Adverse effect of verapamil in a patient with the Lambert-Eaton syndrome.
A patient with the Lambert-Eaton syndrome (LES) and small cell lung cancer developed respiratory failure several hours after verapamil was given. Improvement in respiratory function did not occur when guanidine was given, but was delayed until verapamil was discontinued 3 days later. Although other factors may have contributed to the clinical deterioration of our patient, the temporal relationship to verapamil and the theoretical danger of calcium channel blockade lead us to believe that the drug should be used cautiously in LES.
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D001282:Atrial Flutter / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000187:drug effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D009132:Muscles / Q000294:innervation; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000150:complications*; D010257:Paraneoplastic Syndromes / Q000150:complications*; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000139:chemically induced*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects; D014700:Verapamil / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D014700:Verapamil