HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Be still my beating heart...AC-TH and arrhythmia

rhondalea · 02-27-2012, 06:30 AM

I also had AC->TH. What I experienced is that chemo does some really whacky things to my thyroid hormone levels.

I have always been a big fan of blaming the thyroid for everything that goes wrong (and indeed, I blame it for my cancer), but even if that's a little over the top, the thyroid does affect every single system in the body.

I remember having some intermittent heart blips during chemo--a few episodes of racing and palpitations--but I paid little attention to them, because I've had them before when my thyroid levels have been either too high or too low. My LVEF remained stable and my EKG and every other test I was given (except the thyroid) were normal.

It seems that even those without preexisting thyroid problems often go on to have them during/after a major illness, so you might want to consider asking for a thyroid panel just to rule it out as a cause. If it turns out to be the cause, then you've saved yourself a whole lot of unnecessary treatment. (Just be sure that they check everything, because TSH (which is a pituitary hormone) can be within the normal range even if your actual thyroid hormones are out of line.)

I can only imagine that it must be crazy-making for you to be confined to bed, so I hope you have a resolution for this soon.

02-27-2012, 06:30 AM	#10
rhondalea Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Somerset, NJ Posts: 487	Re: Be still my beating heart...AC-TH and arrhythmia I also had AC->TH. What I experienced is that chemo does some really whacky things to my thyroid hormone levels. I have always been a big fan of blaming the thyroid for everything that goes wrong (and indeed, I blame it for my cancer), but even if that's a little over the top, the thyroid does affect every single system in the body. I remember having some intermittent heart blips during chemo--a few episodes of racing and palpitations--but I paid little attention to them, because I've had them before when my thyroid levels have been either too high or too low. My LVEF remained stable and my EKG and every other test I was given (except the thyroid) were normal. It seems that even those without preexisting thyroid problems often go on to have them during/after a major illness, so you might want to consider asking for a thyroid panel just to rule it out as a cause. If it turns out to be the cause, then you've saved yourself a whole lot of unnecessary treatment. (Just be sure that they check everything, because TSH (which is a pituitary hormone) can be within the normal range even if your actual thyroid hormones are out of line.) I can only imagine that it must be crazy-making for you to be confined to bed, so I hope you have a resolution for this soon. __________________ 2/6/09 Core needle biopsy: negative; Mammos through 2010: no change 3/30/11 Pea-sized lump in left breast at site of prior biopsy; mammo negative, sonogram not so much 4/14/11 Core needle biopsy: negative for cancer 5/18/11 Excisional biopsy 1.2 cm tumor, LVI, positive margin; ER+60%,PR+20%,HER2/CEP17 5 6/15/11 BMX: Left DCIS & LH; Right ADH; SNB: 2/3 nodes: 1.4 cm and 1 mm; ALND L1&2: 0/10; Stage IIa, Grade 3 7/14/11 CT/Bone scans NED; MUGA 66% 7/19/11 Biweekly dd AC w/Neulasta; done 8/30/11 9/13/11 Transfusion (Hemoglobin 8.6); MUGA 64% 9/20/11 Start Taxol + Herceptin; Taxol done 12/6/2011; continue Herceptin until 9/4/2012 12/27/11 Radiation - 6 weeks; 2/27/2012 - DONE! Yayyyy! 2/29/12 Start Tamoxifen 20 mg/day; continue until 2/28/17 5/16/12 Start five-years Metformin trial 6/19/12 MUGA 61% 8/21/12 Brain MRI NED (head still hurts, brain still fogged) 9/4/12 Herceptin done! 9/6/12 Port out! 7/11/13 Aricept 5mg for cognitive impairment; increased to 10mg as of 8/23/13; back to 5mg 12/2013 5/2014 Add Namenda 7mg 9/2014 Stop Aricept and Namenda; Neuropsychological evaluation 10/24/14 Start cognitive rehabilitation therapy