Medication

In most people with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, medications successfully relieve the symptoms and let patients maintain a relatively active lifestyle. The drugs that are most effective in treating HCM either slow down the heart rate or reduce the strength of the contractions of the heart muscle. This lets the heart fill more completely with blood between contractions, which minimizes the risk of obstruction and keeps the heart working efficiently. Relaxing the heart muscle, not stimulating it, helps the heart pump more efficiently for people with HCM.

Health Tips from Dr. Healy: Video: What men need to know about their cholesterol Choose another disease or condition... Allergic Rhinitis Allergies, Food Allergy & Asthma Center Alzheimer's Disease Anxiety Aortic Aneurysms Arrhythmia Arthritis, Osteo- (OA) Arthritis, Rheumatoid (RA) Asthma Atopic Dermatitis Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Back Pain Brain Tumor Bones, Joints & Muscles Center Breast Cancer Brain & Behavior Center Brain Tumor Cancer Center    Brain Tumor    Breast Cancer    Cancer Prevention    Clinical Trials    Colorectal Cancer    Endometrial Cancer    Living With and Beyond Cancer    Lung Cancer    Prostate Cancer    Skin Cancer Cardiomyopathy Cataracts Cholesterol Control Clinical Trials Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Colorectal Cancer Congenital Heart Disease Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Crohn's Disease Depression Diabetes Center Diabetes, Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Digestive Disorders Center Eczema Endometrial Cancer Erectile Dysfunction (ED) Eye & Vision Center Fibromyalgia Food Allergies Gallstone Disease Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) GERD Glaucoma Hay Fever Headache Heart Center Hepatitis A Hepatitis B Hepatitis C High Blood Pressure Hypertension Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Impotence Insomnia Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Living With and Beyond Cancer Losing Weight Lung Cancer Macular Degeneration Memory Loss Osteoarthritis (OA) Osteoporosis Parkinson's Disease Peptic Ulcer Prediabetes Prostate Cancer Respiratory Disorders Center Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Sexual & Reproductive Health Center Sinusitis Skin Cancer Sleep Apnea Sleep Center Stroke Type 1 Diabetes Type 2 Diabetes Ulcerative Colitis (UC) Weight Control What is your heart risk? Use our calculator to find out. America's Best Hospitals for Heart and Heart Surgery HCM-Related Clinical Trials Information Email this page Print this section

Common Medications Used For Treatment of Patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Beta-blockers are generally the most effective drug, and the best tolerated by most patients with HCM, but may require relatively high dosages to be effective. The treatment goal of relieving symptoms may require keeping the resting heart rate at less than 60 beats per minute without compromising the blood pressure levels. However, some people may not tolerate the side effects associated with beta-blockers such as nightmares, impotence, and fatigue.

Calcium channel blockers are a good alternative for individuals who cannot tolerate beta-blockers. Calcium-channel blockers must be prescribed with caution because there have been several reported instances of sudden death after the first dose in patients with very severe obstruction.

Antiarrythmic medication is an alternative for patients who are intolerant of beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers. Although these drugs have been successful in some cases, the side effects of urine retention and dry mouth preclude their use in many patients. The patients who best tolerate antiarrythmics appear to be young women.

Although drug therapy works well for most people, not everyone responds to medications. Others may become intolerant of the drug or develop severe symptoms of HCM after a few years on medications. In these patients, alternative treatments must be considered.