AW: Long QT Syndrome

[Guest guest]

Ok, something about the history: she was loosening consciousnes since she

was six - she was diagnosed as epileptic - no medication was given, since it

happend just a few times a year. Now, last year she had theses seizures some

more times and she was checked up new and properly: diagnosis: LQTS,

(epilipsie was dropped) - all her family was called in, and nearly all do

have this syndrom but only she and her brother, 8, are showing symptoms.

Western MDs don´t actually know why only these two show symptoms. Since last

year both of them are taking beta blockers (the exactly name of the product

will follow at her next visit, she at highest possible dosage (as she said).

So far.

 

If you have some advice concerning herbs I would appriciate if you give me

some background, why you think these formulas would work - first of all I´d

like to understand the pattern, than treat it! (pulse etc. see first mail)

 

There is a page which gives some information about LQTS: www.qtsyndrome.ch,

it´s international!

 

and thank you all to getting so involved in my question.

 

 

Best wishes

 

 

Bodo

 

-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----

Von: Rory Kerr [rorykerr]

Gesendet: Sonntag, 3. Dezember 2000 06:35

An:

Betreff: Re: Long QT Syndrome

 

 

>Julie

>Thanks... no that I know what it is in the western bio med terms I can

think

>about some herbs. Without looking back at the case ...I suppose Zhi Gan Cao

>Tang ...may be considered

>

>Heiko Lade

----

 

I'm not sure this is a conclusion I would draw. If long, (or short),

QT segments are the result of medication, adjustment of the dose is

probably the first thought. The drug is probably quinidine or a

related drug. If so, it's important to check that the patient is

taking the proper dose and at the correct intervals to avoid

toxicity. The QT segment relates to the depolarization and

repolarization of the ventricles, (ie contraction and relaxation),

and a long QT reflects the depression of this electrical activity

involved. A long QT is not something that you'd feel as an irregular

beat on the pulse, so the sense in which this is an arrhythmia is not

the same as in Chinese medicine. It may be that the medication is

being given for an arrhythmia, but you'll not know the pattern

without checking the medical record.

 

Rory

 

 

Chinese Herbal Medicine, a voluntary organization of licensed healthcare

practitioners, matriculated students and postgraduate academics specializing

in Chinese Herbal Medicine, provides a variety of professional services,

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[Guest guest]

At 5:52 PM +0100 12/1/00, BoSchmidt-Ulmer wrote:

>I have a patient, female, 19, who is diagnosed as LQTS - for me she presents

>with Ki Yang Xu signs:

>pale, cold, watery stools, pulse thin and weak especially on both Ki

>positions, tongue thin, red, bluish in the middle and a dip wthout coating

>in th e lower warmer (Ki....)

>She is now on Beta Blockade, but still loosening consciousness on stress

>(sports - fright ... and she is fearfull - the possibility to use a

>cardioverter-defibrillator caused a shock in her - now she is even more

>fearfull, without drive, no perspective)

 

 

At 11:28 AM +0100 12/3/00, BoSchmidt-Ulmer wrote:

>Ok, something about the history: she was loosening consciousnes since she

>was six - she was diagnosed as epileptic - no medication was given, since it

>happend just a few times a year. Now, last year she had theses seizures some

>more times and she was checked up new and properly: diagnosis: LQTS,

>(epilipsie was dropped) - all her family was called in, and nearly all do

>have this syndrom but only she and her brother, 8, are showing symptoms.

>Western MDs don´t actually know why only these two show symptoms. Since last

>year both of them are taking beta blockers (the exactly name of the product

>will follow at her next visit, she at highest possible dosage (as she said).

>So far.

>

>If you have some advice concerning herbs I would appriciate if you give me

>some background, why you think these formulas would work - first of all I´d

>like to understand the pattern, than treat it! (pulse etc. see first mail)

>

>There is a page which gives some information about LQTS: www.qtsyndrome.ch,

>it´s international!

------

 

Okay, I was obviously off track in my last post. From the website

above, and a brief search of Medscape/cardiology to confirm the

information, LQTS:

 

- is a genetic disorder involving several genes in different

chromosomes

- manifests as ventricular tachycardia w/ syncope and sudden death

- involves a disorder of the sympathetic nerve fibers

- involves a disorder of the K & Na channels

 

It can also be an acquired condition, but this does not apply to your patient.

 

This is a very interesting case you have offered us. Here are some of

my initial thoughts:

 

LQTS is a life threatening condition, so any intervention should be

approached with great caution. There is an apparent paradox in this

case: she evidently has yang deficiency and low metabolism, yet

sympathetic stimulation may be dangerous; many qi and yang tonic

herbs are sympathetic stimulants, perhaps indirectly through the

endocrine system. Also, you mention in your first post that she loses

consciousness w/ exercise - I'm very surprised that she hasn't been

told to stop exercising, as apparently that is one trigger for an

episode which can be fatal.

 

Here are some questions I have to help nail down the pattern:

 

1. You describe the patient as Kidney yang deficient - did you see

the patient before she started the beta blockers, and if not, do you

know the pulse and symptoms prior from the medical record and/or her

report?

 

2. What is her resting pulse rate now? any irregularity?

 

3. Aside from the long QT interval, does she have other abnormalities

in her lab results.

 

Rory