Anyone Else for Heart Arrhythmias?
 

I am just dusting myself off after three-day hospital visit that began with tachycardia at 150 heartbeats a minute that had not slowed after half an hour. Rang hospital, asked if I should come in, did so. My troponine levels(measure of damaged heart muscle) went from 41 to 184, and my heart rate slowly settled to about 110, then cycled between about 80 and 110. They did CT of pulmonary arteries, CT of coronary arteries, a angiocardiogram, put me on betablockers, bloodthinners and statins. My arteries are perfectly clear, my heart had a little myopericarditis fluid, but nothing it cannot heal from. The heart specialist thinks I had Atrial flutter, and I now have a Fitbit Sense Smart watch which can take an ECG whenever I want and send it straight to the specialist. I am off all those horrible drugs.
The thing is that I had a similar episode seven years ago, the month after my last herceptin treatment. A period of tachycardia that lasted up to an hour, then gradually settled during a brief hospital stay. Traponine levels of 51ish. Different tests done all showing healthy heart and arteries. Monitored for a year or so, no further problems.
My specialist said the tachycardia was part of an arrhythmia, a short-circuiting of the electrical system of the heart, and that it could be related to the herceptin treatment or the chemo treatment since both can affect the heart.
So, ladies, I wondered if anyone else has had arrhythmias like this?

Re: Anyone Else for Heart Arrhythmias?
 

Hello Jessica,

You must have had trastuzumab and/or tykerb? If so you might want to read the below articles.
The incidence of atrial fibrillation with trastuzumab treatment: A systematic review and meta-analysis

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30372591/

Long-term cardiac outcomes of patients with HER2-positive breast cancer treated in the adjuvant lapatinib and/or trastuzumab Treatment Optimization Trial

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41416-020-0786-x

Cardiologist follows the science to a new conclusion on fish oil supplements l Expert Opinion

https://www.inquirer.com/health/expe...-20210525.html

Nguyen

Re: Anyone Else for Heart Arrhythmias?
 

Thanks. Yes, I was on herceptin/trastuzumab in 2014. Had the first spell of tachycardia/atrial flutter a month after I finished trastuzumab. No reduction in ventrical fraction.

Re: Anyone Else for Heart Arrhythmias?
 

I have not been on this board in years, but just happened by today. I was HER-2+ in 2013. Treated with radiation, chemo & Herceptin. Was under the care of a cardiologist for a year after treatment due to low ejection fraction.

Throughout 2020 I would notice a high heart rate periodically, and in January 2021 was hospitalized with a kidney infection. A-Fib was also diagnosed. I am now on heart meds and aspirin. So, yes... it hadn't crossed my mind that it could be related to Herceptin.

Re: Anyone Else for Heart Arrhythmias?
 

Last night I purchased a book on Naturopathic medicine. I hope it comes
today as this type of medicine interests me. It was expensive but I had Amazon Gift cards.


I think they talk about this very subject. I saw a portion of the google
book and Coenzyme Q-10 and Hawthorn were mentioned as remedies or perhaps as preventions. When the book arrives Ill put any possible useful
info on the board. Some may be interested.

Paul

Re: Anyone Else for Heart Arrhythmias?
 

Well the naturopathic medicine book arrived last night
and I looked up Herceptin heart toxicity vs herbal medicine. The book
gives the caution about ignoring the regular drugs such as Ace Inhibitors etc bur Hawthoen (Craetagus) and Coenzyme Q10 are mentioned as useful in treating herceptin heart problems particularly the Hawthorm. A combination of
Hawthorn with Panax Ginseng say 200mg of Ginsent twice daily is mentioned as useful for heart failure in general.

The dosage recommendation for Q10 is 200-400mg daily. I would recommend 200mg capsules twice daily for breast cancer patients due to the 1993 never mentioned study done in Denmark where about 2 patients taking 390mg of Coenzyme 10 daily had their organ mets disappear. This may have been a fluke in fact quite likely but it still is fascinating to me. Anyone can look this study up.

I cant give you a dosage of Hawthorn yet. There are different forms ie fluid extracts, capsules of the leaf vs berries etc. I use a berry extract. Ill have to research for a recommended dose. What really interested me was the long duration of action of Hawthorn when used chronically. It seems it lasts weeks after discontinuation. Please forgive any misspellings as typing is not my forte and some of the letters on the keyboard are somewhat eroded. I try to correct what I can

Paul








a co

Re: Anyone Else for Heart Arrhythmias?
 

I dont know exactly what to say about the Hawthorne. I take
the Swanson Hawthorne Berry extract for blood pressure, i capsule 3 times a day. I think the recommended dosage is twice daily but T I D has not hurt me.
It may interact with Digoxin il hve to look. My 12 year old Springer Spaniel gets one capsule twice daily as he has a heart murmer (Spelling?) My wife and I love him and want to keep him with us as long as possible. He also gets Vitamin E and Melatonin. Hope this may be useful


Paul