Damage to Heart arteries

brian50
brian50 Member Posts: 27 Member
in Long-Term Effects of Treatment #1
I am quite fit and eat quite healthy ,just been told I need a heart bypass which will require 3 grafts.

I had a Bonemarrow transplant 25 years ago,with full body radiation required to destroy my old marrow.Have been well and looked after myself since.

Could the radiation be the cause of my damaged arteries ?

Comments

  • cathyp
    cathyp Member Posts: 376 Member
    #2
    Cardiac Problems from Treatments
    I have cardiac damage as the result of radiation and chemo treatments done for Hodgkins Lymphoma in 1989 and 1994. I have been closely followed to mange these issues. I do know of HL patients that had full body radiation and also have valve and other cardiac problems.
    What were yor symptoms? Have you consulted with a cardiac surgeon who is familiar with radiated hearts? I do know it is important for patients like me that had mantle radiation.
    Hoping you have a quick recovery from your surgery. I think it is in your favor that you have taken care of your body after the BMT.
    Cathy
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #3
    Hi Brian

    Anything is possible; remember Chemo & Radiation is the gift that keeps giving years later. I am 10 years passed Head & Neck cancer and just a few years ago I found that my Carotid sinus was damage and now I can’t control my blood pressure. It can go from a high of 230/130 down to 65/41 in no time.

    Wish you the best
    Hondo
  • brian50
    brian50 Member Posts: 27 Member
    #4
    Hondo said:

    Hi Brian

    Anything is possible; remember Chemo & Radiation is the gift that keeps giving years later. I am 10 years passed Head & Neck cancer and just a few years ago I found that my Carotid sinus was damage and now I can’t control my blood pressure. It can go from a high of 230/130 down to 65/41 in no time.

    Wish you the best
    Hondo

    Was getting chest pains
    Was getting chest pains intermittently and also bad pains if I ran or over exerted myself.

    Was told I might need a stent fitting but when I went for my Coronary angiography ,they told me the arteries on the left side of the heart were bad and I would need a Bypass.

    Was told this would be within 4 - 6 weeks time.
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #5
    brian50 said:

    Was getting chest pains
    Was getting chest pains intermittently and also bad pains if I ran or over exerted myself.

    Was told I might need a stent fitting but when I went for my Coronary angiography ,they told me the arteries on the left side of the heart were bad and I would need a Bypass.

    Was told this would be within 4 - 6 weeks time.

    Brian
    Wow for now just take it easy, I know a lot of people who had Triple bypass and are doing very well. You just have to look at it as another chapter in life that you need to go through, hope you don’t mind if I keep you in prayer.

    God bless you my friend
    Hondo
  • bluerose
    bluerose Member Posts: 1,104
    #6
    23 year NHL survivor here
    Hi Brian, Getting close to 25 year survivorship myself and have had heart issues after an autologus bone marrow transplant that carried with it total body radiation and some heavy duty chemo. Was your transplant autologus or did you need a donor for the marrow?

    Radiation no doubt has effected my heart but the main issue I had that has been diagnosed is atrial fibrulation which means that the heart will all of a sudden go out of pace and beat too fast then slow and on and on. I have had to have an emergency pacemaker implanted because of it. I had the drug adriamycin in my chemo mix years ago and that drug especially plus a couple of others I forget the names of now, are notorious for causing heart damage.

    I hope you have a good cardiologist on board and one who knows issues of irradiated hearts and chemo effects as well. There is alot on this site and others written about the side effects of cancer treatments on the heart. Find out what drugs you had in your treatments and I'm sure you will find at least one you had that is trouble for the heart.

    All the best.

    Blessings,
    Bluerose
  • brian50
    brian50 Member Posts: 27 Member
    #7
    bluerose said:

    23 year NHL survivor here
    Hi Brian, Getting close to 25 year survivorship myself and have had heart issues after an autologus bone marrow transplant that carried with it total body radiation and some heavy duty chemo. Was your transplant autologus or did you need a donor for the marrow?

    Radiation no doubt has effected my heart but the main issue I had that has been diagnosed is atrial fibrulation which means that the heart will all of a sudden go out of pace and beat too fast then slow and on and on. I have had to have an emergency pacemaker implanted because of it. I had the drug adriamycin in my chemo mix years ago and that drug especially plus a couple of others I forget the names of now, are notorious for causing heart damage.

    I hope you have a good cardiologist on board and one who knows issues of irradiated hearts and chemo effects as well. There is alot on this site and others written about the side effects of cancer treatments on the heart. Find out what drugs you had in your treatments and I'm sure you will find at least one you had that is trouble for the heart.

    All the best.

    Blessings,
    Bluerose

    Damage To Heart Arteries
    Hi Bluerose, I got my Sisters Bonemarrow,and have had a healthy 25 years since,although my memory is very poor,probably that Chemo Brain thing.

    I have no idea what my Chemo drugs were,but I will mention it to my heart surgeon ,I have an apointment with him this Thursday.

    I am from Aberdeen,Scotland by the way.There are no U.K sites like this one,I find it very interesting reading.
  • Lsususan
    Lsususan Member Posts: 1
    #8
    brian50 said:

    Damage To Heart Arteries
    Hi Bluerose, I got my Sisters Bonemarrow,and have had a healthy 25 years since,although my memory is very poor,probably that Chemo Brain thing.

    I have no idea what my Chemo drugs were,but I will mention it to my heart surgeon ,I have an apointment with him this Thursday.

    I am from Aberdeen,Scotland by the way.There are no U.K sites like this one,I find it very interesting reading.

    Ditto
    Survivor of Hodgkin's for 32 yrs now. Just got home this morning from having a stent put in my right carotid artery due to radiation damage. Had 99% blockage. Every test ( and there we many) showed no problems. Was looking at constrictive pericarditis, which I also have. Will be having surgery for that somewhere down the road. Have two 7 yr olds so want to live a lot longer and just a bit scared.
  • brian50
    brian50 Member Posts: 27 Member
    #9
    Lsususan said:

    Ditto
    Survivor of Hodgkin's for 32 yrs now. Just got home this morning from having a stent put in my right carotid artery due to radiation damage. Had 99% blockage. Every test ( and there we many) showed no problems. Was looking at constrictive pericarditis, which I also have. Will be having surgery for that somewhere down the road. Have two 7 yr olds so want to live a lot longer and just a bit scared.

    Good evening Lsusan
    Sorry to hear about your heart problems,hopefully you should soon start to feel a bit better from having your stent put in.

    You must have been quite young when you had Hodgkins,you have twins, are you their natural mother or maybe you adopted.I have son, he will be 17 in a few weeks time,still at school here.I had sperm frozen before my transplant and 9 years later he was born,that was one of the happiest days of my life.

    We have to be strong for our families and I am sure both of us will be around for a long time yet.

    Best Wishes for a speedy recovery

    Brian.
  • cathyp
    cathyp Member Posts: 376 Member
    #10
    Lsususan said:

    Ditto
    Survivor of Hodgkin's for 32 yrs now. Just got home this morning from having a stent put in my right carotid artery due to radiation damage. Had 99% blockage. Every test ( and there we many) showed no problems. Was looking at constrictive pericarditis, which I also have. Will be having surgery for that somewhere down the road. Have two 7 yr olds so want to live a lot longer and just a bit scared.

    Hi Lsususan,
    Sorry to hear
    Hi Lsususan,

    Sorry to hear of your recent surgery and the future one too. Alot of us Hodgkins Survivors who were blessed to go on to have children can relate to those scared feelings. My daughters are 16 and 19 and I get anxious and scared dealing with the after effects from our treatments. I have carotid artery stenosis as well as valve damage to name a few. I'm currently awaiting results for abnormal lab results too.
    If you don't mind me asking, what were your symptoms? Are you surgeons familiar with radiation damage? I know of many survivors who go to Cleveland Clinic, Stanford or NYU. Hopefully you will have a speedy recovery and all the best for your next surgery.
    Take Care,
    Cathy
  • brian50
    brian50 Member Posts: 27 Member
    #11
    brian50 said:

    Good evening Lsusan
    Sorry to hear about your heart problems,hopefully you should soon start to feel a bit better from having your stent put in.

    You must have been quite young when you had Hodgkins,you have twins, are you their natural mother or maybe you adopted.I have son, he will be 17 in a few weeks time,still at school here.I had sperm frozen before my transplant and 9 years later he was born,that was one of the happiest days of my life.

    We have to be strong for our families and I am sure both of us will be around for a long time yet.

    Best Wishes for a speedy recovery

    Brian.

    Heart Bypass
    Was discharged from hospital today after receiving my Triple Bypass.

    Was in hospital 8 days,5 of these I spent in intensive care, now looking forward to some recovery time spent at home .

    Brian.
  • cathyp
    cathyp Member Posts: 376 Member
    #12
    brian50 said:

    Heart Bypass
    Was discharged from hospital today after receiving my Triple Bypass.

    Was in hospital 8 days,5 of these I spent in intensive care, now looking forward to some recovery time spent at home .

    Brian.

    Best wishes to you on your
    Best wishes to you on your recovery. Keep us posted!
    Cathy
  • brian50
    brian50 Member Posts: 27 Member
    #13
    cathyp said:

    Hi Lsususan,
    Sorry to hear
    Hi Lsususan,

    Sorry to hear of your recent surgery and the future one too. Alot of us Hodgkins Survivors who were blessed to go on to have children can relate to those scared feelings. My daughters are 16 and 19 and I get anxious and scared dealing with the after effects from our treatments. I have carotid artery stenosis as well as valve damage to name a few. I'm currently awaiting results for abnormal lab results too.
    If you don't mind me asking, what were your symptoms? Are you surgeons familiar with radiation damage? I know of many survivors who go to Cleveland Clinic, Stanford or NYU. Hopefully you will have a speedy recovery and all the best for your next surgery.
    Take Care,
    Cathy

    Back to work today
    Hi,

    Update,returned to work today ,just over 9 weeks since my operation.

    So glad to get back,boredom was too much.
  • cathyp
    cathyp Member Posts: 376 Member
    #14
    brian50 said:

    Back to work today
    Hi,

    Update,returned to work today ,just over 9 weeks since my operation.

    So glad to get back,boredom was too much.

    Thanks for the update! It
    Thanks for the update! It is wonderful to hear of your sucessful surgery. Continued good health. Cathy

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