Adriamycin and Heart Damage

Adriamycin
Well, I have had adriamycin twice once in 98 and again in 2007. I was given the mugga tests before, during and after to ensure my heart was handling it and it seems it went fine. I have had no problems with my heart since and just recenly had an EKG prior to surgery and it showed a normal heartbeat, hope your's does as well.

My best to you,

RE

Heart Damage
Adriamycin has been known to cause cardiac toxicity which damages the heart muscle leading to shortness of breath, cough, loss of energy, irregular heartbeat and even congestive heart failure in severe cases. I was told CHF from chemotherapy can happen months or even years after so I am monitored closely. Scary as that information was, cancer seemed the greater threat back in 2003 when I had 4 cycles of AC. Now I've read there are drugs like Zinecard that have been approved to protect against heart damage while taking Adriamycin and Mitoxantrone used as a substitute for Adriamycin because it isn't as toxic to the heart and is better tolerated by some.
It's terrible that we have to choose one potentially dangerous path to protect ourselves from another.
Hope this information is what you were looking for.
terri

KathiM said:

Yes...but it's managable...
If I'm at a new center (like an ER), I tell them that I am a double cancer survivor, and that I had oxycilliplatin (colon) and Adriamycin (breast). Both are known for the heart side effects, and I had had them 6 months apart. My irregular heartbeat seems to happen more often if I am dehydrated...and I have talked to others that are the same...

My last AC was skipped because of my heart function.

It's just something to know about, and tell your treatment team about...

Kathi

Adriamycin
I have a very strong family history of heart disease---but no BC. I had a MUGA scan before A/C with a 60% ejection fraction and after Adriamycin, had an ejection fraction of 65%---some how it improved the heart muscles performance. I Wouldn't recommend this as an anecdote for heart problems tho!!LOL

I'd say to keep bugging them to keep testing you. And, it sounds like it can certainly be justified for your insurance.

artizan said:

thanks
Thank you all for your information. I too had a MUGA scan before 4 rounds of A/C. I will inform my doctor that I took Adriamycin. I guess I forget that they don't automatically know what I was given.

Hi Artizan,
I'm relatively
Hi Artizan,
I'm relatively new to this discussion board. I joined in Nov. but didn't write anything until just recently. I had chemo last year at this time (Jan-June) with Epirubicin (instead of Adriamycin because I was in a clinical trial with Avastin at the same time and the trial called for E instead of A. Anyway, before chemo etc. everything was normal and after chemo my heart function (LVF) went way down (normal is 50%-70%- mine went down to 38%)and I needed to start taking heart meds to bring the function back up. Diagnosis was "chemotherapy induced cardiomyopathy" Anyway, my heart function is back up to normal and I will continue to take the heart med (Coreg) for at least a year according to my cardiologist. I also will be getting echocardiograms every 3 months for awhile. Like everyone on this site says, we really have some rotten choices (chemo and heart problems vs. cancer spread and death.) My cancer was stage III when I found it - between normal yearly mammograms no less. But my oncologist and cardiologist are really confident that the heart problems will eventually be ok. Heart problems apparently are a well known side effect of chemo. Continued good wishes going your way.
cem

DILATED CARDIOMYOPATHY AFTER CHEMO AND RADIATION
I'm an 11 year breast cancer survivor and recently found out I have dilated cardiomyopathy.
My new doctor (a cardiologist) is pretty certain it is from the chemo/rad. I received in '98.
He did a catherization and my arteries are perfectly normal -- but my heart muscle's EF measured 35%. I had to learn all this new terminology. EF is ejection fraction and that is how fast your heart pumps out the blood. Normal is 50 - 70% so clearly I was very devastated.

I'm now on two heart meds and slowly getting used to the new diagnosis in my life. So not fair after what I have been through.

My question to you is do any of you have this side effect and how are you dealing with it.

Katz77 said:

Don't know about AC, but
Don't know about AC, but Herceptin can cause leaky valves. Maybe AC does too?

AC
A-can cause heart problems as well as Herceptin.
I had echocardiogram before I started treatment and then every three months and then months after the AC treatment was done my EF dropped some and had echo every two weeks and the cardiologist put me on Lisinopril 5 mg and now my EF is higher now then it was before I started treatment. I am still on Herceptin so I will get an echo every three months.

Best of luck and hope the meds do their job and strengthen your heart.

Margo

cem said:

Hi Artizan,
I'm relatively
Hi Artizan,
I'm relatively new to this discussion board. I joined in Nov. but didn't write anything until just recently. I had chemo last year at this time (Jan-June) with Epirubicin (instead of Adriamycin because I was in a clinical trial with Avastin at the same time and the trial called for E instead of A. Anyway, before chemo etc. everything was normal and after chemo my heart function (LVF) went way down (normal is 50%-70%- mine went down to 38%)and I needed to start taking heart meds to bring the function back up. Diagnosis was "chemotherapy induced cardiomyopathy" Anyway, my heart function is back up to normal and I will continue to take the heart med (Coreg) for at least a year according to my cardiologist. I also will be getting echocardiograms every 3 months for awhile. Like everyone on this site says, we really have some rotten choices (chemo and heart problems vs. cancer spread and death.) My cancer was stage III when I found it - between normal yearly mammograms no less. But my oncologist and cardiologist are really confident that the heart problems will eventually be ok. Heart problems apparently are a well known side effect of chemo. Continued good wishes going your way.
cem

Cardiomyopathy
It's great that your heart function is back to normal. I hope and pray that mine goes up. I have no idea how long it's been so low. What dose of Coreg are you on? Any other meds for the heart?

My coreg is 10 mg. plus ramipril - 10 mg.

Thanks and good luck to you

Adriamycin and Heart Damage
Hi! I am glad to find this site! I was 33 when diagnosed and that was 12 years ago. I did 4 rounds of AC. Aprox 370 mg in all. However over the last 1 1/2 years I have experienced what some (who have gone through a similar experience) seem to call a heart attack. I have no family history of heart problems, I am vegetarian, am "young" and in good shape - exercise regularly . So when I went to the ER, when I had the second "attack". They tryed to be nice, but they were amused.

What I get is a sensation of ...like a ball of stuck food under the sternum (except I hadn't been around food for at least 3 or more hours in each scenario- and don't drink coffee, so no heart burn issues ever!), a sensation of...not really pain....but a discomfort pushing into my lungs, a dull pain shooting up into my jaw line, and once out into my shoulders. I am not aware of an irregular heart beat. The last time, I was really dizzy and felt like I was going to black out. They seem to be getting stronger.....?

Will be seeing a cardiologist in 2 weeks, and appreciate hearing your experiences. Really not interested in ending up with some kind of heart meds. Interested in knowing what others have been put on, and whether there are side effect concerns on those too!

RE said:

Adriamycin
Well, I have had adriamycin twice once in 98 and again in 2007. I was given the mugga tests before, during and after to ensure my heart was handling it and it seems it went fine. I have had no problems with my heart since and just recenly had an EKG prior to surgery and it showed a normal heartbeat, hope your's does as well.

My best to you,

RE

I haven't had this, but,
I haven't had this, but, want to wish you good luck and send you prayers!

Sue

Adriamycin and congestive heart failure/atrial fib

I have failure as a result of being in a clinical trial where I was given four treatments with adriamycin and four treatments with taxotere.  The adriamycin treatments were so bad I could not keep any thing down for over five days, had two blood transfusions and was taken out of the clinical trial although my doctor continued to treat me with the same treatment.  A few years later I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation as a result of these drugs.  I have had nothing but problems as a result of this for the last eight or nine years.  My condition deteriorated until I now require a defibrilator and pacemaker.  My difibrilator shocked me 37 times in less than an hour because it was not in the position where it was supposed to be.  Never received an explanation as to why this happened.  It was reimplanted the end of May.  Then the end of July I fainted in a department store, broke my shoulder bone and was in a sling for six weeks.  Then while going thru therapy I was shocked again the end of October and had to have defib re-installed again.  In January 2014 I fainted in the kitchen and was hospitalized again.  The first of November this year I became very short of breath, called the squad and was hospitalized in the critical care ward.  My medicine was changed and I lost about 8 pounds.  Now however I have syncope and have passed out a few times and often feel like I am going to and have to sit down.