The nightshade plant, a member of the herb family called solanceae, is the source for atropine, a heart medication used to treat symptomatic, irregular and slow heartbeats. Heart disorders that include a heart rate less than 60 beats per minute in adults, as well as altered rhythms, are referred to as bradycardias and bradyarrhythmias. If you are an athlete and in good physical health, a slow heartbeat might not concern your physician after careful evaluation. Talk to your doctor about the best course of treatment for your particular situation.
History
Nightshade, also called deadly nightshade and belladonna, is indigenous to North Africa, western Asia and Europe, and is considered dangerous and toxic. Nightshade produces foliage and berries that resemble blueberries and, when eaten, cause dilated pupils, blurred vision, rapid heart rate, delirium and headache. Nightshade has a record of use in medicine, cosmetics and as a poison. The name "belladonna," Italian for beautiful lady, refers to cosmetically dilating the pupils using liquid nightshade.
Bradyarrhythmias
Uncommonly slow heart rates, called bradyarrhythmias, caused by heart disease, have three categories: sinus bradycardia, sick sinus syndrome and heart block. Sinus bradycardia can reflect heart disease, a reaction to medications, or athletic physical conditioning. Sick sinus syndrome refers to an electrical abnormality occurring in the beats of your heart. Symptoms include dizziness, confusion, heart failure and chest pain. If you are symptomatic, atropine stabilizes your heart rate while you're evaluated and treated.
Atrioventricular Heart Block
Heart block, called atrioventricular block, refers to the disruption or obstruction of electrical impulses in your heart. The blockage of impulses occurs between the upper chambers of the heart, called atria, and the lower chambers, called ventricles. Symptoms can include weakness, shortness of breath and sudden fainting. Heart block is a medical emergency and can induce cardiac arrest. Treatment includes intravenous atropine while permanent pacemaker placement is prepared.
Asystole
Cardiac arrest, called asystole, can occur as a result of a lack of oxygen, elevated potassium, extremely low body temperature, drug overdose, heart attack and heart block. The use of atropine to treat a slow heart rate is part of the advanced cardiac life support resuscitation process, or algorithm. Perfusion, or blood circulation, is assessed, and preparations are made for temporary pacemaker placement as the atropine is being given to increase the heart rate.
Risk Considerations
You're at risk of bradyarrhythmias if you take medications such as digoxin or have had a heart attack or heart failure. You might experience no symptoms of bradycardia but, when present, include fainting, dizziness, weakness and fatigue, palpitations of the heart, chest pain, low blood pressure and shortness of breath. Cardiac symptoms compel investigation of underlying conditions, stopping medications that affect heart rate, intravenous atropine to improve heart rate and possible pacemaker placement.
