin with). Anyway, methadone was not the culprit, it was, in fact, the nortriptyline. Unfortunately, that med was good at alleviating my nerve pain. Just wondering if anyone else had a similar experience?

Thanks,
Danimal

Chronic Stimulation- a blog that chronicles life with a newly implanted neurostimulator
http://chronicstimulation.blogspot.com/
Posted 3/14/2009 2:56 AM (GMT 0)
At first, I didn't believe QT prolongation was a real word ~ it is, though.
Danimal, Thank Goodness I don't have it!
skull
Posted 3/15/2009 3:12 AM (GMT 0)
yes..I was pretty scared when I found out how high my QT and now there are certain other meds that are off limits to me..but I was very happy that my QT went down once I weaned off the notriptyline...although the very bad thing was that the nortriptyline was so good at helping manage the nerve pain!! cry
Posted 3/15/2009 3:16 AM (GMT 0)
Danimal, I did not pay close attention to your thread, I am sorry. My pCP put me on nortryptyline for awhile and I did not have any possitive results. He then put me on anitryptyline and that has not done anything either. He still has me on Percoset, Vic. and Anitryptyline and it still is not working. He made a referral last year to a PMS but it has taken over 6 months to find one that will take my out of state WC. I see him Monday morning. I will be his first patient as he just moved from Mass. My PCP made the recomendation for an implanted nerve stimulator and methadone. I have been making notes from others on this forum and will add yours as I prepare to break in this new PMS to the area. Hope you are still doing well.  
Posted 3/16/2009 12:14 PM (GMT 0)
Danimal, I hate to sound naive but I'm concerned, What is a QT??? I was on Methadone for several years for degenerative disc disease, with12 or 13 herniated discs. No one ever tested me for anthing other than the amount of meds I was taking...urine tests. I finally retired because I couldn't work with the pain,and the methadone I hated because it made me depressed. After I retired I went back to my small town Doctor that refused to monitor my taking metadone, so I went cold turkey, quit and now I'm just taking darvocet and an anti-inflammatory....In some pain but feel like I got my life back......What is thisQT???????????I went to the pain clinic in St.Paul,Mn. They wanted to put in a spinal cord stimulator 10 years ago but I didn't try that either.
Posted 3/16/2009 6:22 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Rosie.

The letters "QT" refer to the interval of time between depolarization and repolarization of your heart (when it beats). When an EKG is conducted, the doctor will look at the time between the Q and T interval. If that interval is too long it is called 'Prolonged QT Syndrome." When that interval is too long, it puts the person at risk of a fatal heart arrhythmia (heart attack) known as Torsade de Pointes. A QT interval above 440 is prolonged.

You can be born with Prolonged QT syndrome or you can acquire it from certain medications, methadone being one of them..nortriptyline being another. I was on a number of meds. that can cause this which is why they wanted me to have an EKG. However, I had had EKGs in the past and, in fact, my pain doctor ordered one for me before I even went on Methadone to make sure I did not have the congenital form of QT syndrome.

It's more of a precautionary practice..my doctors were surprised that I had it. But, as I said, I went off the nortriptyline and my QT went down below 400 so all was well!!

I wouldn't worry about it (though if you really are, you could ask your pain doctor).

Best,
Danimal

Chronic Stimulation-a blog that chronicles life with a newly implanted spinal cord stimulator
http://www.chronicstimulation.blogspot.com/
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply