Post-chemo heart damage: coreg?

NatureGrrl

Anyone out there on coreg for heart damage from chemo/herceptin?

When my Muga dropped to 46 my onco. put herceptin on hold.  3 weeks and another muga later, and my Muga dropped to 45.3, my onco. took me off herceptin forever, and sent me to a cardiologist.

Cardiologist put me on coreg and baby aspirin and said it would be for life.  I questioned him because my understanding is that the heart damage from A/C-herceptin often reverses itself.

He also wants me to have an angiogram just to make sure my heart damage isn't from other causes.

So far (10 days or so), no noticeable SE's from coreg.  I feel better (more rested) (hurrah!) but my ability to walk up a couple of flights of steps is still compromised (slow and some minor shortness of breath) -- which I guess is to be expected.  I know heart muscle doesn't mend fast.

Anyone else go through this and later get off of it?  What tests did they give to monitor your heart, and how often did they give the tests?

I had herceptin for 6 months... this is enough according to at least some of the research, right?

If you've been on coreg a long time, how are you doing?

Thanks for any insights!

Faith316

I would offer a suggestion that you might post this question on the HER2 forum.  I think you are more likely to get some help from some of the women who are more likely to read there.  Good luck!

NatureGrrl

Thanks, Faith, I'll give that a try!

myraphogue

Hi Nature Girl

I was on herceptin for one year.  My breast cancer was not hormonal and was  started my first injection in my port with the last injection of chem.  The side effects was an enlarge heart.  I had stage 3 cancer which resulted in chemo, mastectomy and radiation afterward.

You take care of yourself.

Myra