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Questions posted in the
Heart Forum have been answered by doctors from The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
Question Title: Being taken off medicationForum: The Heart Forum
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Hello, In January I am to be taken off Coreg because my EF is 52% and hearts size and function is normal as of July of 98. I was told to have PPCM my EF starting at 30% Dec 97. Does one need to be weened off Coreg? What should I expect from going off the medication? I've been on Coreg since Dec 97 I am just concerned about what I may experiemce like side effects. I will be given a MUGA a couple of months after being off the medication to make sure my heart is holding up. Women really do recover from PPCM without being on medication for the rest of their life, right? I feel fine and always have never went into CHF or anything. I guess from all the information I have found out pertaining to DCM and PPCM it can be depressing and I guess I need reassurance that recovery is possible. Sorry for making you my therapist:) Thank you
_ Dear Jamie, thank you for your question. Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) can certainly improve. Generally, one-third of patients with PPCM recover completely, one-third continue to have mild-moderate heart failure, and one-third get worse. Fortunately, you appear to be in the first group and you may not need medications in the future. You may experience an elevated heart rate and nervousness when coreg is first discontinued, but you should have no long-term adverse effects. Since coreg is a relatively new drug and since most patients on coreg do not have it weaned off, so there is not much data regarding how to discontinue this medication. I suspect that the dose may need to be gradually tapered down over 1-2 weeks, but you will have to check with your cardiologist about this issue. I hope you find this information useful. Information provided in the heart forum is for general purposes only. Only your physician can provide specific diagnoses and therapies. Please feel free to write back with additional questions. Good luck! If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart
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