Long Q Interval Any swimmer's out there who have this?

Some beta blockers, like Bystolic, are tolerated much better than others. If you do in fact have long QT syndrome, I'm not sure that anyone will "clear" you to compete. So at the end of the day you will just have to decide for yourself if you are willing to take the risk.

Thanks, Jim. And congratulations on your PB in the 800. Very impressive swim. I am not aware of any data to suggest that your level of conditioning affects your risk of sudden death in long QT syndrome. It is known that exercise can pose more of a risk in certain genetic subtypes than others.

Hey there - I am with the SADS Foundation (Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes). We work with all kinds of genetic electrical heart disorders, including Long QT. I invite you to contact us at any time and visit our website at www.StopSADS.org or 1-800-STOP SAD. We also have a huge cause on Facebook, and you can e-mail me personally at laura@sads.org with any questions you have. I hope you're doing well. Laura Thanks Laura! I'll go visit your sites right now! :angel:

Bobinator, I'm sorry to hear about this diagnosis. I know, as swimmers, we all want to be active as long as we can and hearing something like this is not good news. I don't know your specific condition but you talked about potassium. My dad has been on arthritis medicine for about 50+ years that they now know can damage the kidneys. He gets a blood test once every 3 months or so to test his potassium levels. He also stays away from potassium rich foods such as melons, bananas, peanuts, avocados, potatoes, etc. He has a list that is about 10 pages long of foods and their potassium amount since it's not something generally listed on food labels. See if one of your doctors has a list like this. Good luck :)

Thanks Swimshark! As it works out I already eat lots of potassium rich foods! I googled it right away after the doc explained the process! At this point I'm just trying to remember nothing bad has really happened. It's funny, the 2X I've swam since this diagnosis I've dreaded getting in the water. I've had to tell myself "just get in and go slow, do open turns if you want." Once I get in I feel totally normal and anxiety free. I'm trying to really be loose and stretchy (something I need to work on anyway) and not push too hard but get a workout at the same time. I've ended up swimming pretty much like normal, maybe a little longer intervals on sets over 200 but I don't really mind that. I'm feeling positive, I think things will eventually work out fine.

Funny that you say the Beta Blocker makes you feel relaxed. I actually kind of liked the feeling at night. I tend to be a little hyper so, besides making me a little more tired, I didn't mind the half-pill dose. I will say that I felt funny swimming at first on it--like I couldn't get my heart rate up. That didn't last. But I never went up to the full dose. Interesting that your doctor wants your kids to have EKG's before you have your genetic testing results back. Especially considering you haven't had any fainting spells or family history of any kind. And, considering EKG's can't always pick up long QT issues. My doctor didn't say anything about having my kids tested and I was hesitant for fear it would scare them. My kids are all under 14 and not as heavily athletically involved as yours, though. Hope all the tests come out great. Until then, remember you've been fine all these years and that nobody is guaranteed another day on this planet whether they have a heart condition or not. Enjoy being here :applaud: Amen to that Amy! I'm just glad I'm not totally freaking out and that the medicine seems ok so far. I may have my kids hold off till I get the genetic testing. They are not very enthused about getting an ekg. The oldest of is pregnant currently, she said her ob would do it. Daughter #2 is in Physician's Assistant School, she's a little miffed but usually goes with the program. My son really doesn't do doctors unless it's an emergency situation. He will be the tough one!

Thanks Swimshark! As it works out I already eat lots of potassium rich foods! I googled it right away after the doc explained the process! At this point I'm just trying to remember nothing bad has really happened. It's funny, the 2X I've swam since this diagnosis I've dreaded getting in the water. I've had to tell myself "just get in and go slow, do open turns if you want." Once I get in I feel totally normal and anxiety free. I'm trying to really be loose and stretchy (something I need to work on anyway) and not push too hard but get a workout at the same time. I've ended up swimming pretty much like normal, maybe a little longer intervals on sets over 200 but I don't really mind that. I'm feeling positive, I think things will eventually work out fine. I'm glad to hear this. Listen to your body and stay positive!

Hey there - I am with the SADS Foundation (Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes). We work with all kinds of genetic electrical heart disorders, including Long QT. I invite you to contact us at any time and visit our website at www.StopSADS.org or 1-800-STOP SAD. We also have a huge cause on Facebook, and you can e-mail me personally at laura@sads.org with any questions you have. I hope you're doing well. Laura

Bobinator, if I may ask, what was your QTc (QTcorrected) interval? There are people with mild prolongation of the QTc and there are those with significant prolongations. Mild would be in the 460ish range, significant would be 500+ish. When the doc told you that you don't have a syndrome, this is probably what he meant. There are many many causes of prolonged QTc. Medications, electrolyte imbalances, idiopathic (meaning no freaking clue why you have it), and genetic. Some of the genetic causes may be "syndromes" because they are associated with other findings. One in particular is the Jervel and Lange-Nielsen syndrome which is associated with deafness (I'm sure someone asked you about deafness in the family). The reason someone with long QT is at risk is as follows. The QT interval is the time it takes for the heart to repolarize, i.e. get back to its resting electrical state. Normally the ventricles should be completely repolarized before the next depolarization starts (first in the atria, then moves to the ventricles). If it takes a long time for the ventricles to repolarize, then some of the ventricle may be ready to accept a new depolarization and some is not. The electrical impulse then kind of gets shunted along a new and unstable pathway, and suddenly you can get this crazy disorganized depolarization (like a chicken with its head cut off) operating completely independantly of the atria and going super fast. The ventricles can't fill with blood, and their contractions are ineffective. So, regardless of the cause of long QT or whether there is family precedence involved, someone with a long enough QTc is at risk. A couple questions I always use to screen high risk adolescents are: 1. Have you ever passed out during exercise 2. Is there a family history of sudden cardiac death 3. Is there a family history of anyone who died drowning 4. Is there a family history of an unexplained motor vehicle accident death Aside from swimming and intense exercise, collapsing after sudden fear (like hearing a loud BOOM) is always concerning. Not everyone instantly dies from the first episode. Some people are luckly enough to regain the normal rhythm and simpleyt experience light headedness or syncope without death. There are many things that doctors encounter which require risk weighing. Any time I prescribe a medicine I assess the risks and benefits. Any time I order a CT scan I do the same. If there is a chance of death and viable alternatives, I will not take tht risk. Your electrophysicist, while he may think the chance of sudden death is small, will in no way tell you it's OK to swim. He may explain the risks, but the decision is up to you. It would be absolutely stupid of him to assume that risk because as nice a guy as you might be, there is some member of your family and some lawyer that will get together and lick their chops.

Bobinator, if I may ask, what was your QTc (QTcorrected) interval? There are people with mild prolongation of the QTc and there are those with significant prolongations. Mild would be in the 460ish range, significant would be 500+ish. When the doc told you that you don't have a syndrome, this is probably what he meant. There are many many causes of prolonged QTc. Medications, electrolyte imbalances, idiopathic (meaning no freaking clue why you have it), and genetic. Some of the genetic causes may be "syndromes" because they are associated with other findings. One in particular is the Jervel and Lange-Nielsen syndrome which is associated with deafness (I'm sure someone asked you about deafness in the family). The reason someone with long QT is at risk is as follows. The QT interval is the time it takes for the heart to repolarize, i.e. get back to its resting electrical state. Normally the ventricles should be completely repolarized before the next depolarization starts (first in the atria, then moves to the ventricles). If it takes a long time for the ventricles to repolarize, then some of the ventricle may be ready to accept a new depolarization and some is not. The electrical impulse then kind of gets shunted along a new and unstable pathway, and suddenly you can get this crazy disorganized depolarization (like a chicken with its head cut off) operating completely independantly of the atria and going super fast. The ventricles can't fill with blood, and their contractions are ineffective. So, regardless of the cause of long QT or whether there is family precedence involved, someone with a long enough QTc is at risk. A couple questions I always use to screen high risk adolescents are: 1. Have you ever passed out during exercise 2. Is there a family history of sudden cardiac death 3. Is there a family history of anyone who died drowning 4. Is there a family history of an unexplained motor vehicle accident death Aside from swimming and intense exercise, collapsing after sudden fear (like hearing a loud BOOM) is always concerning. Not everyone instantly dies from the first episode. Some people are luckly enough to regain the normal rhythm and simpleyt experience light headedness or syncope without death. There are many things that doctors encounter which require risk weighing. Any time I prescribe a medicine I assess the risks and benefits. Any time I order a CT scan I do the same. If there is a chance of death and viable alternatives, I will not take tht risk. Your electrophysicist, while he may think the chance of sudden death is small, will in no way tell you it's OK to swim. He may explain the risks, but the decision is up to you. It would be absolutely stupid of him to assume that risk because as nice a guy as you might be, there is some member of your family and some lawyer that will get together and lick their chops. Thanks for the great information Taruky. I had a lengthly conversation with the people at SADS today. One of the first questions they asked me was my my QTc #. I don't think my electrophysicist gave me this number. They also wanted to know how many ekg's he took or if I had a stress test. I had 1 ekg and he didn't do an exercise stress test. I did have an echo-cardiogram the next day. I am hoping my insurance covers much of the genetic testing. I have 3 kids, my oldest is currently pregnant. I have been a runner, swimmer, triathlete, and all-around workout person since age 11. I've never passed out or had any of the symptoms. I have no known family history of drowning, car accident deaths, or any type of sudden death. This is all very puzzling to me but I feel fortunate to learn of this problem while I have time to do something about it. I have been doing normal swim workouts this week. I was planning to compete in an open-water race saturday but decided against it. If I have to give up racing I can deal with it but I'm really hoping I can continue swimming workouts at least!