Smoking with a Defibrillator? Brugada Syndrome

Just from my basic knowledge, a defibrillator is to stop fibrillations in the heart. I've never heard of marijuana causting fibrillations. Marijuana has been found to increase heart rate as well, although I believe it's only temporary. And I've you've been smoking for a few years, I doubt anything's gonna happen now.

I think you'd be fine.

 

I'm glad you got that diagnosed! Your implanted device will detect, and correct, a specific type of arrhythmia-a simple increase in heart rate from smoking should not trigger any response.
You'll notice right away when your device is triggered, the shock is pretty pronounced. Like "OW! Goddamn it!" so if you're not jumping and clutching your chest, all is well.

 

No, but my Father did. Did you have the external one on at any point in this process? Dad said that was like being wired to an electric fence.

Link for the lurkers:

http://www.hrspatients.org/Patients/treatments/cardiac_defibrillators/default.asp

 

He smoked back during WWII ("Hemp" was popular where he was in the Pacific Theatre) but that was long before his cardiac issues. They usually just use the external defibs till they can find you a surgeon, and yeah, its pretty much, you cough or sneeze, it goes off.

I assume you already know you can never ever use cocaine, right?

You're probably found this already...You may want to get the full study to see what they mean by "markedly elevated levels of Tetrahydrocannabinol". Did the kid drink a gallon of hash oil?

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17291603

 

You really shouldn't take this kind of advice from people on this board. They don't appear to be doctors. Ask your doctor.

 

Given how little is known about this syndrome chances are his cardiologist won't know either.

But it is going to be very important for the OPs long term survival that he develop a good, honest relationship with a cardiac doc, and that they be able to communicate effectively.
This disorder is going to require a lot of intensive, hands on management over the course of your life. You need a doc you can communicate with and count on.

 

If you wish to contact people who have your syndrome and smoke-check out the support groups
Here is one
Brugada Foundation • View forum - Brugada Syndrome Support Group
You may have varried results, some support groups are quite odd. The best thing you can do is put your question out there and see what happens.

 

I have an AICD defibrillator, and am a medical marijuana user for sleep apnea (complicated by CHF), and occasional pain (since I cannot use NSAIDs).

My defibrillator begins pacing if my heart rate goes over 140BPM. Smoking, even with a vaporizer can get me into the 130-140 range (using a monitor). I've had success keeping it below 120 if I take carvedilol (coreg) and captopril (capoten) about an hour before smoking. Coreg is a "beta-adrenergic antagonist" (or "beta blocker") which does help prevent the signal that tells the brain "you are low on O2, start pumping faster." These, or alternatives, are commonly prescribed to people with heart problems, such as CHF.

With most defibrillators, you can put a magnet over them and they will idle, if you are concerned more about being shocked than being protected. I do not recommend it, but you can decide for yourself what the risks are versus the rewards you might receive from cannabis. I have no idea if you start feeling symptomatic if taking the magnet off will allow the defib to kick in in a timely manner, or detect the out-of-rythym condition.

However, I have had the defibrillator go off. It is quite painful and unexpected. Since it has, I find myself nervous when I smoke, which drives up the heart rate and makes me anxious that I will have another attack, or another shock, and that my HMO will find out that I smoke. I've only done it once since the last time, and I was so worried it would happen again it was not enjoyable. I usually smoke a bowl with the vaporizer. I'm not sure if only a few puffs might not be as strong.

Some folks may also use an albuterol inhaler after they smoke, as I have from time to time. It may make it easier to breathe, but raises the heart rate as well. I do not know how well the beta blocker can mitigate the inhaler.

I've been getting inconsistent recommendations about using sativas vs. indicas as "better" for heart response. I usually prefer indicas because they make me sleep, and leave me with a clearer head.

For me, a tincture of cannabis (available from most respectable dispensaries) costs around $20 a vial. It lasts two-three weeks for daily use. It doesn't provide much of a high, but does help me sleep. I haven't tried other edibles since having a "bad experience" the last time I smoked.

I'm not a doctor, but hopefully my experience will help others considering cannabis with similar conditions. If using legally, be sure find a really reputable recommending doctor if you can't talk to your family practice/cardiologist about it.

Best wishes. Educate yourself, and be safe.

 

I'd like to bump this thread and find out if the original poster can share what he has been up to. I'm sitting in the doctors office right now and my heart rhythm displays signs of brugada syndrome... They are going to make me see a cardiologist

 

So I was diagnosed with Brugada as well. I have smoked for the past six months, ekgs went back as far as 2003 (years before smoking) and it was found on all EKGs... So smoking wasn't the cause.

Has anyone else smoked with this disease?

 

Thank you all so much for this great info. My son has Brugada and he also has anxiety and we have been questioning this topic a while now.

 

T

Hey thanks for this. We need to do lots more research

 

I am a family physician, and I came upon this thread in a search Brugada syndrome and marijuana for one of my patients who has Brugada syndrome and chronic chest wall pain that she is hoping to treat with medical marijuana. She has an ICD and has experienced some shocks, treating arrhythmias related to her Brugada syndrome. I did an internet search a couple months ago and only came up with 2 case reports. I did another search today and have come up with 11 reports before I came to this forum and there are uncounted more reports that I have yet to review.

Brugada syndrome is largely recognized as an inherited condition that may become apparent at any time in a person's life. The EKG changes are not always apparent at any given time.

From what I have seen so far:
1) marijuana can cause some people to have the EKG manifestations of Brugada syndrome out of the blue (either the dangerous arrhythmia or just the EKG changes). (It is not clear whether it just unmasks the condition in people who have not been diagnosed, or whether there are some people who would not ever have the changes if they did not use marijuana, and will never have it again if they never use again).
2) There are people who have known Brugada syndrome who will develop the dangerous arrhythmias under the influence of ingested marijuana (this is not unlike a whole host of different medications are known to precipitate the dangerous arrhythmias in people who have Brugada syndrome, and for whom these medicines are absolutely contraindicated (forbidden to use--malpractice for a physician to prescribe them to these individuals).

My conclusion so far, is that to use marijuana if you have Brugada syndrome is dangerous, and to recommend it to someone who has the condition would be the lay equivalent of malpractice.

Playing with fire.

Don't believe me? Google: Brugada Syndrome Marijuana.