@sassy3 I have a heart condition called Supraventricular tachycardia that means my heart can beat really fast for no reason ( diagnosed before cancer). Sometimes as high as 185 bpm, which feels like your heart is beating out of your chest, this can be at rest or just walking. I have to be careful with cardio as it can trigger it. I have been on medication for several years and it’s generally controlled.
Unfortunately chemotherapy and Herceptin/Phesgo can affect our hearts. I had MUGA scans during my treatment and my ejection fraction dropped but still within normal ranges. I am under a cardiologist and had an ECHO towards the end of Herceptin and they were happy.
I’m sure you will now be referred to a cardiologist to monitor your situation. The good thing is that beta blockers will help. I have a device called Kardia which you can link to your phone to record your ECG. I have the 1 lead but they now offer a 6 lead, which gives a more detailed recording. I bought mine from this charity for heart arrhythmias. You can record ecg and download and I was able to email to my consultant.
They are also sold at the www.bhf.org.uk shop. Lots of great info on their website.
Thank you so much for responding, I’ve taken my second beta blocker and bp tablet this morning along with my steroids as I’m having chemo tomorrow (if it goes ahead) just really worried that my heart beat is still high and irregular and having had the reaction to the first chemo, is it going to happen again! I’ve got fitbit app that again notified me overnight of AF, hubby is currently looking at your link! Thank you for that too👍
Dear @hasnae87 - Sending healing and healthy vibes your way. I hope you feel better very soon. Please get in touch with your BC nurse and she may be able to guide you and help you.
That has happened to me. I’m having 18 Herceptin injections - 4 left to go - so have echocardiograms every three months to check my heart is OK, which it has been up to now. Then all of a sudden I started getting the odd episode of thumping heart and/or light headedness. Onc referred me to Cardiologist. I’ve been diagnosed with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation, ie every now and then. I’ve been prescribed blood thinners and beta blockers. I haven’t started taking them yet because I can’t bear the thought of taking more medication and for the rest of my life!
@browneyes That is great info. Always good to know about successful trials and what they consisted of. Thank you.
@hasnae87 This sounds horrendous. You should absolutely be away from all the general bugs in A&E. @sez is right, you should be given an email address so that you have more than one contact option for your breast care team. How are you feeling today? Have you been able to go home?
@sassy3 Atrial fibrillation is scary, no doubt about it. @naughty_boob knows a lot about this side of things so I’m glad she’s given you some great signposts to follow. The Phesgo (Herceptin) affected my heart too but it has gone back to normal since I finished that drug. @magl Like you, mine was affected towards the end of treatment. I hope you get to see the cardio-oncologist soon @sassy3 so they can keep on top of it. I was given a drug that I stopped taking once Phesgo came to an end.
I have just been to Marsden for my follow-up consultation after my op 11 days ago. It’s all healing well and apparently the symmetry is good. We discussed my nipple tassel tattoo as the Plastic Surgery Clinical Nurse Specialist is also an areola tattoo artist. She showed me how it is possible to get a sequinned sparkly effect by using different colours. It’s so exciting. She asked if I would be prepared to share pics of it once it is done to show other women what is possible. Just try and stop me, I replied!
@salbert gosh, that’s so exciting what they can do as far as tattoos. Well done for sharing, it will help so many other ladies. Only you will know it’s your ‘Mrs Posh Boob’ or maybe you could ask them to label it so!
@salbert thank you for responding too, i don’t mind admitting i am scared of this, i managed to talk to GP today and I’m going to take 2 BP tablets per day instead of 1 to see if that helps, she did tell me bloods are ok so now to see if chemo goes ahead tomorrow xx
@naughty_boob I’m thinking of trying to persuade my pub quiz team to change its name to Salbert’s Sequinned Bazonga.
@sassy3 Keeping everything crossed for you today, dear buddy.
@hasnae87 - How awful that you’re still in hospital waiting for an MRI slot. I pray it’s today and you can get home and see your little boy.
I’m Dadsitting today and trying to work while my Mum goes for her opticians appointment. She can’t wait; she’s positively excited about getting out of jail for a few hours. Dad’s dementia means she can’t leave him. When she does he spends the whole time asking for her and threatening to call out the emergency services to go and find her. Wish me luck!
Have fun with your Dad today. I went to my aunt’s funeral yesterday and it makes you realise how little time we have with them. She was diagnosed with blood cancer less than 4 weeks ago, with a 6-12 weeks life expectancy, luckily I was able to visit twice before we lost her.
Thank you,finally home last night after waiting hours to be discharge while waiting in shared ward.
The results was that it’s just sides effects of chemo and to take painkillers.
I can’t wait for this chemotherapy journey to end it’s unbearable and feel like taking ages.
Hopefully will talk to my oncologist in couple of weeks and let’s see what she gunna say,
Hope your dad sitting was good and mum get time to rest.
Glad to hear you’re finally home, you must be shattered.
If you’re really struggling it might be worth asking your BC nurse to get in touch with your oncologist and ask them to contact you sooner. They may be able to at least give you a telephone consultation.
And if not the BC nurse should be able to help in their absence. They can get advice, or request meds on your behalf and get the oncologist to sign off on stuff.
Don’t suffer while you wait for another oncologist appointment, your hospital hotline can request meds or give you advice if you can’t get hold of your BC nurse.
Chemo is so rough, I think people who behave unaffected by it and carry on working and all that are probably aliens (I couldn’t do it).
@hasnae87 Good to hear you are home but you are having such a tough journey. Just hope this horrible chemo is doing its stuff with any cancer cells you don’t want. Agree do push to get a proper plan to manage your treatment and se’s and try and make your team pull together. Hope you feel well enough to do something a bit nicer over the coming weekend.
@salbert hope things went smoothly with your Dad, you talk of it with good humour but it’s hard seeing someone you know and love deteriorate like that, tough for your mum too. Hope posh boobs taking shape nicely and that you and the camper van have lots of brilliant trips. Does the van have any sparkly bits by the way?
Blimey so much to catch up with - one of my grown up sons has been stating this week and this has meant I’ve barely looked at my phone , I’m also absolutely exhausted from running around after a visitor although it’s been so lovely to have him here I’m quite looking to just being able to sit and do my paperwork in the day instead of having to go out and about .
@kittykat88 - welcome aboard , you are in the right place and we are all here for you . It is incredibly overwhelming when you are diagnosed and feel like you are signing endless forms that look terrifying . The consent forms can look frightening when they list all the “possible” things that might happen , however if you read the leaflet with paracetamol it’s fairly similiar !
They have to say what might … in a rare eleventy billion chance … happen … but we are all here to prove that what usually happens is just the general stuff that comes with chemo , the worse side effect for me aside from the aches and fatigue . Was the constipation!
I’d highly recommend getting your team to write you up for some laxative to have on stand by as chemotherapy and the anti sickness drugs can cause some horrible constipation. X
@sassy3 - I’m so sorry your heart has decided not to play nicely - I am blood thinners so happy to advise re these . Like @naughty_boob I have SVT and I’ve had a few attacks while on herceptin . I’ve been stopped at 9 as it’s causing reactions and although my EF is fine I’d been. Getting more tachycardia attacks . I’m going to see my cardiologist to make sure everything is returning to normal as it’s now 3 weeks since my herceptin.
You are on the right meds for AF and fingers crossed this should resolve when you finish your treatment … it’s exhausting though isn’t it when you this is the targeted drug you need but then it feels like it comes with a caveat
My mum has recently finished two years of rituximub … she’s had SVT all her life but recently ended up in hospital with uncontrolled tachycardia attacks , they’ve changed her beata blockers and now she’s fine and she better off to Florida !
What beta blockers have they got you on ?
@hasnae87 I’m so sorry to hear you were so poorly . What an awful experience … Do you have a follow up with your oncologist?
xx
although it’s been so lovely to have him here I’m quite looking to just being able to sit and do my paperwork in the day instead of having to go out and about .