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09-22-2005, 07:37 AM

Perhaps you mean water in the lining AROUND the heart. It is called
pericarditis. Just imagine someone put a ziplock bag filled with water
around your heart. The water ( or blood) pressure outside the heart would make it
hard for the heart to expand when the blood fills it. The heart is like a three dimensional rubber band, like a balloon. The tension in the rubber, or in this case the muscle fibers when stretched contributes to its ability to push out the blood it contains when it contracts of beats. It makes the work of the heart harder and the heart less efficient.

Pericarditis is a rare complication of herceptin listed in the "package insert"

more common is "water on the lungs" due to heart failure, when the pressure
caused by the left side of the heart's not being able to push/pump out all the blood it has in it(ie, in the direction of the body) causes it to back up into the lungs.

This is more commonly diagnosed on a chest xray.

Treatment for pericarditis might include sticking a needle in and draining it
vs treatment for heart failure usually involves things like Lasix to cause you to urinate out a lot of fluid to help allow the heart back-up to be relieved so it can beat and pump more efficiently.

Hope this helps!

Got to go, so not available soon for more info...

09-22-2005, 07:37 AM	#2
Unregistered/L Guest Posts: n/a	not sure what you are referring to but perhaps... Perhaps you mean water in the lining AROUND the heart. It is called pericarditis. Just imagine someone put a ziplock bag filled with water around your heart. The water ( or blood) pressure outside the heart would make it hard for the heart to expand when the blood fills it. The heart is like a three dimensional rubber band, like a balloon. The tension in the rubber, or in this case the muscle fibers when stretched contributes to its ability to push out the blood it contains when it contracts of beats. It makes the work of the heart harder and the heart less efficient. Pericarditis is a rare complication of herceptin listed in the "package insert" more common is "water on the lungs" due to heart failure, when the pressure caused by the left side of the heart's not being able to push/pump out all the blood it has in it(ie, in the direction of the body) causes it to back up into the lungs. This is more commonly diagnosed on a chest xray. Treatment for pericarditis might include sticking a needle in and draining it vs treatment for heart failure usually involves things like Lasix to cause you to urinate out a lot of fluid to help allow the heart back-up to be relieved so it can beat and pump more efficiently. Hope this helps! Got to go, so not available soon for more info...