Ivermectin causes Heart problems?

Ivermectin has been associated with some cardiovascular effects, but serious heart problems are rare and not fully understood.

Cardiovascular Effects of Ivermectin

• Common cardiovascular side effects include tachycardia (fast heartbeat) and orthostatic hypotension (drop in blood pressure upon standing). Some patients have reported chest discomfort and palpitations (2,6,8).
• Electrocardiogram (EKG) changes such as prolonged PR interval, flattened or peaked T waves, and QT interval prolongation have been observed in isolated cases (1,2). QT prolongation indicates delayed cardiac repolarization, which can increase the risk of arrhythmias, but ivermectin’s torsadogenic potential (risk of dangerous arrhythmias like torsades de pointes) appears to be small (1).
• Experimental studies in animals showed ivermectin can decrease heart rate and induce cardiac arrhythmias, particularly in the setting of cardiac ischemia (reduced blood flow to the heart). It may worsen myocardial dysfunction and cardiac hypertrophy in ischemic conditions, suggesting caution in patients with heart disease (3).
• Mechanism: Ivermectin’s cardiac effects may involve inhibition of cardiac potassium channels (I_Kr), leading to QT prolongation and slowed repolarization. However, it does not significantly affect blood pressure or conduction through calcium or sodium channels (1).
• Clinical significance: While ivermectin can cause mild to moderate cardiovascular side effects, serious heart problems like cardiopulmonary arrest are very rare. Most cardiovascular effects are transient and reversible with discontinuation (1,2).
• Precautions: Use ivermectin cautiously in patients with pre-existing heart conditions or those at risk for arrhythmias. Monitoring heart rate and rhythm may be advisable in such populations (3,5,7).
• In a 1990 prospective study, 32 elderly Liberian men, mean age 61 years, were treated with ivermectin and serial electrocardiograms (EKG's) were performed. Twenty of the 32 (62.5%) had baseline EKG abnormalities including poor R wave progression, 1 degrees AV block, non-specific intraventricular conduction abnormalities, left anterior hemiblock, supraventricular premature beats, left axis deviation, and early repolarization. Twelve lead EKG's were done twice daily, pretreatment and on five occasions post-treatment. No significant changes and no new abnormalities were observed. This study failed to demonstrate any significant cardiac effect of ivermectin on high risk subjects. (PubMed)

Ivermectin and Pacemaker Patients

• Direct Device Interactions : There is no evidence that ivermectin directly interferes with pacemaker function or the electrical activity sensed by the device (source). Most medications that affect pacemakers do so by altering cardiac conduction or causing arrhythmias, rather than interacting with the device hardware itself.
• Risk in Cardiac Disease : In animal models of myocardial ischemia, ivermectin was associated with increased cardiac arrhythmias, worsened myocardial function, and increased cardiac hypertrophy (PubMed). This suggests that patients with underlying heart disease, who are more likely to have pacemakers, could be at increased risk for adverse cardiac effects from ivermectin.
• Clinical Implications : For patients with pacemakers, the primary concern is not direct device malfunction, but the potential for ivermectin to induce or exacerbate arrhythmias or conduction abnormalities, which could increase reliance on the pacemaker or trigger inappropriate pacing or shocks (in the case of defibrillators) (PubMed, source).

Summary

If you experience symptoms such as chest pain, palpitations, dizziness, or fainting after taking ivermectin, seek medical attention promptly.

This assessment is based on pharmacological studies, clinical reports, and post-marketing surveillance data (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8).