Ejection Fraction

lisaelder1972

 I just wanted to share my good news with you all and maybe give some something to hold onto.I had 4 AC and 4 Taxotere in 2006.I had a MUGA before chemo began and had an EF of 76.After chemo it had dropped some but only a few points.I started Herceptin in Dec 2006 and had weekly infusions.A MUGA 3 months later showed my EF at 49.After 7 months of Herceptin my onc ordered another MUGA and when I went in later that week,I was told no more Herceptin,EVER.My EF had dropped to 28 and I was in congestive heart failure.I began seeing a cardiodlogist and taking meds.I was terrified because if I had a recurrance my heart was too weak for anymore chemo.I was told that the damage is sometimes reversible and sometimes the only option is a heart transplant!It took over a year for my EF to get up to 38.I had just about given up.My cardiologist ordered an echo and I cancelled the darn thing 3 times.Finally,I went last Friday and had the echo done.My EF is now 56!!!! God is so good.I was hugging everybody in that office,patients and all lol.Even though it took almost 2 years,my heart function did come back.We get so little good news in this fight,it feels good to hear good news for once.

mke

Thank you for sharing your good news.  You are right, we get too little of it.  I hope that you will continue to have good news.

jerseymaria

i'm so happy for you...now you get celebrating you hear

LaurelS

Thank you, Lisaelder, for your post and congratulations on your victory!  Yes, God is indeed good!  Your story encourages me as my second echo while on Herceptin dropped from 65 to 55.  My onc did a follow up after 2 more infusions and it had remained at 55.  I have managed to stay on schedule thus far and will finish, God willing, on the 22nd of July (cannot wait!).  I hope to stay above 50 so I can stay on schedule and finish.

mollyann

I'm so glad to hear your news! Did you do anything to raise your ejection fraction? CoQ10 or excercise?

This is so encouraging.

Tucheta

Wow! What a story! Thank you for sharing! I am also interested in finding out if CoQ10 might help and if you had any symptoms when your EF dropped as low as 28.

Ralu 

lisaelder1972

 No,I didn't take CoQ10 and my only excercise is pointing the remote lol.

 I did have symptoms when EF was 28 but I thought it was from the chemo.I was bone tired all the time and I couldn't walk 6 feet without getting short of breath.I had to stop shopping for groceries and let my husband do it for awhile.Needless to say,I got tired of Cheetos and Poptarts lol.

 The cardiologist as well as my oncologist told me that if the damage was going to reverse itself,that it would do so in about 1 year.I had given up hope because mine took right at 2 years.I think one thing that really made a huge impact was the Dr doubled my Coreg dose when Digoxen was recalled.

Anonymous

Exercise can cut your chances of recurrence by up to 30%.

DebbieB

Hi Lisa,

I am so thrilled to hear that your EF is back up to 56%.  Is your cardiologists going to take you off the Coreg?

I am also going thru heart damage/CHF from Adriamycin that didn't show up for 6 years!  My EF was down to 20% and my only symptom was that I couldn't walk 4' without being out of breath.  I have been on Coreg CR 80 mg for the past 18 months and my EF is about 50%.   I was also on Digoxen, Lasex, Spironolatone, Lisninopril (for bp) and Simvastatin (for cholesterol).  He took me off the Digoxen and Lasex after the first month.  For the past year I have really done well.  Finally got used to the Coreg 80 mg which took forever to adjust to.  I actually felt absolutely normal most of the time.  In December he took me off the spironolactone and Lisinipril.  And all of a sudden I'm having shortness of breath (though not as bad) and my blood pressure started going up.  I had another nuclear stress test yesterday and I'm waiting for the results.  I just want my cardiologist to leave my meds alone.   From what he has said, I will always be on Coreg. 

There only appears to be a handful of us on this board that are dealing with heart problems from chemo.  I know the damage from adriamycin can show up years later and typically is not as reversible as the damage from herceptin.  Plus only a small percentage develop the heart problems.  It doesn't seem fair to have to go thru aggressive HER+ bc and then deal with heart problems.  It kinda knocks you for a loop.  So I'm always interested in what other cardiologists are telling their patients!

Debbie

mommomjuju

I was just taken off Herceptin because of a low EF.  I started out at 52% and went to 42% where it has stayed for the last 3 MUGAs.  I was put on Coreg @ 12.5 mg and Doc wanted to get the Coreg higher but my BP was too low.  I had 6 Herceptin tx.  I am worried that I did not get enough Herceptin.  I don't go to the Onc for 3 months now.

mollyann

The Coreg made me so tired and foggy that I had to stop. I had no life. A new doc has a different theory of how to strengthen the heart and put me on whole leaf digitalis.

I dread getting my EF tested again.

NCdaughter

My mom is taking Herceptin for MBC and just found out that her EF has dropped down to 52%.  The onc is watching it.  I agree that it is frustrating how many SEs you have to deal with on top of the battle with cancer itself.