6 replies to this topic

[JoshLee]

Hi,

     I have been on Tasigna for 9 days now and have so far been pleased with lack of side effects. However, something that has happened is that I have been having random heart palpitations. I had my EKG on day 7 and my oncologist and cardiologist said it was fine. However, my Onc. did tell me that my QT interval had elongated, but that it was not anything near dangerous He said that the current reading would be my new baseline. After doing some research on Tasigna I noticed in a couple of different drug discriptions that say that Tasigna does elongate the QT interval. Is it cause for concern that my QT interval elongated slightly? Or should I trust my Onc.? Should I be really concerned about the palpitations or is this a side effect that will go away with time? I am not trying to be paranoid, but just vigilant as this is all new to me. Thanks for your time and answers. -Josh

[jwbwater]

Hi Josh,

I've been on Tasigna for 8 or 9 weeks and also have heart palpitations, they are much less severe and less frequent now than they were when I started Tasigna.  I have had  3 or 4 EKGs and have been assured by my oncologist as well as an ER doc that my heart is fine so I don't worry about it anymore.

One thing you may want to consider is that low magnesium levels can cause heart  arrhythmias and many medications can cause mineral depletion.  You might talk to your doctor about supplimenting magnesium, or just eat a lot of vegetables

Jim

[janner25]

Hi Josh - I too had the palpitations and my heart was racing. Went for full cardio work up - stress test - multiple EKGs, ECG...all came back fine.  It has gotten much better the longer I've been on it.

Good luck .

[CallMeLucky]

I don't want to minimize the seriousness of what could potentially be happening, but if the doctors are saying your heart is fine, just keep in mind that high stress can result in heart palpitations as well.  When I first started Gleevec I was having palpitations, but it also coincided with my diagnosis, the first few months were hard.  I still get the palps occasionally, but they usually pass pretty quickly.  Be diligent about folowing up on it but if it looks like it is okay from a medical perspective, then try to give it time to settle down.

Hope you feel better soon.

[JoshLee]

Thanks for your replies everyone. It's great to have this site to ask questions and raise concerns. Also, thanks for being so welcoming. I am going to the clinic today for another EKG....I think my Onc. is just doing this for me to ease my mind a little bit, but who knows, it could be something fishy? I have been feeling great since starting Tasigna and except for these random palpitations I have no real side effects to complain about yet. Let's keep our fingers crossed for that. I am getting back to work for the first time since I got my diagnosis in December. I am a tubist and next weekend I am subbing with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. So excited to be getting my feet wet again. Hope you are all doing well and I'll keep you updated. Thank You again for the responses.