Can a coughing fit cause an ICD to fire?

Last Wednesday, I started having cold symptoms, coughing and sniffles but the cough was magnified tenfold by Ramipril and an underlying chronic cough (not yet diagnosed). The coughing fits were so intense that I got dizzy and almost vomited when I had a coughing fit. I attributed the dizzyness and nausea to the cold but last Friday on February 7th, I got my first shock 6 weeks after my ICD was installed. I went to the emergency room and had another coughing fit and I went into a very brief v tach.

I was admitted for observation and the icd interogation revealed that the shock was appropriate and that I was 'paced' during my brief ER v tach. They replaced Ramipril with Losartan and started me on Sotolol. My cold is winding down and I'm controlling my coughing with 'Tussi-pearl'. I was discharged Monday and my body is still getting used to the meds. I get a little dizzy if I stand up too fast. My BP is avg 120/70 and I hope that the antiarrythmic Losartan will keep me from going into Vtach. Thank God for my St Jude ICD, it truly is worth the $85k that the hospital billed my insurance.

Has anyone had their ICD fire because of coughing, physical activities or other external influences (cell phone placed over the device? ).....?

4 Comments

ICD shock

by Sylvia1 - 2014-02-15 06:02:20

My husband had his ICD implanted last July 13 and he had first shock four and a half months later whilst he was laying in bed resting.that day he had 14 episodes of vtach before his hr was 190 and ICD gave one shock!he has a bad cough at the moment and he has not had any more shocks.he was surprised that he had absolutely no warning and did not feel anything at all on day he got shock.

coughing

by guitarman - 2014-02-15 07:02:03

Let me rephrase the question. Can a severe coughing fit cause my heart to go into a bad rhythm? My coughing was15 - 20 minutes continous.

ICD firing

by Grateful Heart - 2014-02-15 10:02:03

I hope not since I am still having coughing fits a month after being sick.

Hope you feel better.

Grateful Heart

Hi

by Derf - 2014-02-26 09:02:20

I had the same symptoms well on Ramipril and it also took sometime for the doctors to switch my drug. I am now on amiodarone.

I still have the dizzy spells but the cough is gone... Funny thing is I have had my ICD for about 4 years now and the past 2 years up tell now I was off all meds and felt great other than the odd shock and now that I am back on meds I have some challenges. Such as shortness of breath, dizzy spells and panic attacks.

All I can say is to keep going to the doctors until they help you figure out what is going to best for you.

Hang in there.

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