Cardiomyopathy

[Kthrnortega83]

I am a 29 year old female. Just recently diagnosed with Viral Cardiomyopathy. I have a history of A-Fib and hyopthyroidism however thyroid levels are stable. I was having some symptoms of numbness and tingling in my left arm which concerned my Cardiologist. He ordered a stress test and echo which showed a left bundle branch block. I was sent for an mri with and without contrast. My cardiologist told me the results were compatible with viral cardiomyopathy. At some point I had myocarditis that affected my heart. He said I have patches of scar tissue. My ejection fraction dropped from 65% to 45% in a 2 year period. I am not having severe symptoms. I am more tired than usual and retaining more fluid and have some numbness in my left arm. However my Cardiologist says he thinks we can reverse this. Is this true? Can viral cardiomyopathies be reversed or at least prevented from getting worse with the medications? I"m young and I have children. I would hate to see anything ever happen to me. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

[ed34]

They have obviously run blood tests to ensure that the virus is under control, and more importantly that your immune system is not attacking your own heart muscle. If the virus was attacking your heart muscle, then the protein surrounding the virus must be very close to that of heart muscle, which can confuse the immune system. If your immune system matches the protein of the virus, which it will, and the virus protein is a close match to cardiac muscle cells, then the immune system will be fooled into thinking your heart is a virus. Autoimmune problems can usually be overcome with suppressants.

[erijon]

Yes, there are drugs that can help raise your EF%. Also, if there have been some structural changes in your heart due to the cardiomyopathy, the heart can remodel itself back to normal in many cases once the underlying cause has been corrected for instance if your heart has dilated. The key is how much heart muscle has been permanently damaged, which must not be much if your doctor feels you can reverse the condition. The left bundle branch block will need to be watched as it can cause rhythm issues in a compromised heart so make sure to ask about that. You are young and should be able to get back to a normal EF% and quality of life without long term effects.

Good luck,

Jon