Digoxin in pediatric patients
Common Questions and Answers about Digoxin in pediatric patients
digitek
My daughter-in-law who is 23 weeks pregnant was told that the baby's heartbeat is 220. They are monitoring her with a high-risk specialist and a pediatric cardiologist. Over the last 3 weeks, the heartbeat has remained high, but stable. How dangerous is this? What are the odds of it damaging the baby's heart and/or the baby not making it? They have talked about Digoxin if the heartbeat goes up to 260. What would that mean for the mother's health?
The link below your post goes to a doctor's explanation where he states digoxin is used to treat irregular heartbeats. I was on digoxin for a few months following my congested heart failue event. It is my understanding the medication is used to increase contractility of the pumping chambers. My medication for stablizing heart rate is a beta blocker (coreg) and an ACE inhibitor.
My research: "Digoxin is contraindicated in patients with ventricular fibrillation.
Diastolic blood pressure significantly decreased and systolic blood pressure significantly increased during overnight sleep in the digoxin phase .Heart rate decreased in the overnight sleeping phase . Digoxin significantly decreases diastolic blood pressure during overnight sleep in patients with congestive heart failure. This effect is likely to be caused by reduction of sympathetic activity or increase of parasympathetic activity.
The researchers found that the use of digoxin for at least a year was associated with a 30% greater risk of being diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. Digoxin has a very narrow threputic window. Many patients start on a dosage of 250 mg per day. But this is often too little for some patients and too much for others. It takes very careful experimentation to find just the right dosage.
A comparison of verapamil, propranolol and digoxin showed equivalent efficacy in a small group of patients. However, in general calcium channel blockers and beta-blockers are preferred to digoxin. Digoxin has been around for a long time! I used Digoxin over 50 years ago for my PSVT, and my recollection was that it did little to prevent episodes. There are so many newer drugs now that are far more effective.
My daughter will be 4 weeks old this week, she had SVT in utero and I took digoxin while pregnant and as soon as she was born she was placed on it. We went to the cardiologist yesterday and they did an echo and told us that she has pulmonary artery stenosis, (not sever) but definately audible....she was also born with a very short perineum...my question is this....is that somesort of syndrom or condition that could be playing the part in the combination of these problems for her?...
The problem with it is that it has a concerning side-effect profile. It is much worse than digoxin from that stand-point. Patients frequently develop thyroid and liver problems, they also have to have their eyes and lungs checked routinely to rule out further complications. We typically only use it as a last resort drug, or for a short period of time. Since the side-effects are usually related to the length of exposure, we tend not to use this medication in young patients.
Thank you for your suggestions. When I see my cardiologist in June I'll ask about digoxin. The other day my internest said I should drink lots of water to stay well hydrated because of my low blood pressure. Any comments?
I really do appreciate your input.
Retailers who carry Digitek should return the product to the place of purchase. Overdosing on this drug can be very dangerous. In fact, digoxin was used in a series of murders in the 1980’s and 90’s that were committed by a male nurse who claimed to have killed the patients to “end their suffering”.
Digoxin is a generic of digitek and it is the generic that has legal issues.
I'm very worried about my 5 yr. old who had the "stomach flu" over a month ago, as the whole family did. Since then she as had continuous puralent diarrhea and vomitting 2-3 times a week, usually 1-2 AM in her sleep. She became dehydrated and had IV's. Her pediatrician thinks it will get better. Finally they took stool, blood and urine samples. Her blood was normal, urine showed dehydration and ketosis, no salmonella in stool, but waiting for parasite results.
should I insist to vaccinate pediatric patients ( >6 month of age) with chronic granulomatous disease against influenza?
There are numerous treatment strategies to help nystagmus patients. Like JCH mentioned these are usually best done by pediatric ophthalmologist or strabismus specialist (preferably with interest in nystagmus treatment). I know of one centre in Mumbai where nystagmus treatment is done........Utsav Eye Clinic in Kharghar Navi Mumbai or you could look for a centre nearby. Hope that helps.
Ridha Ahrem, author of The Thyroid Solution, does not recommend RAI for Graves in children, but surgery. There is a slight risk of stomach cancer in a ten year study (8 percent) for RAI patients. No studies have been done beyond ten years.
I suggest you get a doctor who does at least two of these surgeries weekly. The below website lists endos recommended by their patients. I believe some surgeons are on there as well: http://www.thyroid-info.
My daughter failed a vision screening and then saw an optometrist that our pediatrician referred us. I doubted the optometrist's medical opinion for several reasons, one being that although she does see a lot of pediatric patients, she doesn't see many preschool aged patients. My vision insurance does not cover ophthamologists. My medical insurance does but only for strabismus, amblyopia, or eye injury.
I am looking for a Cardiologist or Neurologist with experience and interest in following patients with POTS patients who were dx in adolescence and are now young adults and no longer eligible to be seen by their Pediatric docs. I also have two children and a neice with POTS, so I know how hard it is to access good care. Any suggestions? Thank you.
Digoxin and Toprol act in different ways and do not induce the same effects. I have atrial fib and was prescribed amioderone.
I would imagine it would be because pediatric patients are still developing and their structures have a tendency to change significantly. At approx 14 or maybe a little younger puberty sets in and the body's growth is near complete. Plus pediatric neurology/NS are a specialty all their own.
Hope this helps a little.
my dad was taken off of it because his rate dropped below 60 beats and was causing him to be knocked out for most of the day when he went off of it his symptoms improved now its been 2 weeks and he is showing signs of loss of appitite,sleepiness,slow in speech, stomach acid, nasea Can the digoxin be retintroduced without any big adjustment to his chemistry?
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