Rapid heartbeat from ????

[DonnaD]

I have struggle with a periodic rapid heart beat all my life. It has always gone back to a normal rate within a few minutes to maybe the longest two hours until today. I have talked with my cardiologist and will see her nurse tomorrow. Could this be from Herceptin?? Heart rate has been 120 since early this afternoon, and nothing I do, even a double dose of the medication as prescribed by the cardiologist, gets it back to its normal rate of 70. Has anyone had this issue?

[Kathy T]

I had this experience 3 times--the first 2 my heartrate lowered on its own--the third time lasted 2 hours at 180 bpm--required a visit to ED and IV meds. I saw the cardiologist who put me on a beta blocker--they think no relation to Herceptin as my echo remains normal. I've been on Herceptin for 4 1/2 years. No further cardiac problems since starting on a beta blocker.
Kathy T

[Sheila]

Donna
It must be an Illinois thing! Just kidding but I have Mitral Valve Prolapse which causes a sort of atrial fib...which comes on for absolutely no reason, and leaves the same...they sometimes medicate for it, I have not had to do that so far. Seems like stress can set it off, caffiene (too much) and underlying anxiety. My heart rate has always been in the 90-100 range, but when I get the rapid heart rate, mine is in the 160 range...I ususally drink ice cold water or massage my carotid artery (1 side only) to get it to slow down. It has something to do with the vagus nerve in the neck. Like I said, mine comes on out of the blue for no apparant reason...maybe it is the Herceptin, although your recent muga was good. I seem to be having skipped beats, don't know if its the Taxol, Avastin, Herceptin??? And my B/p has gone up enough I am now on B/P meds...this just happened last week. I'll see you tomorrow if you are there!
Hope you feel better/
Hugs Friend

[weezie1053]

Donna,

I suffered from irregular heart rhythm one month in my Chemo treatment (Adriamycin/Cytoxin combo). I too had always had a flutter, and I attributed it to my thyroid. I had also battled bronchitis for 4 weeks, and I had been on four different antibiotics and inhalers. One day I was fine in the a.m, and then in the afternoon, I had a severe case or irregular heart rhythm. I thought I was having a asthma attack so I aggravated it by using the inhaler. My sister, the nurse. once again came to my rescue. She called me, and I could hardly speak. To make a long story short, I ended up in the hospital for 4 days. My heart rhythm was 230 by the time the ambulance carried me away. (All I cared about was the EMT finding my head scarve before they carried me away. I was not going to the ER bald.) Now, the local Cardiologist recommended an Ablation procedure. I chose to get a second opinion at UVA where I am treated for the BC. The cardiologist at UVA placed me on Atenolol, a beta blocker, and 9 months later, I am doing great. They also cut the dose in half recently. The UVA cardiologists thinks it was a combination of Murphy's Law, everything that could go wrong did all at the same time. Fortunately, I had a strong heart because a heart rate of 230 could have killed me. As my Daddy use to say, "Thank goodness only the good die young."

Might want to ask the Doc about a beta blocker.

Louise

[Barbara2]

I had palpitations during Herceptin and for about 8 months after. Then gradually it began to settle down. I'm not sure if it was due to herceptin; I've had some palpitation troubles in the past, but they didn't last this long.

Because those weird beats were so noticeable and disturbing, I was able to take Toprol XL, 25 mg a day, which really did help. I'm still taking it today, but may not need to be. It's a small dose and I like the security of keeping the heart rate at an even keel.

[Mary1000]

I've never suffered any heart problems until a couple of months ago when i started to get a rapid heartbeat, the first recorded one being 222. I've been on Herceptin for 18 months and my MUGA scans are ok so i don't think that is the cause. It seems to come in clusters, about two weeks after chemo (Taxotere), Herceptin and Zoledronic acid (Zometa) infusion. My onc thought it was the Zoledronic acid and so changed it to Ibandronic acid. I was also put on beta blockers. However, it's two weeks since the last infusions and they are back with a vengeance.
They tend to happen in the early hours when i'm asleep or when i'm resting, eg. on the computer. I have lots of dizzy spells but don't seem to notice the rapid heartbeat when i'm active. Whilst being monitored in hospital, my blood pressure was slightly low and my heart rate dropped to the low forties when i was asleep.
Does anyone have any thoughts on this or have a similar pattern.

[Barbara2]

I also had SVTs, which kept me from entering the herceptin trial. They would not accept anyone with heart problems going into the trial.

I had SVTs for about 10 years. Medicine kept them in check...kind of. Several times a year I would have to go to the emergency room to bring the rhythm back to normal. The heart would race widly. It's pretty scary.

When in the ICU from a chemo treatment, I had a SVT (I remember the rate being 235...after that I told them not to tell me what it was...I didn't want to know)and they gave me a new drug to bring me out of the rhythm. It was one of the worst experiences in my life.

The drug stops your heart briefly, and you feel like you are going to die. I lived in fear of having to have that medicine again for another attack.

I decided to have the cardiac ablation. I wish I would have done it many years ago. The surgery correctred the SVTs, but I do have LOTS of palpitations but that is an entirely different issue. In fact, I am just finishing wearing a heart monitor for 21 days. They thought I should check it out as it's been a few years since it was last monitored.

Good luck to you!