Anyone with heart issues?

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HarleyB
HarleyB Member Posts: 6
edited July 2019 in Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment

I'm 5 years out from my BC diagnosis and treatment and in recent months experienced breathlessness when exercising. Turns out I have a reduced ejection fraction which means my heart doesn't pump all the blood that it should normally. My GP is being rather vague about it all as I am seeing a Cardiologist next week.

Heart scans done 2 years before BC were all normal (I had 2 unexplained fainting episodes) so I'm looking at my treatment - FEC-D chemo, radiation to left breast and then Tamoxifen for 20 months and now Arimidex for 3.5 years. Heart issues are listed as side effects for all of that.

I know I was told about this possibility but I didn't really think it would happen to me - a bit like the whole cancer thing actually...

For anyone else who has had heart issues - was your cardiologist able to determine the cause? Specifically what does Arimidex do to your heart?

I've just had my final 5 year visit with my oncology team and we decided that I would continue with Arimidex for another 18 months so that I had 5 years in total. I was offered the option of stopping now (as when you count my time on Tamoxifen I have had 5 years of hormone suppression) but I was keen to go on as finally my joint pain, hot flushes and dry eyes seemed to be under control. But now I'm rethinking this.

I was so happy to get the 5 year "we don't need to see you anymore" from my oncology team and now I'm suddenly back at the beginning of who knows what with a Cardiologist.

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  • macb04
    macb04 Member Posts: 1,433
    edited July 2019

    I have had some symptoms I think are heart damage related, such as decreased exercise tolerance. That improved after starting Co Q 10 and Hawthorne Extract. I haven't felt bad enough since starting that to go to a cardiologist. I saw one before L sided rads, wish I had told the RO, Hell No!

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  • edwards750
    edwards750 Member Posts: 3,761
    edited July 2019

    Harley - congrats on the 5 year milestone. When I hit mine in 2016 I sang free at last all the way out the door. No more oncology visits.

    I took Arimidex for one year and Tamoxifen for 4 years. I haven’t experienced any heart issues. Good grief there are so many short and long term side effects from these drugs. Like you I just don’t think the ones like heart issues will happen to me.

    Good luck. Hope your cardiologist visit goes well. BC the gift that keeps on giving. Ugh.

    Diane


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  • cp418
    cp418 Member Posts: 7,079
    edited July 2019

    It appears I am now paying the price for my aggressive treatments when dx in 2006. Initially dx with acquired Hypothyroid and finally sent to a cardiologist for heart murmur - it appears I have multi-valve regurgitation of aortic, mitrial and tricuspid valves. It seems like open heart surgery will be next on my agenda due to three valves leaking. My breast cancer was high on my left chest 11:00 position. Between 8 doses of chemo and 30+ frontal and axillary radiation treatments no wonder so many women survive their breast cancer to later die of premature heart disease. I was age 49 at dx.

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