HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - odd/interesting Dr. meeting re. my latest echo.

AlaskaAngel · 05-04-2007, 10:06 AM

Hi Marianne,

I had an echo prior to chemotherapy in 2002 and had a very high EF of 76%. No subsequent echoes were done. Then during preliminary testing for the TEACH trial, my EF came out as around 46% at first when the echo was done, and then after review by the cardiologist it was "50-55%". In addition, I was having palpitations. (One look at the monitor during the echo was enough for me!) I was not comfortable with starting a drug that still is under testing to see what the cardiac effects might be with my reading being just at the margin. (One has to have a minimum reading of 50% for the trial.)

I came back to Alaska, and prior to having another echo done here I lost about 5 pounds of water weight (Atkin's diet, on fish and chicken). The echo done here came out as 65%.

If the person doing the echo does a LOT of them and is really good at it, I trust the visual more.

A.A.

05-04-2007, 10:06 AM	#2
AlaskaAngel Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Alaska Posts: 2,018	Hi Marianne, I had an echo prior to chemotherapy in 2002 and had a very high EF of 76%. No subsequent echoes were done. Then during preliminary testing for the TEACH trial, my EF came out as around 46% at first when the echo was done, and then after review by the cardiologist it was "50-55%". In addition, I was having palpitations. (One look at the monitor during the echo was enough for me!) I was not comfortable with starting a drug that still is under testing to see what the cardiac effects might be with my reading being just at the margin. (One has to have a minimum reading of 50% for the trial.) I came back to Alaska, and prior to having another echo done here I lost about 5 pounds of water weight (Atkin's diet, on fish and chicken). The echo done here came out as 65%. If the person doing the echo does a LOT of them and is really good at it, I trust the visual more. A.A.