LVEF Update

[Donna]

Hello Group,


Sort of a long story – but – I was experiencing the nasal drips described here on the forum frequently as a side effect of chemo, but my oncologist sent me to and ENT just to be sure. The ENT said it was a massive sinus infection (I saw it on the CAT scan) but she also said based on my nasal/throat structure and weight (30-40 lbs. over ideal) that I probably had sleep apnea and so she sent me for a sleep study. This confirmed sleep apnea and I was given a CPAP machine.

In the meantime, before the machine, my LVEF MUGA score dropped from 68 to 55. After using the CPAP for a month it went back up to 67. I was already taking COQ10 before and during and after the drop, so I can’t give it all the credit. The only other thing I have changed was to balance my Omega 3’s and Omega 6’s better.

So, anyway, if you snore, if you are maybe a little overweight, if you wake up a lot at night, it might be sleep apnea and if it is it takes a terrible toll on your heart. It affects your RVEF even more than the LVEF. I always thought I was waking up over and over all night because my husband snores, but it turns out it was me!<O

I was going to post this because I was elated at the jump back up of my heart function and then this subject came up. Sleep studies aren’t too hard to come by and it could literally save your life if you have sleep apnea. I would never have checked this out if all of this “cancer stuff” hadn’t led me to it.


“Now a small study appears to show that CPAP boosts LVEF even as it preserves cardiac "efficiency"—“ not too much out there on the subject yet, but some small studies have been done….<O


Have a great day!<O

Donna<O