Expert: Dr Ian Jackson - please note UK based - 6/2/2004

Question
I underwent bone graft surgery on my shoulder a few months back.  About two hours after the surgery my heart rate shot up and down (went from 70+ bpm to 140 bpm quite abruptly) and continued like that for 4 hours and finally settled down to around 80bpm.  About 3 days later it settled back to the normal 70 bpm.  There was Marcaine in my pain pump.  Is it possible for a person's heart rate to be sensitive to the Marcaine because it happened again a few months later after I had a cortisone shot with Marcaine in it.  The second time was not as severe as the first time.  Thank you for your time.


Answer
Mary

It is possible for your heart to be affected by marcaine. Though it is unusual for it to cause an increase in your heart rate. It is difficult to link without more information about the duration of the infusion and how long after it stopped your heart rate returned to normal. However it is more likely that it is an effect of your own reaction to painful stimuli and discomfort.

So it is a bit of a puzzle! Worth mentioning to any anaesthetist who is looking after you.

Kind regards

Dr Ian Jackson