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Posted by susan1961 on 9/9/2007, 12:20 am, in reply to "Adriamycin Heart Damage" Anyhow, once they figured out I was in heart failure, they admitted me to the hospital. My ejection fraction for my heart was estimated to be between 15-20 at the time of my hospital admit. They stabilized me and discharged me on many cardiac medications. I have to be careful to regularly take the meds and will for the rest of my life, plus I monitor my weight daily, blood pressure, and try to be careful not to eat foods too high in sodium. I also try to be as active as I can, but that has been really hard with my recent recurrence and stage 4 diagnosis of breast cancer. The good news is before my recurrence, I was starting to feel better, and my ejection fraction increased and has stayed at 35. The low normal end is 50. And I think high normal may be 60 or so, but I am not sure about that. Regardless, cardiomyopathy is most certainly something that is can be treated, although it also comes with life long symptoms that will flare. A great site, if you end up needing more information, is the CHFpatients.com. There are other members there who have heart problems from Adriamycin. Sorry this is so long... Guess the important reminder here for all of is: never, ever ignore any cardiac symptoms. Get them checked as soon as possible! Please keep us posted on your outcome. Good Luck-Susan
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Hi Robin: I developed dilated cardiomyopathy during my chemotherapy treatments for stage 2B breast cancer, in 2003-2004. I had received four rounds of AC or Adriamycin/Cytoxin
and was on my third round of taxol, when I went into heart failure. My symptoms before going into heart failure were: an abnormal heart rhythm (a-fib), fatigue, and shortness of breathe. Prior to all of that, I too had been experiencing heart palpitations, like you, but just chalked it up to the chemo drugs irritating my heart, plus I had a history of benign irregular heart beats prior to going into chemo, so I really was not too alarmed. Guess I should have been!
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