My PsA was detected in September 2014 but in that year only I got syncopal attacks(fainting attacks) of very few secs and that too on bed. My ECG was done which confirmed that I am suffereing from sick sinus syndrome as well. Being medical graduate I checked in books and its mentioned that HLA B27 can cause conduction defects of heart. In ankylosing spondylitis people know because its still more common than PsA, but since the reason is HLA B27 and PsA and ankylosing spondylitis afterall belongs to same family. So to all of you who have had fainted for secs it fraction of secs that too while resting, it felt palpitations, breathlessness at times of no reason. Please talk with your GP and tell them. My holter ECG monitoring was also done which showed that my pulse rate dropped to 36beats per min while I was asleep. And during the whole day there were episodes when my heart used to just completely stop beating for a while(mine was 1.8secs). Thank god it didn’t come out more than 2 secs else I would have needed a pacemaker as well. Pacemaker at age of 23 would have made my life hell. At least 6 operations. One for placing and other 5 for battery replacement.
That’s very interesting. My mom has vasovagal syncope and psoriatic arthritis. She had to have a pacemaker put on last year. That would be interesting, to ask her rheumatologist if there is a relation.
Its sad that pacemaker was implanted in your mom. Vasovagal attacks are found in normal persons as well but if one is getting frequent vasovagal attacks then it has to be looked upon. Vasovagal attacks may be seen while micturating , long standing etc. I too have fainted many times specially micturating. I told this to cardiologist who did my ECG done to find out Sick Sinus syndrome. My Tilt table test was done. It is a test for autonomic nervous system ability to control the BP. And sadly and very strangely it came out positive in my case. Vasovagal syncope vasodepressor type 3. If it comes out positive then pacemaker cant be put and the cardiologist said thay he has never seen a person of 23yrs getting this test positive. No doc could answer me that. Neither the rheumatologist, nor the cardiologist, nor the neurologist. The one reason which was given was, it may be beacause of autonomic neuropathy caused by amyloidosis due to chronic inflammatory condition. They asked me to go for an abdominal fat pad biopsy. But I didn’t go for it as it would not have changed the outcome in any way.
I find myself making decisions regarding testing on a similar basis. . . . Will it change how I am treated. If not, why go through with more invasive tests?
My mom had quite a few incidents and when she was put on a 24 hour monitor she had an episode that lasted 18 seconds, hence the pacemaker.
superspear said:
Its sad that pacemaker was implanted in your mom. Vasovagal attacks are found in normal persons as well but if one is getting frequent vasovagal attacks then it has to be looked upon. Vasovagal attacks may be seen while micturating , long standing etc. I too have fainted many times specially micturating. I told this to cardiologist who did my ECG done to find out Sick Sinus syndrome. My Tilt table test was done. It is a test for autonomic nervous system ability to control the BP. And sadly and very strangely it came out positive in my case. Vasovagal syncope vasodepressor type 3. If it comes out positive then pacemaker cant be put and the cardiologist said thay he has never seen a person of 23yrs getting this test positive. No doc could answer me that. Neither the rheumatologist, nor the cardiologist, nor the neurologist. The one reason which was given was, it may be beacause of autonomic neuropathy caused by amyloidosis due to chronic inflammatory condition. They asked me to go for an abdominal fat pad biopsy. But I didn’t go for it as it would not have changed the outcome in any way.