Autism Heart Problems?

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I had multifocal atrial tachycardia and av-nodal reentrant tachycardia since childhood and have had two cardiac ablations. I had one bout of prolonged qt that led to torsades des pointes, but that was likely due to antiarrhythmic medication that I was taking at the time. I also have a right bundle branch block, but no obvious reason why. I now have inappropriate sinus tachycardia as a result of damage caused during my first ablation and take metoprolol for it. I may have a complete av ablation and pacemaker eventually, but the medication is good enough for now. I did not take stimulant medication as a child, I also haven't ever really used drugs other than to try pot and I don't drink. I do have joint hypermobility, though, and antinuclear antibodies without obvious autoimmune disease.

You were lucky to come out of that. You're right, it's either genetic and the prolonged QT interval is picked up on an EEG (then you must avoid any medication that prolongs it further; they can fix it too, which they do), or it's medication that can prolong it to dangerous levels in people without the defect.

Your side-effect from the ablation is why I'm not bothering getting it done (just for AVNRT). There's several possible ones, and all suck.

Yes. I have A-fib big time. I skip every 4th-8th beat. My pulse stays at around 100 bpm even at rest. When stressed I can easily go into flutter rhythms followed by completely out of rhythm pulses that can last three days. Fortunately I take Coumadin.

I have never heard of this connection. Thank God my old ticker is one of the few parts I have that DOESN'T have a problem.

If heart problems is that common in Aspies and Autistics then how come I've never got tested for it? Usually when something on the diagnostic criteria states a specific physical condition, the person usually gets tested for it. I've heard of people with Down's Syndrome having a small heart or something like that, and someone who I know who has a child with it has had tests to detect other physical conditions. But when I was first diagnosed with AS, I wasn't tested for anything physical, and nobody suspected I had AS until I was at least 7 or 8 years old.

Just wanted to say I have had heart murmur since I was a child.

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Last edited by Shlomo on 18 Sep 2012, 1:37 am, edited 1 time in total.

I went to the ER 2-3 days ago b/c my heart had been beating too fast for about 2 weeks (100-140 bpm at rest even while sleeping). I was having symptoms like my left arm having a dull pain and moderately painful shooting pains in my heart that felt like bubbles popping (someone else said that here). Hospital took ~20 tests, EKGs, drug tests, blood analyses, and X rays etc, they said there was nothing physically wrong with me and I must have anxiety and are sending me to a psychiatrist. My heart has always beaten a lot quicker than other people's as far back as i can remember in elementary school when we used to take our pulses in gym class. I meet with a psychiatrist in 2 days, I'm going to have to tell her all this and also about my undiagnosed autistic symptoms. Whenever I get really stressed my autism becomes much more obvious and uncontrollable.

Last edited by Shlomo on 18 Sep 2012, 1:38 am, edited 1 time in total.

Best to count how many beats per minute it's going when it happens. Sometimes you'll be there with the EEG going and it's fine, then an hour later it'll start up again when you're home.

If it's usually around 120 to 140 or so, probably sinus tachycardia from anxiety.

When it starts to get to about 150+ to too fast to count by hand (200+), then it's usually some form of atrial tachycardia if you aren't passing out from it.

This isn't surprising, given that many with ASD have magnesium deficiency and magnesium deficiency causes MANY issues, one of which is heart palpitations. Lots of info online about magnesium deficiency and some good books on it, but here is one link - http://www.mbschachter.com/importance_o ... _human.htm