Author: Oxy-Ed
Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2011 2:03 am
I am a Cardiac Nurse and I’ve NEVER heard of ANY opiate including buprenorphine causing prolongation of QT. It’s usually caused by cardiac meds to treat certain conditions. Some meds that slow the heart can increase the QT interval. If the QT interval gets long enough, your heart can go into Torsades de Pointes which is French for "twisting of the points". This is a cardiac EMERGENCY. But in my years I’ve never seen this due to opiate abuse no matter how much. As far as those of you talking about Afib or NSVT (tachycardia), there are treatments for both of these. Afib usually is controlled with medication to help slow the heart and meds to thin the blood to prevent clots. Tachycardia also responds to medications such as beta blockers, calcium channel blockers etc. Also there are some techniques that one can do to get the heart to slow down which include vasovagal technique. This causes the parasympathetic nervous system to kick in and slow the heart rate. This can be done by bearing down like you are having a bowel movement for a period of time. For tachycardia that doesn’t respond, you may need to go into the hospital and either have a medication called adenosine that literally stops the heart for a few seconds and causes your nature pacemaker to keep back in or have a synchronized shock to the heart that kicks the heart back into a normal regular rhythm. As far as Afib, if meds don’t work you might need an ablation. A doc makes an incision usually in the groin and a catheter with a tip that can cauterize the affected areas of the heart that are misfiring is used and hopes are these affected areas die and no longer cause a problem. So if anyone has heart issues, please take them seriously and go into the ER. Don’t ever think it’s normal and it’s related to suboxone or other opiate. Always take the safe road.
