heart damage following chemotherapy

[Joules83]

Hi, my husband had cancer 8 years ago and is in a medical study for the effect of cisplatin on the heart, before Christmas he had an echocardiogram which advised that the Contracticility of his heart had reduced and he has been put on medication, I wondered if there was anyone in this community that has been effected in the same way?

[Lezzers]

Hi sorry to hear bout your husband. Not quite the same, but my husband has had heart failure since 2012 & he had cancer treatment in 2021. His treatment was limited due to his heart condition which unfortunately has worsened due to the treatment, but we were warned this might happen.

[Joules83 in reply to Lezzers]

thank you for the reply, I am so sorry about your husband, I am a bit scared to google, because I think it will scare me, I am not even sure would this be cardio vascular disease or some sort of early heart failure have to put in a little box, or it’s too much to think about, but hoping the medication will help or at least stop it getting worse, they have said that it is moderate at the moment.

[Lezzers in reply to Joules83]

Definitely don't Google, simply because the info on Google is completely wrong!! It's very scary for you at the moment but I think I would ask your husband's Dr to explain your husbands heart condition, it's difficult to know how to advise you without knowing what's exactly is wrong but often these things are not as scary as you first think & knowledge is power.

It might help to know my husbands story! 25 years ago he had a massive heart attack & cardiac arrest. He wasn't suitable for surgery so medication kept his severely damaged heart under control. In 2012 he was diagnosed with moderate/severe HF (heart failure) medication improved his HF to minor. Unfortunately the cancer treatment then affected his heart function and his HF is now classed as moderate.

But modern medication is amazing these days, you'll be surprised how many people are living normal lives, holidaying abroad, working full time ect despite have severe HF!!

Very happy for you to private message if I can help with any worries you might have.

[Joules83 in reply to Lezzers]

thank you so much for the reply, he has regular monitoring and blood tests at the moment by the gp, to keep an eye on his kidney function and has an appointment with cardiology in March, which I might go to so I can understand things more, I am so sorry for all your husband has been through, never thought this would be something we would be worrying about in our 30/40s xx

[Lezzers in reply to Joules83]

My husband was only 42 when he had his Heart attack and cardiac arrest, I really do understand how scary it all is & wondering whether or not you have a future. But your husband does sound like hes being well looked after by his GP and that helps a lot. I don't come on this site very much but if you want to talk, pm me & I'll get an email notification. Xx

[Hiker]

Hi, so sorry to hear what has happened. This is not the same, but the result of Carboplatin and Paclitaxel that I had for cancer in 2016. In 2020 suddenly started to have attacks in my head, loud noise and vibrations, which almost made me faint. My sinus node had started to fail, but of course I didn't know what was wrong. While waiting to see the doctor I suddenly flat-lined. I went out like a light, but was lucky to have just sat down and my head hit the table rather than the floor.

It was asystole, a failure of the heart's electrical signal. I have since found out that under those circumstances, your heart cannot be restarted, it has to restart itself. Only 2% of people survive it, depending on the cause. So I had 4 days in the emergency ward and my heart stopped a number of times the first night while I was sleeping. The nurse's eyes went wide when she told me. I was put on medication to help, then had an ambulance flight to have a pacemaker fitted. I have no heart disease whatsoever, but it appears, from what I have read, that the Paclitaxel is most likely the culprit. I now live a normal life, apart from some other strange, scary "events" that occur in my chest for a number of days, approx every 6 weeks, yet to be properly investigated by the doctors. 🙄