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arpie's avatar
arpie
Member
7 years ago

Cardiomyopathy and chemo ...... a serious condition to be aware of

I do NOT want to scare anyone - but this is a very real condition that may affect some who've been thru chemo - and is something to be aware of, particularly if you start getting a dry hacking cough or chest pain.  It usually affects 'older' people .... but everyone just needs to be aware.

My friend couldn't recall what chemo regime she'd been on .... so it may NOT relate to all chemo regimes - and it took some years before she was aware she had a problem.

I had my hair cut yesterday - no big deal - my hair dresser (who was diagnosed with BC over 5 years ago and was running the Look good, feel better program) was really surprised when I told her earlier in the year that I had 'Joined the Club' .....she said 'Golf Club?'  So she was gobsmacked when I said, 'No, the Breast Cancer Club'.  Since then, we'd chat every time I went in for a cut ......

Yesterday, she stunned me when she said that she had had a heart attack & been in ICU for a number of days & in hospital for another week or more - and that it was the BC chemo that had caused it!  She has about 20% of the 'pumping side' of her heart  that has basically died (pushing her blood out of her heart - so a very reduced flow) - and there is no cure - just a heart transplant if it gets 'bad enough'.   She had a massive amount of fluid in her lungs that needed to be drained - which caused pain with every breath.  She has to weigh herself regularly now - as increased weight can indicate the fluid buildup in her lungs again.

She also developed a really dry hacking cough. She was incredibly uncomfortable sleeping at night - even sleeping sitting up supported by pillows didn't help ... and was having strong chest pains.  She presented to Emergency at Taree Hospital & after a couple of days there was sent to John Hunter Hospital at Newcastle, where further tests confirmed 'Non Systemic Cardiomyopathy'.

She is coping 'ok' at the  moment ... and I just hope that things don't deteriorate  :(

Take care - and just be aware!  xx

chemotherapy

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  • Polly_Rose's avatar
    Polly_Rose
    Member
    7 years ago
    @arpie I am in the same boat. I finished chemo 3 years ago and within a year of finishing was diagnosed with non ischemic cardiomyopathy. I’ve had every test known to man and they all prove that the damage is caused by the chemo and not any underlying heart disease or structural abnormality. What they do know however is that there are cardioprotective drugs that could have been given and would have helped prevent the damage. I had AC and taxol and my cardiologist from Peter Mac tells me that both of those drugs can effect the heart muscle and that unlike the damage from herceptin which is reversible, the damage from AC in particular is permanent and may be progressive. I’m going into the Alfred hospital in a week to have a right heart catheterisation procedure done and hopefully then they can try to find a better course of treatment as at the moment nothing seems to be working for them. While I remember being told that there could be heart issues, I was never told that they could present so far down the track or that there was an option of medication to prevent damage. I too developed an on going cough but was never given any signs to look out for and only sought medical assistance as I kept fainting ( even when lying down). I now have been diagnosed as having heart failure and it is having quite an impact on my daily life and especially my work life. I understand that the drugs used in chemo are our best line of defence against the dreaded cancer so I don’t regret having them but I do regret not knowing more about the long term side effects and that I didn’t ask more questions of my oncologist. I hope all works out well for your friend and thank you for highlighting this important topic. Knowledge is power.
  • Afraser's avatar
    Afraser
    Member
    7 years ago
    Chemo is very tough medicine. If you read through the literature an oncologist should give you, the potential side effects are alarming. Many don't happen. But chemo can have an effect on the heart, as can herceptin. It's also true that many people may not be aware of latent weaknesses or potential trouble spots before a cancer diagnosis. My bone density for example was very good, but did I know before staring femara? Not a clue. My  arrythmia is probably partly attributable to chemo, but not exclusively. Because a bout of tachycardia was pretty obvious before a chemo treatment, it was quickly picked up and my heart health (mostly good) is known and monitored. A thorough check after active treatment may be a good idea for all of us, even though more tests may be the last thing we want.