Pounding Heart TCH

danceswithrain · 08-12-2007, 12:18 PM

Just finished my last TCH on Tues. Yah! The problem I'm having is with a pounding racing heart. Even at rest my heart is beating over 100Xs a minute. Sometimes up to 120-130 even when I'm doing nothing. I had a MUGA last week and it was 64%. I have been to the ER twice now. EKG's are ok as well as blood chems. Last night they gave me atavan and some channel blocker that got my rate down to just over 90. Which at least enabled me to sleep w/o feeling like my body was one big heartbeat. They don't know what is causing it except maybe the chemo. They are referring my to my internal med dr. tomorrow.
Is this just a side effect of the chemo has anyone else expericnced this?With my other chemo treatments I could get the pounding heart shortness of breath only if I was out doing something I would have to stop and rest and catch my breath. This time it's happening even after resting in bed for awhile.
I don't want to end up going through a bunch of cardio tests and stuff if this is just the chemo and it will go away. So I'm hoping someone can tell me whether this has been a issue for them.
Thanks hugs to all

tousled1 · 08-12-2007, 09:29 PM

Vicki,

It could just be anxiety. You may want to ask your doctor about Ativan especially since your heart function tests are fine.

weezie1053 · 08-12-2007, 10:38 PM

Vicki,

I had different chemo (AC/Cytoxin followed by Taxol); however, I did have a "rapid heart rate" (238) after my third treatment (Oct 06). I also had been battling bronchitis for 4 weeks. Stupid me thought I was having an asthma attack, and I aggravated the situation by using an inhaler. I ended taking a ride on a stretcher to the local ER and being hospitalized. Now having said that, I had a local cardiologist want to perform a surgical procedure called ablation. My oncologist @ UVA (who I call my shepherd) referred me to their cardiologist. The cardiologist said it was probably just everything that could go wrong did. My red blood counts were low, I had bronchitis, I used an an inhaler which jacked up my heart rate, and I was on chemo. He placed me on a beta blocker, and I am still taking it to this day. They cut the dose in half in the spring. I have had no further episodes, and I expect to wean off the beta blocker after I finish the Herceptin in Nov. Your body is going through a lot of changes, and any one thing can aggravate a sympton as I did with the use of an inhaler. By the way, I had no perm damage to the heart.

Louise