I strongly suspect that lyme carditis is under-reported because doctors don't take it seriously when a person with lyme tells them about experiencing beat irregularities. I've had such irregularities on and off for years after getting lyme disease. Prior to the disease my heart never skipped a beat or flipped and flopped like a fish in my chest. However, it was never "caught on film" since the episodes were brief and I didn't have the money for a tilt table test (it was most commonly triggered when laying on one side--and I doubt I could have convinced someone to provide it. Thanks so much for sharing this info. I feel vindicated and am saving this so that I can show doctors should I ever have a problem with it again.
I had such a severe case of this last summer that I spent 10 days in the hospital due to total heart block from lymes, my heart rate had tanked down into the low 20s when I drove myself to the hospital... My initial doctor that I went to see told me after I recovered that he was scared I was going to drop in his office before even getting me to the ER... Transfered me to the ER, then sent to another hospital where I got a temporary pacemaker for 9 days... I'm lucky to be alive and so thankful for the amazing doctors I had... I've also been told that if I ever get lymes again I am at more risk due to how bad it was the first time...
Also I got the pacer wire in my neck, the scars are a fun story to tell.... Also I would LOVE to talk to you about it as I still don't fully understand what was going on during those 10 days, but want to share my story
@@BrianBurkett-xj7xd ... I do not have lymes anymore, I only had it for a couple months and it was completely gone after antibiotics. I do not have any permanent or ongoing problems because of it. I'm really not sure why everyone thinks "once you have it you have it forever" because that is simply not true
Boy, do I know this to be TRUE~!! My comments expressing experiences w/the 'criminally corrupt govt/public officials & corp.{se} medical system & the incomprehensible 'targeting & injustice' that has been endured ~ as if Lyme's & toxic environmental exposures & losing my husband to medical malfeasance & my son has been crucified, violated & abused for his autism & temporal lobe sclerosis/unacknowledged toxic exposures & other serious neurological issues from birth & bas vaxes as we now know I am routinely unjustly 'censored & deleted' all the time too ~ if I go into much detail & just happened again...whole comment vanished~!¡ 😲 & W/Vascular Ehlers-Danlos & cannot do nor is an invasive pacemaker the answer... Drs don't tend to want to recognize, educate themselves, diagnose or treat anyone seriously & by the time years go by & your health is severe you've spent yourself into medical debt & devasted by all the disrespect, ignorance, gaslighting & medical malfeasance... Much MORE should be ACKNOWLEDGED & AFFORDED US TO COMPENSATE FOR YEARS OF FAILURE TO DIAGNOSE & TREAT &/FAILED or INADEQUATE CONSIDERATION, EXAM &/OR TREATMENT... WE'VE BEEN SO UNDER ACKNOWLEDGED & SUFFER MUCH MORE THAN IS CONSIDERED... WE NEED ASSERTIVE ADVOCATES ON MANY LEVELS~ & then some~!! Certainly a lot MORE CONSIDERATION than we have been given~for 4-5 DECADES~!! {Is a known BIOWEAPON after all~!¡ 😲🤬🤨}
Great information. Chronic Late Lyme carditis patent here. Doctors, even EP Cardiologists seem to be skeptical or not versed in the existence of Chronic Lyme carditis
My heart would go flat out and then at other times beat hard and slow. My doctor put me on inderal and something that made me sleep a lot. This was mid to late 1980's in Victoria, Australia. However, I suspect I got it in New South Wales during May school holidays in the 1970's. I finally got a diagnosis of lyme disease just before my 50th birthday in 2012. During treatment the horrible anxiety I had for years just disappeared and my heart seemed better.
My husband just had ablation surgery last week for A-fib. He was diagnosed with A-fib and heart failure just under two years ago. All the cardiologists he saw in the last two years put him on beta blockers and other meds to control it. Since the procedure the A-fib is gone but he’s still very winded. The night after the surgery he had a heart attack. My husband has never had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or clogged arteries. This was a sudden thing when it hit. Two years before this issue hit him he had Lyme disease confirmed with bloodwork. Every GP,nurse,cardiologist, or any health care worker I asked about Lyme-carditis just looked at me like I was nuts. Not one of them had even heard of it. We are located in B.C. Canada and the healthcare system made him wait two full years until the meds began to fail him. He never took the experimental-RNA injection nor did he ever have Covid. What do you suggest we do at this point? Should he go on antibiotics to kill off the bacteria again? Please answer.
Appreciated the video Marc. Wish I knew some of that before I was bitten. Never knew I was and highly doubt the tick was on me and engorged for 36 hours without me noticing. Headaches, body aches, flu symptoms in 1st week and half. Broad rash on back, not bullseye end of second week. Felt ok 3rd week so traveled to Venice for 5 days. Maybe slight sweats occasionally at night, but days fine. The spirochetes were amassing to attack. One day after return tough sleep night. Morning nausea and dizziness. Nearly passed out, maybe short seizure. Went hospital. Total heart block as you discussed. Avg 23 heart rate for 3 hours. Cardiologist decided on dual chamber PACEMAKER. I'm never even sick with a cold! 2 weeks later, I'm finally on Cefuroxime, sister to Doxycycline. Hope I didn't miss the acute window and open up the long term lyme door. Might knock me outta the cockpit for good. Writing so others beware. I live in Texas. We ain't very tick savvy. Likely bit in VT. Got symptoms? Traveled to tick country recently? See Doc who knows lyme. Get the drugs soon.
I just had a dual chamber pacemaker inserted 2 weeks ago fm Lymes disease 9 yrs ago. Then was a 2nd degree heart block, progressed to 3rd degree 11 months ago. COMPLETE AV BLOCK. Winona health ignored it 9 yrs ago but Gundersen caught it., treatment was IV antibiotics, 28 days,and this time I went to UC, EKG showed 3rd degree block,no cure except pacemaker.
Excellent job! In my experience you are a rare individual - a Lyme Literate Cardiologist! I'm on board, and learned valuable stuff from your pacemaker explanation. Have had Lyme for 17+ years, and recently been diagnosed with a Left Bundle Branch Block (LBBB) and low ejection %. Although my Cardiologist has helped, It continues to be a steep uphill battle with a person who admits knowing nothing, or caring, about Lyme. I've been labelled as uncooperative. I'm also being helped by someone knowledgeable about Lyme (Chiropractor by training) and am beginning to accept this may take years to (hopefully) correct, instead of months.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Ive had Lyme, thankfully it wasn't severe, but it led to some hospital time. Thanks for this PSA. Love your content.
I am here to give this review to DR Harry herbs on UA-cam for treating and curing me from Lyme disease with his Herbs medicine i order from him and the medicine cure me completely with no side effect from the herbs medicine visit for he is helpful for Lyme disease DR harry herbs on UA-cam.
Late stage 15 years) Lyme, Babesia and Bartonella, heart palpitations worse lying down. No doctor believed me then or now. During Covid Times, this feels hopeless.
Thanks for this video! quick question, I was just in the hospital for this and was released today. The only question I didn’t get answered was why my heart rate was so high. I am a very active person and have a resting heart rate of about 55 and my heart rate was at about 135 with a first degree heart block. The cardiologist had no idea why.
Im pretty sure I have this, I was bit by a tick 22 years ago just now connecting all the dots...I was working on a summer camping Greensboro NC. We did tick checks routinly when outside after activity. I remember one of the girls found a tick on my back, I believe it had started to embed but they removed it although we didn't know if maybe it had been there possibly longer. My first symptom was neck pain, but I remember at the time chest pain shotness of breat and I've been to the Dr last week and she did a antibodies test she said .....my eye twitches, I have a whole host of symptoms and I'm kinda mad at myself that I didn't figure this out sooner
I had a sting in 2012 and they diabosticated me in 2015 and now I am in 2022 with irregular palpitations and the tests that I did everything came out normal except for the palpitations that the doctor told me that he does not understand .. I think that my heart is to the limit I even fainted once and I feel terrible and my heart wants to explode sometimes .. I get tremors every time I need help and I live in New Jersey
I have really strange episodes where my heart rate drops into the 30’s-40’s then shoots up to 130-150 bpm then back s down into the 30’s-40’s. It will do this randomly. Sometimes it’s only for a few second and other times it will repeat over and over for roughly and hour then turns into just tachycardia. My electrophysiologist sent me a 30 day monitor. Hopefully I’ll have an episode during that time. Every time I’ve gone to the ER the episode is done by the time I get there. I live an hour away from the hospital on a good day.y can heart block come and go which makes it only seen on ecg at that time? Can tachy-brady syndrome be intermittent as well? I’m afraid to drive because I don’t want to pass out on the road. Ugh it’s so frustrating not catching once I’m at the hospital. Thankfully my doctor is booking me up with a longer monitor. I have a feeling I’ll need the implanted one
Hi Doc, thank you for the information. I'm a fan of yours from the Philippines. I also wanted to go to a medical and be a cardiologist. Already had my BS degree.
A heart rate in the high 40 to low 50s can be completely normal. It is highly unlikely to be related to having Lyme disease in the past. As always however this cannot replace medical advise and you should see a doctor if you are concerned about your symptoms
See a cardiologist or if you have a good urgent care department tell them you are having heart issues, they'll likely do a ekg to help diagnose your heart issue as you are in an age, 50's, in which some people are prime cndidates for heart attack. Sometimes it's the little things that can speak volumes to the MEDICAL profession.
@@karenclausen6724 oh no, mine has been doing that for quite sometime. I also have frequent migraines, arthritis (in my neck, back, knees) twitching, frequent extreme exhaustion, the worst is this damn brain fog and loss of memory. Starting to think I may have Lyme.
I have Lyme , chronic . My number one symptom has always been stuck with the heart fluttering, palpitations tachycardia, pots. And after Covid things changed . My chest was hurting, burning but not like heartburn and a bunch of other things I got admitted to the hospital and they did a MRI and said that I didn’t have myocarditis or any other inflammation or infection. Is that a proper way to check for Lyme carditis?
No I completely understand that but will an MRI show Lyme carditis? I guess I just didn’t understand because everybody says to have carditis that means to have a low sustained heart rate but some other people say that is not true you can have carditis and not have the block. I got admitted to the hospital and they refuse to even consider LYME carditis because I did the MRI
@@toshuarussell4703 carditis means ‘inflammation of the heart’. When it’s from Lyme disease we call it ‘Lyme carditis’. The manifestation is an abnormal heart rhythm which is obvious on an ECG. It’s not something that comes and goes. So if you have been appropriately treated for Lyme disease you generally don’t need to worry about Lyme carditis anymore. It doesn’t come back after appropriate treatment. It wither goes away or it doesn’t. And if it doesn’t then you typically require a pacemaker.
@@MarcKatzMD ok! I was watching my monitor at the hospital and I have runs of sv tach and sv Rhythm. My EKGs have always been normal besides Tachycardia and when I started getting the symptoms my EKG is throwing all kinds of random things so I’m just frustrated and not knowing if I have it or not but my MRI did say that I did not have inflammation so I guess that might be good.
During the initial weeks of being really unwell I had chest pain and tight sensation across my chest, and shooting pain in my lower jaw. This happened a number of times and other symptoms started to show. I have now completed antibiotics for 28 days. It has been confirmed as Lyme disease. Hoping I'll be OK, but I'm concerned it may have damaged my heart.
Nowadays less than 25% of people with Lyme disease develop the bullseye rash. And that's just what is reported. Most people with Lyme never get diagnosed, yet if people have the rash they know to go in. So I suggest it's only a very small percentage that actually develop rash.
PLEASE RESPOND My son has been having fainting spells for years exactly in the way you expressed. He was seen by a cardio doc and they did say his bottom chamber wanst working right but could not explain other than his nerve was causing it. I think he was bit by a tick when he was 5 or 6. And been seeing doctors for years and all of them say he is fine. But he is not fine!!! Lately his heart has been hurting more... is my son going to die??
Complete heart block can cause fainting, 3rd degree heart block can happen years later after initial lymes disease diagnose Mine took 8 yrs to go fm 2nd degree heart block to 3rd degree heart block, now have a pacemaker, the only cure. Get an extension ecg/ekg in your son.
My son at 3 years old was diagnosed with congenital complete heart block. He was fine at birth and not sure how this just appeared. They checked him for lyme disease but it was negative.
I’m sorry to hear that. I hope you and your son are doing okay. Congenital heart disease is a little bit outside my specialty as it’s yet another complete separate field of cardiology but I’ll try and do some reading about it for yah.
Hi, just found out that my brother took out a deer tick last night ans went to thr hospital. The doctor has the bug and they will teat it. They did not take blood work from him. He has rashed but no symptoms and no idea how long that bug was on his leg for how long. Dont know but its stressful. What are the chances the bug has lyme disease.
Your knees aren't the only joints affected, fingers feet, toes can cause severe stiffness, soreness. I felt like I had been in a physical fight, extremely soreness in all muscles. I did not gave classic joint swelling, bulleyes rash.. heart fluttering for months, finally locked up on me,UC showed 2nd degree, not treated. 8 yrs later, 3rd degree. It can stall and progress later.
Sorry to hear you had such a bad go of it. It can certainly impact many joints as you experienced. This was meant as a brief overview and not all inclusive. Complete heart block is usually transient if it occurs during the index infection but I’ll have to do more reading about the risk of future heart block in patients with prior Lyme Carditis. Happy to answer any questions you may have!
Dear Doc! Thanks for your videos! I'm a Hungarian last year med student interested in cardiology (especially in interventional). Right now, I'm trying to receive as much information as possible about the field. Do you have any concerns about the life-long radiation explosure levels during the interventional procedures in this field? Is it a great issue from your point of view? Thank you for your answer in advance!:)
David Marai great question. As someone who doesn’t plan on pursuing interventional cardiology it’s not something I’ve thought about extensively. In the cath lab we wear leaded aprons, neck guards, and glasses but you are certainly exposed to more radiation than you would otherwise. I think if you want to pursue a career in interventional cardiology (or any field that exposes you to radiation like interventional radiology) it’s certainly something to think about. I’d be concerned about the possibility of increasing risk of early aging like cataracts or other serious complications like cancer but there are certainly ways to help protect yourself in the cath lab. If you truly want to pursue a career in interventional cardiology I wouldn’t ignore the radiation exposure but I don’t think it’s a reason to avoid the specialty altogether. I found one article that goes into good detail and brings up interesting research that has been done on this topic: www.cathlabdigest.com/article/Health-Impacts-Radiation-Exposure-During-PCI
I suspect Lyme as I was bitten by a tick around 10 years ago. Now have many POTS symptoms and also chest pain when I run. I have recently had a holter monitor and tilt table test and I’m waiting for the results. My ecg was normal. Would Lyme carditis definitely show on an ecg? I don’t usually experience symptoms when laying down.
I think I’m dealing with this I’m having those exact symptoms I keep thinking instinctively that’s what this is because I have Shown positive before for Lyme so I’ve been researching heart infections and that’s how I came across carditis and found your video what kind of testing can I ask my doctor to do I just had an echocardiogram will that show it? Or do I need to get an MRI of the heart? They said I have a leaky valve that’s all the doctor told me so far I keep telling him this infection related because I’ve been on well for the past four years bouncing around from the doctors the only way I was able to get my diagnosis was to go outside the net work and do a more accurate test for the lyme and then it finally showed up
Ah I’m sorry to hear about how long it took to get someone to listen to you. Patients with Lyme disease or history of Lyme disease seem to get the runaround a lot. If you already have a cardiologist or physician who do you have a good relationship with I would ask them these very same questions that you posted. Generally speaking, complete heart block will be quite evident on an ECG and typically happens early in the disease course.
Is it normal for someone with Lyme carditis with complete heart block to still have chest pain or shortness of breathe after the full 3 weeks of antibiotics?
Frenchmonica Budgets The shortness of breath attributed to Lyme carditis is due to the abnormal rhythm and sometimes slow beating of the heart. So if complete heart block resolves but the shortness of breath persists then, generally, other etiologies for the shortness of breath should be evaluated
The chest pain, is it a tightness, uncomfortable feeling, can't even move Too quickly, run out of breath? Check with doctor and see if heart block irregular has escalated.
Yes you can have shortness of breath with complete heart block. I had chest xrays thinking it might be pneumonia, it wasn't. The lymes gets Into the whole body but sometimes groups up in a home i.e. heart, lungs, kidneys etc. I also had a holter monitor on for 5 days, the 2nd degree heart block showed up, not further tests were done, ordered.
My question is, after you've been in complete heart block and gotten a permanent pacemaker, and lab work returns the next week positive for lyme, then what kind of doctor should I see? My cario and ep team just started oral Doxycycline. Not I never had any signs or symptoms or a rash! No one can give me any answers! I have so many questions!
@@MarcKatzMD ok, what about follow up with an infectious disease dr who can test for other involvement, such as neurological and joints? And who would provide the care and treatment if it's in my spine already? Is there a specific dr?
Dang it. I'm 41 and had lyme since I was 8ish. I'm starting to have some issues but I had exactly what your talking about when I was 23ish and my heart felt like it was going to turn inside out. Went er and everything was fine
@@lerch400block sorry you had to deal with that. I’m not aware of any long-term studies looking at patients with prior Lyme and future risk of heart rhythm abnormalities but certainly possible. See a cardiologist if concerned
@@MarcKatzMD thank you. I saw anew Dr this morning and he is familiar with lyme, he was very upset nobody has prescribed doxy and trt if my # low. I'm pretty sure I'm lower test than average. I'm so happy I found him, and his genuine concern. Thanks again
My Dad has Lyme didn't complete all his treatment as started feeling better.Unfortunately Lyme symptoms started coming back.He then started developing chest pain and breathlessness abnormal ECG currently in hospital on a cardiac ward plan is for an angiogram tomorrow they suspect unstable angina .Will an angiogram show anything in relation to Lyme carditis?I am scared Lyme carditis will be missed .
No. Left heart cath shows epicardia vessel disease indicating possible blockages in arteries supplying the heart itself. Lyme Carditis is characterized by electrical abnormalities which would be seen on ECG or telemetry
Hi doc , I got bit and had a bullseye , I took Doxycycline for 10 days , I feel like heart beat is heavy !!! It's been that way for a month , I thought it was anxiety Wich I have , but I've never had my heart feel like it's pounding like this , it beats hard and I can feel it , I can notice the movement in my body ! Please advise me what you think I should do . Thanks
Complete heart block is immediately life threatening. If treated appropriately, patients rarely develop it years later. Talk to your doctor if you are concerned
No. Not at all. Heart block can be a complication of Lyme disease. You can have heart block completely separate to Lyme disease. And you can have Lyme disease and not develop heart block. But this is the single most important cardiac involvement with regard to Lyme disease. And is highly treatable
How long do people (on average) stay on Ceftriaxone before switching over to oral medication? What would make a doctor say “OK! You’re ready to switch over!” Versus staying in ED and staying on IV meds? In a ER waiting room with first dose Ceftriaxone, waiting on test results from chest X-ray, blood test, and EKG (already had two earlier that showed heart block)
If someone has CHB from Lyme disease it generally depends the on their individual clinical course. I can’t comment on your specific treatment plan. Generally speaking, i want to see an improvement in the underlying intrinsic heart rhythm before transitioning to PO meds. If someone truly has complete heart block from Lyme disease they are going to be admitted to the hospital for several days anyway
@@MarcKatzMD thank you for the reply 🙏 it’s very hard to get a straight answer when hospitals are so busy. Ok, hoping that heart gets better! Wish me luck :)
@@NathalieWerebe just be patient and take it slow. In complete heart block (aka third degree HB) you are not only looking for the ventricular rate to improve and stay at a safe rate but also looking for restoration of normal conduction. Need the top and bottom chambers to be able to communicate with one another. Sometimes goes from 3rd degree HB to 2nd degree or 1st degree which can be a good prognostic sign
I strongly suspect that lyme carditis is under-reported because doctors don't take it seriously when a person with lyme tells them about experiencing beat irregularities. I've had such irregularities on and off for years after getting lyme disease. Prior to the disease my heart never skipped a beat or flipped and flopped like a fish in my chest. However, it was never "caught on film" since the episodes were brief and I didn't have the money for a tilt table test (it was most commonly triggered when laying on one side--and I doubt I could have convinced someone to provide it. Thanks so much for sharing this info. I feel vindicated and am saving this so that I can show doctors should I ever have a problem with it again.
Thry didn't tell me k jad a heart attack. And they wnt take it seriously
I had such a severe case of this last summer that I spent 10 days in the hospital due to total heart block from lymes, my heart rate had tanked down into the low 20s when I drove myself to the hospital... My initial doctor that I went to see told me after I recovered that he was scared I was going to drop in his office before even getting me to the ER... Transfered me to the ER, then sent to another hospital where I got a temporary pacemaker for 9 days... I'm lucky to be alive and so thankful for the amazing doctors I had... I've also been told that if I ever get lymes again I am at more risk due to how bad it was the first time...
Also I got the pacer wire in my neck, the scars are a fun story to tell.... Also I would LOVE to talk to you about it as I still don't fully understand what was going on during those 10 days, but want to share my story
Once you have it, you have it. It disseminates too quickly and ABX are bacteriostatic, not curative
@@BrianBurkett-xj7xd ... I do not have lymes anymore, I only had it for a couple months and it was completely gone after antibiotics. I do not have any permanent or ongoing problems because of it. I'm really not sure why everyone thinks "once you have it you have it forever" because that is simply not true
Also not only tics carry Lyme disease , many other insects do to. And chronic Lyme is a whole different story that isn’t easily treated.
Boy, do I know this to be TRUE~!! My comments expressing experiences w/the 'criminally corrupt govt/public officials & corp.{se} medical system & the incomprehensible 'targeting & injustice' that has been endured ~ as if Lyme's & toxic environmental exposures & losing my husband to medical malfeasance & my son has been crucified, violated & abused for his autism & temporal lobe sclerosis/unacknowledged toxic exposures & other serious neurological issues from birth & bas vaxes as we now know
I am routinely unjustly 'censored & deleted' all the time too ~ if I go into much detail & just happened again...whole comment vanished~!¡ 😲
& W/Vascular Ehlers-Danlos & cannot do nor is an invasive pacemaker the answer... Drs don't tend to want to recognize, educate themselves, diagnose or treat anyone seriously & by the time years go by & your health is severe you've spent yourself into medical debt & devasted by all the disrespect, ignorance, gaslighting & medical malfeasance...
Much MORE should be ACKNOWLEDGED & AFFORDED US TO COMPENSATE FOR YEARS OF FAILURE TO DIAGNOSE & TREAT &/FAILED or INADEQUATE CONSIDERATION, EXAM &/OR TREATMENT...
WE'VE BEEN SO UNDER ACKNOWLEDGED & SUFFER MUCH MORE THAN IS CONSIDERED...
WE NEED ASSERTIVE ADVOCATES ON MANY LEVELS~ & then some~!!
Certainly a lot MORE CONSIDERATION than we have been given~for 4-5 DECADES~!! {Is a known BIOWEAPON after all~!¡ 😲🤬🤨}
Great information.
Chronic Late Lyme carditis patent here.
Doctors, even EP Cardiologists seem to be skeptical or not versed in the existence of Chronic Lyme carditis
My heart would go flat out and then at other times beat hard and slow. My doctor put me on inderal and something that made me sleep a lot. This was mid to late 1980's in Victoria, Australia. However, I suspect I got it in New South Wales during May school holidays in the 1970's. I finally got a diagnosis of lyme disease just before my 50th birthday in 2012. During treatment the horrible anxiety I had for years just disappeared and my heart seemed better.
My husband just had ablation surgery last week for A-fib. He was diagnosed with A-fib and heart failure just under two years ago. All the cardiologists he saw in the last two years put him on beta blockers and other meds to control it. Since the procedure the A-fib is gone but he’s still very winded. The night after the surgery he had a heart attack. My husband has never had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or clogged arteries. This was a sudden thing when it hit. Two years before this issue hit him he had Lyme disease confirmed with bloodwork. Every GP,nurse,cardiologist, or any health care worker I asked about Lyme-carditis just looked at me like I was nuts. Not one of them had even heard of it. We are located in B.C. Canada and the healthcare system made him wait two full years until the meds began to fail him. He never took the experimental-RNA injection nor did he ever have Covid.
What do you suggest we do at this point? Should he go on antibiotics to kill off the bacteria again? Please answer.
Appreciated the video Marc. Wish I knew some of that before I was bitten. Never knew I was and highly doubt the tick was on me and engorged for 36 hours without me noticing. Headaches, body aches, flu symptoms in 1st week and half. Broad rash on back, not bullseye end of second week. Felt ok 3rd week so traveled to Venice for 5 days. Maybe slight sweats occasionally at night, but days fine. The spirochetes were amassing to attack. One day after return tough sleep night. Morning nausea and dizziness. Nearly passed out, maybe short seizure. Went hospital. Total heart block as you discussed. Avg 23 heart rate for 3 hours. Cardiologist decided on dual chamber PACEMAKER. I'm never even sick with a cold! 2 weeks later, I'm finally on Cefuroxime, sister to Doxycycline. Hope I didn't miss the acute window and open up the long term lyme door. Might knock me outta the cockpit for good. Writing so others beware. I live in Texas. We ain't very tick savvy. Likely bit in VT. Got symptoms? Traveled to tick country recently? See Doc who knows lyme. Get the drugs soon.
I’m really loving these series. The way you break it down is so explanatory. Please do more 😎
I just had a dual chamber pacemaker inserted 2 weeks ago fm Lymes disease 9 yrs ago. Then was a 2nd degree heart block, progressed to 3rd degree 11 months ago. COMPLETE AV BLOCK. Winona health ignored it 9 yrs ago but Gundersen caught it., treatment was IV antibiotics, 28 days,and this time I went to UC, EKG showed 3rd degree block,no cure except pacemaker.
Excellent job! In my experience you are a rare individual - a Lyme Literate Cardiologist! I'm on board, and learned valuable stuff from your pacemaker explanation. Have had Lyme for 17+ years, and recently been diagnosed with a Left Bundle Branch Block (LBBB) and low ejection %. Although my Cardiologist has helped, It continues to be a steep uphill battle with a person who admits knowing nothing, or caring, about Lyme. I've been labelled as uncooperative. I'm also being helped by someone knowledgeable about Lyme (Chiropractor by training) and am beginning to accept this may take years to (hopefully) correct, instead of months.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Ive had Lyme, thankfully it wasn't severe, but it led to some hospital time. Thanks for this PSA. Love your content.
I am here to give this review to DR Harry herbs on UA-cam for treating and curing me from Lyme disease with his Herbs medicine i order from him and the medicine cure me completely with no side effect from the herbs medicine visit for he is helpful for Lyme disease DR harry herbs on UA-cam.
Late stage 15 years) Lyme, Babesia and Bartonella, heart palpitations worse lying down. No doctor believed me then or now.
During Covid Times, this feels hopeless.
Have you found any remedy for this? Or a doctor who takes you seriously?
Thanks for this video! quick question, I was just in the hospital for this and was released today. The only question I didn’t get answered was why my heart rate was so high. I am a very active person and have a resting heart rate of about 55 and my heart rate was at about 135 with a first degree heart block. The cardiologist had no idea why.
Yeah idk either 🤷🏻♂️ happy you’re doing well!
KittyKatzMD thanks!
Sounds like POTS
Im pretty sure I have this, I was bit by a tick 22 years ago just now connecting all the dots...I was working on a summer camping Greensboro NC. We did tick checks routinly when outside after activity. I remember one of the girls found a tick on my back, I believe it had started to embed but they removed it although we didn't know if maybe it had been there possibly longer. My first symptom was neck pain, but I remember at the time chest pain shotness of breat and I've been to the Dr last week and she did a antibodies test she said .....my eye twitches, I have a whole host of symptoms and I'm kinda mad at myself that I didn't figure this out sooner
I had a sting in 2012 and they diabosticated me in 2015 and now I am in 2022 with irregular palpitations and the tests that I did everything came out normal except for the palpitations that the doctor told me that he does not understand .. I think that my heart is to the limit I even fainted once and I feel terrible and my heart wants to explode sometimes .. I get tremors every time I need help and I live in New Jersey
Same thing is happening with me and none of the near my area doctors are helping
I have really strange episodes where my heart rate drops into the 30’s-40’s then shoots up to 130-150 bpm then back s down into the 30’s-40’s. It will do this randomly. Sometimes it’s only for a few second and other times it will repeat over and over for roughly and hour then turns into just tachycardia. My electrophysiologist sent me a 30 day monitor. Hopefully I’ll have an episode during that time. Every time I’ve gone to the ER the episode is done by the time I get there. I live an hour away from the hospital on a good day.y can heart block come and go which makes it only seen on ecg at that time? Can tachy-brady syndrome be intermittent as well? I’m afraid to drive because I don’t want to pass out on the road. Ugh it’s so frustrating not catching once I’m at the hospital. Thankfully my doctor is booking me up with a longer monitor. I have a feeling I’ll need the implanted one
Hi Doc, thank you for the information. I'm a fan of yours from the Philippines. I also wanted to go to a medical and be a cardiologist. Already had my BS degree.
Christopher Casanova i have a friend who attended medical school in the Philippines. Good luck on your journey!
Have had Lyme since 2008 and I'm now in my 50s and notice my heart now stays around 47 to 50 at rest and beats like a drunken man walks at night.
A heart rate in the high 40 to low 50s can be completely normal. It is highly unlikely to be related to having Lyme disease in the past. As always however this cannot replace medical advise and you should see a doctor if you are concerned about your symptoms
If you feel a thumping at your sternum, like someone is flicking your heart from inside. Mine went on for 5 months before I sought help.
See a cardiologist or if you have a good urgent care department tell them you are having heart issues, they'll likely do a ekg to help diagnose your heart issue as you are in an age, 50's, in which some people are prime cndidates for heart attack. Sometimes it's the little things that can speak volumes to the MEDICAL profession.
@@karenclausen6724 oh no, mine has been doing that for quite sometime. I also have frequent migraines, arthritis (in my neck, back, knees) twitching, frequent extreme exhaustion, the worst is this damn brain fog and loss of memory. Starting to think I may have Lyme.
I have Lyme , chronic . My number one symptom has always been stuck with the heart fluttering, palpitations tachycardia, pots. And after Covid things changed . My chest was hurting, burning but not like heartburn and a bunch of other things I got admitted to the hospital and they did a MRI and said that I didn’t have myocarditis or any other inflammation or infection. Is that a proper way to check for Lyme carditis?
You should ask your doctor about your own specific medical care as I cannot give out personalized medical advise online.
No I completely understand that but will an MRI show Lyme carditis? I guess I just didn’t understand because everybody says to have carditis that means to have a low sustained heart rate but some other people say that is not true you can have carditis and not have the block. I got admitted to the hospital and they refuse to even consider LYME carditis because I did the MRI
@@toshuarussell4703 carditis means ‘inflammation of the heart’. When it’s from Lyme disease we call it ‘Lyme carditis’. The manifestation is an abnormal heart rhythm which is obvious on an ECG. It’s not something that comes and goes. So if you have been appropriately treated for Lyme disease you generally don’t need to worry about Lyme carditis anymore. It doesn’t come back after appropriate treatment. It wither goes away or it doesn’t. And if it doesn’t then you typically require a pacemaker.
@@MarcKatzMD ok! I was watching my monitor at the hospital and I have runs of sv tach and sv Rhythm. My EKGs have always been normal besides Tachycardia and when I started getting the symptoms my EKG is throwing all kinds of random things so I’m just frustrated and not knowing if I have it or not but my MRI did say that I did not have inflammation so I guess that might be good.
@@toshuarussell4703 would def talk to a cardiologist in person for more specifics if you have more questions pertaining to your personal care
Great info!
During the initial weeks of being really unwell I had chest pain and tight sensation across my chest, and shooting pain in my lower jaw. This happened a number of times and other symptoms started to show. I have now completed antibiotics for 28 days. It has been confirmed as Lyme disease. Hoping I'll be OK, but I'm concerned it may have damaged my heart.
You should follow up with your physician and discuss your concerns with them
Wow, thx U Dr. My son is in the hospital now with a temp/perm pace marker from lyme disease.
Sorry to hear your son in the hospital. Hope the video helped you understand the underlying pathophysiology. And that your son has a speedy recovery!
Nowadays less than 25% of people with Lyme disease develop the bullseye rash. And that's just what is reported. Most people with Lyme never get diagnosed, yet if people have the rash they know to go in. So I suggest it's only a very small percentage that actually develop rash.
PLEASE RESPOND
My son has been having fainting spells for years exactly in the way you expressed. He was seen by a cardio doc and they did say his bottom chamber wanst working right but could not explain other than his nerve was causing it. I think he was bit by a tick when he was 5 or 6. And been seeing doctors for years and all of them say he is fine. But he is not fine!!! Lately his heart has been hurting more... is my son going to die??
Complete heart block can cause fainting, 3rd degree heart block can happen years later after initial lymes disease diagnose
Mine took 8 yrs to go fm 2nd degree heart block to 3rd degree heart block, now have a pacemaker, the only cure. Get an extension ecg/ekg in your son.
My son at 3 years old was diagnosed with congenital complete heart block. He was fine at birth and not sure how this just appeared. They checked him for lyme disease but it was negative.
I’m sorry to hear that. I hope you and your son are doing okay. Congenital heart disease is a little bit outside my specialty as it’s yet another complete separate field of cardiology but I’ll try and do some reading about it for yah.
Hi, just found out that my brother took out a deer tick last night ans went to thr hospital. The doctor has the bug and they will teat it. They did not take blood work from him. He has rashed but no symptoms and no idea how long that bug was on his leg for how long. Dont know but its stressful. What are the chances the bug has lyme disease.
Your knees aren't the only joints affected, fingers feet, toes can cause severe stiffness, soreness. I felt like I had been in a physical fight, extremely soreness in all muscles. I did not gave classic joint swelling, bulleyes rash.. heart fluttering for months, finally locked up on me,UC showed 2nd degree, not treated. 8 yrs later, 3rd degree. It can stall and progress later.
Sorry to hear you had such a bad go of it. It can certainly impact many joints as you experienced. This was meant as a brief overview and not all inclusive. Complete heart block is usually transient if it occurs during the index infection but I’ll have to do more reading about the risk of future heart block in patients with prior Lyme Carditis. Happy to answer any questions you may have!
Dear Doc! Thanks for your videos!
I'm a Hungarian last year med student interested in cardiology (especially in interventional). Right now, I'm trying to receive as much information as possible about the field.
Do you have any concerns about the life-long radiation explosure levels during the interventional procedures in this field? Is it a great issue from your point of view?
Thank you for your answer in advance!:)
David Marai great question. As someone who doesn’t plan on pursuing interventional cardiology it’s not something I’ve thought about extensively. In the cath lab we wear leaded aprons, neck guards, and glasses but you are certainly exposed to more radiation than you would otherwise. I think if you want to pursue a career in interventional cardiology (or any field that exposes you to radiation like interventional radiology) it’s certainly something to think about. I’d be concerned about the possibility of increasing risk of early aging like cataracts or other serious complications like cancer but there are certainly ways to help protect yourself in the cath lab. If you truly want to pursue a career in interventional cardiology I wouldn’t ignore the radiation exposure but I don’t think it’s a reason to avoid the specialty altogether. I found one article that goes into good detail and brings up interesting research that has been done on this topic: www.cathlabdigest.com/article/Health-Impacts-Radiation-Exposure-During-PCI
@@MarcKatzMD Dear Doctor! Thank you very much for your highly detailed answer! I really appreciate it. I wish you all the best!
I suspect Lyme as I was bitten by a tick around 10 years ago. Now have many POTS symptoms and also chest pain when I run. I have recently had a holter monitor and tilt table test and I’m waiting for the results. My ecg was normal. Would Lyme carditis definitely show on an ecg? I don’t usually experience symptoms when laying down.
Lyme carditis is life threatening. It doesn’t come and go
Is this diagnosed with any other tests besides ECG and ECHO? Would the chest X-Ray show an enlarged Cardiac silhouette?
X-ray not as accurate as ECG and echo when looking at the heart
I think I’m dealing with this I’m having those exact symptoms I keep thinking instinctively that’s what this is because I have Shown positive before for Lyme so I’ve been researching heart infections and that’s how I came across carditis and found your video what kind of testing can I ask my doctor to do I just had an echocardiogram will that show it? Or do I need to get an MRI of the heart? They said I have a leaky valve that’s all the doctor told me so far I keep telling him this infection related because I’ve been on well for the past four years bouncing around from the doctors the only way I was able to get my diagnosis was to go outside the net work and do a more accurate test for the lyme and then it finally showed up
Ah I’m sorry to hear about how long it took to get someone to listen to you. Patients with Lyme disease or history of Lyme disease seem to get the runaround a lot. If you already have a cardiologist or physician who do you have a good relationship with I would ask them these very same questions that you posted. Generally speaking, complete heart block will be quite evident on an ECG and typically happens early in the disease course.
Is it normal for someone with Lyme carditis with complete heart block to still have chest pain or shortness of breathe after the full 3 weeks of antibiotics?
Frenchmonica Budgets The shortness of breath attributed to Lyme carditis is due to the abnormal rhythm and sometimes slow beating of the heart. So if complete heart block resolves but the shortness of breath persists then, generally, other etiologies for the shortness of breath should be evaluated
KittyKatzMD Thanks so much for the quick response! How about the chest pain? Would that continue possibly due to inflammation?
Frenchmonica Budgets certainly possible but generally should not persist long
The chest pain, is it a tightness, uncomfortable feeling, can't even move Too quickly, run out of breath? Check with doctor and see if heart block irregular has escalated.
Yes you can have shortness of breath with complete heart block. I had chest xrays thinking it might be pneumonia, it wasn't. The lymes gets Into the whole body but sometimes groups up in a home i.e. heart, lungs, kidneys etc. I also had a holter monitor on for 5 days, the 2nd degree heart block showed up, not further tests were done, ordered.
Please doc help me. The hospitals and doctors around here won't do anything
My question is, after you've been in complete heart block and gotten a permanent pacemaker, and lab work returns the next week positive for lyme, then what kind of doctor should I see? My cario and ep team just started oral Doxycycline. Not I never had any signs or symptoms or a rash! No one can give me any answers! I have so many questions!
Patients with pacemakers generally should continue to see a cardiologist and/or EP
@@MarcKatzMD ok, what about follow up with an infectious disease dr who can test for other involvement, such as neurological and joints? And who would provide the care and treatment if it's in my spine already? Is there a specific dr?
@@BrantleyLyerly generally speaking it’s always wise to talk to your PCP who can direct you towards specialists if needed
@@MarcKatzMD sadly she wants nothing to do with it. But thanks for your replies!
Dang it. I'm 41 and had lyme since I was 8ish. I'm starting to have some issues but I had exactly what your talking about when I was 23ish and my heart felt like it was going to turn inside out. Went er and everything was fine
Also, was young and they where asking repeatedly if I did drugs. I said yes weed, they treated me like heroine addicted drunk
@@lerch400block sorry you had to deal with that. I’m not aware of any long-term studies looking at patients with prior Lyme and future risk of heart rhythm abnormalities but certainly possible. See a cardiologist if concerned
@@MarcKatzMD thank you. I saw anew Dr this morning and he is familiar with lyme, he was very upset nobody has prescribed doxy and trt if my # low. I'm pretty sure I'm lower test than average. I'm so happy I found him, and his genuine concern. Thanks again
Will recurrent Lyme infections increase the risk for Lyme carditis?
My Dad has Lyme didn't complete all his treatment as started feeling better.Unfortunately Lyme symptoms started coming back.He then started developing chest pain and breathlessness abnormal ECG currently in hospital on a cardiac ward plan is for an angiogram tomorrow they suspect unstable angina .Will an angiogram show anything in relation to Lyme carditis?I am scared Lyme carditis will be missed .
No. Left heart cath shows epicardia vessel disease indicating possible blockages in arteries supplying the heart itself. Lyme Carditis is characterized by electrical abnormalities which would be seen on ECG or telemetry
@@MarcKatzMD thank you so so much for replying I am in Ireland and so worried about my Dad .
@@mauramcnamara565 sorry you’re going through this. Hope everything works out
Hi doc , I got bit and had a bullseye , I took Doxycycline for 10 days , I feel like heart beat is heavy !!! It's been that way for a month , I thought it was anxiety Wich I have , but I've never had my heart feel like it's pounding like this , it beats hard and I can feel it , I can notice the movement in my body ! Please advise me what you think I should do . Thanks
Andrew Sanders you should see a medical doctor as I cannot give personalized medical advise
@@MarcKatzMD I understand , I just checked my heart rate it was 60-63 beats per minute .
I have that happening I think 😢now. I was 17 when I contracted lime
Complete heart block is immediately life threatening. If treated appropriately, patients rarely develop it years later. Talk to your doctor if you are concerned
If you save the tick it can be tested.
So to have carditis it means block ?
No. Not at all. Heart block can be a complication of Lyme disease. You can have heart block completely separate to Lyme disease. And you can have Lyme disease and not develop heart block. But this is the single most important cardiac involvement with regard to Lyme disease. And is highly treatable
Dammit now I'm scared
How long do people (on average) stay on Ceftriaxone before switching over to oral medication? What would make a doctor say “OK! You’re ready to switch over!” Versus staying in ED and staying on IV meds?
In a ER waiting room with first dose Ceftriaxone, waiting on test results from chest X-ray, blood test, and EKG (already had two earlier that showed heart block)
If someone has CHB from Lyme disease it generally depends the on their individual clinical course. I can’t comment on your specific treatment plan. Generally speaking, i want to see an improvement in the underlying intrinsic heart rhythm before transitioning to PO meds. If someone truly has complete heart block from Lyme disease they are going to be admitted to the hospital for several days anyway
@@MarcKatzMD thank you for the reply 🙏 it’s very hard to get a straight answer when hospitals are so busy.
Ok, hoping that heart gets better! Wish me luck :)
@@NathalieWerebe just be patient and take it slow. In complete heart block (aka third degree HB) you are not only looking for the ventricular rate to improve and stay at a safe rate but also looking for restoration of normal conduction. Need the top and bottom chambers to be able to communicate with one another. Sometimes goes from 3rd degree HB to 2nd degree or 1st degree which can be a good prognostic sign
Can't folks just get palliative treatment and be allowed to die peacefully and naturally? The pacemaker surgery sounds horrific!!!
Uh, Lyme Carditis is treatable. It’s not a death sentence. Pacemakers are a rather routine part of cardiac care as well
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Do not discard the tick! It needs to be sent away for testing. Lyme support groups in Facebook have the info.
Uh, you can just get a blood test to test yourself for Lyme