Atropine is a first-line drug for treating for symptomatic bradycardia. This med offers a rapid relief as it establishes a healthy heart rhythm. Physicians prescribe it during the absence of any reversible causes. This belongs to a genre called anticholinergic meds; Atropine interferes with a particular type of neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. It is worth your while to know more on atropine for bradycardia.
Bradycardia is a severe medical condition. It makes your heartbeat to slow down. You face this situation when your heart becomes inefficient to pump required level of oxygen-rich blood into your system. If this happens, you are likely to experience dizziness, become tired or weak, and may also experience shortened respiratory cycles. There are also occasions wherein bradycardia has shown up without any such symptoms.
In case of athletes, it is common to have a heart rate lesser than 40 beats per minute (in short, bpm). This is also quite a common thing while you sleep. Otherwise, it is labelled of an underlying medical condition.
A healthy heart will have a pulse rate of 60 beats per minute, which can even go up to 100 bpm. If it is less than 60 bpm, it is bradycardia; 40-bpm heart rate is considered a severe spell of bradycardia. In latter cases, a pacemaker may be needed to support your heart to beat at a healthy rate.
What are the common causes of bradycardia?
Several factors are identified to cause bradycardia. It can result mainly due to your age. As you age, your heartbeat reduces and thus leads to a lower heart beat rate. This is quite a normal thing among the elderly. Also, physical activities / exercises may cause bradycardia. Athletes often have a heart rate that is relatively low than normal people. Your heart rate tends to slow down when you take medications to treat anxieties or hypertension i.e., high blood pressure.
An imbalanced level of electrolytes is one other reason for a slower heart rate. You may need to maintain an optimal balance of electrolytes. This means your calcium, potassium and magnesium levels need to be at an acceptable range. Deficit of these nutrients may directly influence your heart rate. In addition, any underlying ailments such as myocarditis, or sick sinus syndrome can lead to bradycardia. Medical conditions that include a thyroid problem, some forms of infections, and a few autoimmune conditions can trigger bradycardia.
In physically active individuals, bradycardia is asymptomatic. However, some of the symptoms you may experience include discomforts felt while breathing, memory lapses or being in a confused state of mind, dizziness or lightheadedness, fatigue, weakness, and fainting (syncope).
Atropine for bradycardia
Atropine is very effective in the treatment for slowing down of heart rate, which is less than 50 beats per minute (bpm) with unstable vital signs. As an off-label use, physicians prescribe Atropine as the best second-line therapy for curing diarrhea. Some other severe medical emergencies atropine treats include pesticide poisoning. Atropine also reacts well to certain types of nerve agent poisoning. Atropine also reduces saliva production during surgery.
Physicians recommend the use of atropine to treat cardiovascular disorders in patients with bradycardia. Atropine essentially increases your heart rate. It efficiently prevents parasympathetic influences that occur on your heart. This helps improve atrioventricular conduction.
Atropine is used to treat abnormally slow heart rate, mainly in emergencies where blood flow and oxygen supply to the vital organs are compromised. Physicians administer atropine intravenously to swiftly control abnormal electrical activities in your cardiac system.
Physicians consider atropine a safe and a well-tolerated drug; however, it can trigger a few serious side effects like tachycardia - a faster heart rate.
Precautions to follow while using Atropine
While you take atropine, your physician will carefully monitor your heart condition - especially if you living with arrhythmias or an underlying heart ailment. You should ensure you are free from the following medical conditions
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Obstructive diseases that include paralytic ileus or toxic megacolon. It can even be uropathy, prostatic hypertrophy, and pyloric stenosis -
Chronic lung disease -
Myasthenia gravis -
Acute angle closure glaucoma -
Environmental heat exposure
Who is widely prescribed atropine for bradycardia?
Adults aged above 65 are more vulnerable to bradycardia. Research suggests 1 in 600 people over 65 years have bradycardia. It is quite common among them as heart rate slows down due to advanced age. In addition, during their sleep, adults experience bradycardia as your heart beats at a slower rate.
People who take certain types of medication also encounter bradycardia. Those with eating disorders, may also have it. You may also experience bradycardia if you have injuries in your chest region. In most cases, asymptomatic adults i.e. adults without any symptoms are more in number than those who witness symptoms of bradycardia.
Asymptomatic individuals may get to know of their condition through accidental tests done on heartbeats. In general, those who are of an elderly age and those who pursue intensive workouts may need to check their cardiac wellbeing on a regular basis. It is essential to schedule heart checks once every 6 months to infer changes – if any, in the way your heart functions. Added inputs associated with the use of atropine
Atropine is one of the medications that are taken strictly as per the advice and guidance of a qualified caregiving team. The team of healthcare professionals will take all needful tests to examine your health to identify signs and symptoms of bradycardia. Once detected, your physician will more likely prescribe drugs like atropine.
Upon starting to take atropine, if you witness symptoms such as weakness, feeling dizzy, shortened breathing cycles, pain in chest area (also known as angina), etc., and if they persist for long, you need to call 911. If you are in Canada, reach out to Health Canada. You can also seek clinical help from a healthcare center on an emergency mode. However, if the signs of slower heart beats go away in a few minutes’ time, it is a good practice to check with your caregiving team.
Disclaimer
Information provided here are only of supplementary nature. Information shared here does not substitute a qualified doctor’s advice. This website is not suggesting intake of this drug as safe or appropriate. Hence it is advised to talk to your doctor before consuming this med or any other drug.