Alcohol

[Susie41]

My mother was diagnosed with Cardiomyopathy, and also a valve problem (not sure what that is), the doctor told her that it was caused by Chemo from her Breast Cancer Treatment.  She is a very serious binge drinker, where she cannot walk or function.  The Cardiologist does not know this, and had told her that she is not allowed to touch alcohol with the condition that she has.  However, she continues to drink to excess (for a healthy person), and seems to think that this is not affecting her, because she feels okay.  Can you tell me what the likely outcome will be if she continues on this path, and what happens to the heart everytime she has a drinking session, could she have a sudden heart attack??  She is on all of the meds for this condition, do they become less effective if she's drinking??
Susana Martinez

[kenkeith]

Susana, there is no absolute answer to your question whether or not a lifestyle, drinking, etc. will effect one's health and to what degree.  However, the probability for further deterioration is very high for an unfavorable outcome if there is no change.  Heart medication can slow or stop the progression of heart disease (sometimes reverse), but all risk factors that can be controlled should be to enabled  the most benefical results.

It is entirely possible that if your mother abruptly stops drinking without medical help there can be unfavorable health results.  Alcohol is a drug as is medication and to stop "cold turkey" can cause a serious event as the system has adjusted and compensated for the physical status quo.

[Susie41]

Does this mean that if she continues drinking that even on the meds that she's on for her heart condition, that the heart will continue to deteriorate??

Thanks,
Susana

[kenkeith]

Alcohol, some medication, drugs, etc. damage  heart cells.  Heart cell damage impedes the heart's pumping ability, and the heart increases in size (enlarged heart wall and chamber size and/or damaged heart cells is cardiomyopathy.  If the underlying casuse is not successfully treated the heart will get weaker and eventually fail to meet the systems demand for blood/oxygen.