Has anyone developed heart disease after being diagnosed with cirrhosis? What were your symptoms and how were you diagnosed and treated?
I know there’s a connection with heart and kidney disease being caused by liver cirrhosis. Just wondering how common it is. I’m having a lot of heart symptoms and getting really worried. In fact I wonder if my extreme fatigue is due to my heart and not my liver. Thanks for any info.
Curious as to what kind of heart symptoms you are having ? There is a strong connection between the liver and basically all organs. Have you had an echocardiogram or 3 phase CT scan ? Have you seen a cardiologist?
Hi Livmar,
Right before I was diagnosed with cirrhosis I had an episode of tachycardia, palpitations and dizziness which landed me in the ER. This resulted in a cardiac workup: heart monitor, stress test and echocardiogram. Diagnosed with supra-ventricular tachycardia and grade one diastolic dysfunction. They attributed it to high BP and my age, even tho I’ve been on BP meds for years. Anyway I continued to not feel well and had LUQ pain that I thought was a kidney stone. Had a CT scan and they saw nodular liver.
I asked my GI doc if the heart symptoms could be from liver disease and he said no. I’m not sure I agree. My cardiologist seems more concerned about my liver than my GI doctor and has changed my BP medication and my cholesterol medication accordingly. The new meds helped for a while but now I’m having palpitations and skipped beats again and feeling like I can’t do anything even slightly strenuous.
I’m scheduled for endoscopy next month. Until then I’m in limbo as far as my liver status and I don’t see the cardiologist again until November. I feel like a ticking time bomb.
There is something called cirrhotic cardiomyopathy. You can read up about it. There is no question the liver impacts the heart. I spoke to my hepatologist about all this three days ago and it was confirmed.
I am going to get a TIPS procedure soon and needed an echocardiogram which I did and an EKG. The echo showed I have severe calcification for my age. I have a scheduled appointment with cardiologist for Wednesday. I will get the EKG done hopefully then. I will also confirm with cardiologist about cirrhosis and heart impact which again I don’t doubt for a second. I am hoping nothing serious shows up.
Good luck. I hope they can give you some insight into what is going on. Keep us posted.
I've got the other way round - my heart issues (chronic pericarditis) caused my cirrhosis.
How did that cause cirrhosis? Are you doing ok now? What is being done to help you?
My heart problems caused fluid buildup and pressure downstream on my liver. I had a pericardiectomy which has released my heart and stopped the fluid buildup and pressure on my liver. So I am feeling better and no longer have the fluid buildup. I still have a cirrhotic liver though.
My heart problems also caused my cirrhosis just like Walt1010, except mine was due to severe ,massive Tricuspid Valve Regurgitation. Right sided heart failure with fluid backing up into my liver. I just had a valve replacement through a clinical trial last year. Praying my Cirrhosis doesn’t advance. So far, so good. I’m seen by a Cardiologist and Hepatologist.
Wow, that’s something I never heard before in everything I’ve read about causes of cirrhosis. Hope you continue to do well!
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