Anyone take new drug Camzyos (mavacamten) for HCM?

Posted by captainterry @captainterry, May 25, 2022

Since FDA approval in April has anyone (non-clinical trial patient) actually obtained a prescription and had it filled? If so, when and where was the cardiologist located? Is the registration process for doctor/patient/Rx taking a long time for this much anticipated drug?
Thanks from a fellow patient!

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Support Group.

Thank you @nbs. Your insights are really helpful. I am afraid that the combination of the two drugs may slow my heart too much, too quickly. I have not found the Dilitiazem to be particularly helpful anyway over the years. I was misdiagnosed for years. I trust my new cardiologist. But I also give great weight to first hand experiences. Thanks again.

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@jaymaysea

Good Morning HCM Family, I took my first Camzyos pill this morning. So begins my journey to a better quality of life.

I am currently on Diltiazem (240mg) which is one of the drugs that is usually not recommended to be taken with Camzyos because it increases the risk of heart failure. My Dr. wants me to continue taking the Diltiazem with the Camzyos for 14 days. Has anyone else had a similar direction from their Dr. regarding a calcium channel blocker? I am the “trust by verify” member of the group.

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I was changed from Metropolol to Diltiazem before I started taking Camzyos and I had a terrible reaction to it. I was already struggling, but Diltiazem made it worse. I felt like I was going to die-it really made me struggle for breath. I couldn't walk from my car to my school office without getting really winded and having to stop a few times. Then the trek to my classroom seemed like a mile away. He switched me back to Metropolol and I was immediately better. I have also questioned continuing with Metropolol and Pantoprazole because they both come up as a drug interaction. I questioned my doctor and the specialty pharmacists and they all said it is fine. Is anyone else on either of those?

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@captainterry

Jess: I am a 73 year old male with a long standing diagnosis of Obstructive HCM. Over time my HCM progressed and I experienced the expected symptoms and clinical data of progressive heart failure. I am otherwise in generally good health, but my heart condition required significant and frustrating adjustments to my activities of daily living.
GOOD NEWS! I began Camzyos in May 2022. After three daily 5mg doses all symptoms were gone. I thought it was psychosomatic! Now after 7 months all is still excellent and after a couple of months the dosage was reduced to 2.5mg daily. I have been under a very strict protocol of monitoring and testing (MD visits, echos, and EKG).
Camzyos does not work for everyone and might he dangerous for some. But it is worth a try under expert supervision and careful follow up.
Camzyos has been a life changer for me! I can only thank God, my cardiology specialist in HCM, and his team in Memphis, Tn. And, the increadible brains that invented this new drug!
Peace!

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Thank you for sharing your experience @captainterry. I have been advised by my Cardiologist to take this medication as one of the options. I am trying to weigh my options and determine should I go ahead with this medication or opt for alcohol septal ablation? I am 40 years male.

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@kelliw

I was changed from Metropolol to Diltiazem before I started taking Camzyos and I had a terrible reaction to it. I was already struggling, but Diltiazem made it worse. I felt like I was going to die-it really made me struggle for breath. I couldn't walk from my car to my school office without getting really winded and having to stop a few times. Then the trek to my classroom seemed like a mile away. He switched me back to Metropolol and I was immediately better. I have also questioned continuing with Metropolol and Pantoprazole because they both come up as a drug interaction. I questioned my doctor and the specialty pharmacists and they all said it is fine. Is anyone else on either of those?

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My cardiologist switched me from Nexium to Pantoprazole in anticipation of taking Camzyos. When I gave the speciality pharmacist my list of meds, she said Pantoprazole was fine. If you put it into Drugs.Com it indicates a moderate interaction rather than major.

I am on currently on Diltiazem and my Dr. took me to overlap the two drugs for two weeks because he wants the Camzyos to build up in my system. I am taking the Camzyos in the morning and the Diltiazem in the evening. This is only my second day. So I have only overlapped the meds for one day. The experience of another member of our group was that the positive effects of Camzyos were felt after only a few days and they were told to stop a med similar to Diltiazem 2 weeks before they started Camzyos. So I am being mindful that I may not need to take both for two weeks.

I think cardiologist and pharmacist are still figuring the interactions out and while you shouldn’t ignore their advice you have to listen to your body and let them know what is working and what is not.

I really appreciate you bringing Pantoprazole to my attention. I had assumed it was fine. While Bristol Myers Squibb has a list of meds that are counter indicated, the DrugRX site identifies additional meds that are not on the BMS list of meds that are not recommended.

Trust but verify!

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@saurabhshrivastava20

Thank you for sharing your experience @captainterry. I have been advised by my Cardiologist to take this medication as one of the options. I am trying to weigh my options and determine should I go ahead with this medication or opt for alcohol septal ablation? I am 40 years male.

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My specialist cardologist analogized an alcohol ablation to a controlled heart attack, because it destroys heart muscle. He also advised that in some cases a pacemaker may be necessary after the procedure. But, said it was an option. My regular cardiologist advised against an alcohol ablation and said it was not imprecise enough. She thought I should go straight to surgery.

When I first came to the group my question was whether I should try Camzyos or go directly to open heart surgery. I decided to give it a try. It is not for everyone. This is my second day. I am praying it works for me.

There is lots of really good information on this site. I encourage you to take some time and read over the comments. I think you will find them helpful in making your decision.

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@jaymaysea

My cardiologist switched me from Nexium to Pantoprazole in anticipation of taking Camzyos. When I gave the speciality pharmacist my list of meds, she said Pantoprazole was fine. If you put it into Drugs.Com it indicates a moderate interaction rather than major.

I am on currently on Diltiazem and my Dr. took me to overlap the two drugs for two weeks because he wants the Camzyos to build up in my system. I am taking the Camzyos in the morning and the Diltiazem in the evening. This is only my second day. So I have only overlapped the meds for one day. The experience of another member of our group was that the positive effects of Camzyos were felt after only a few days and they were told to stop a med similar to Diltiazem 2 weeks before they started Camzyos. So I am being mindful that I may not need to take both for two weeks.

I think cardiologist and pharmacist are still figuring the interactions out and while you shouldn’t ignore their advice you have to listen to your body and let them know what is working and what is not.

I really appreciate you bringing Pantoprazole to my attention. I had assumed it was fine. While Bristol Myers Squibb has a list of meds that are counter indicated, the DrugRX site identifies additional meds that are not on the BMS list of meds that are not recommended.

Trust but verify!

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Thank you for your response! I am sooo thankful for this forum and that we can all do this journey together! It is so helpful! 🙂

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@jaymaysea

My specialist cardologist analogized an alcohol ablation to a controlled heart attack, because it destroys heart muscle. He also advised that in some cases a pacemaker may be necessary after the procedure. But, said it was an option. My regular cardiologist advised against an alcohol ablation and said it was not imprecise enough. She thought I should go straight to surgery.

When I first came to the group my question was whether I should try Camzyos or go directly to open heart surgery. I decided to give it a try. It is not for everyone. This is my second day. I am praying it works for me.

There is lots of really good information on this site. I encourage you to take some time and read over the comments. I think you will find them helpful in making your decision.

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I am so hopeful for you that you will have the same success that many of us have had! I noticed a difference within a couple of days. It feels so wonderful to have my life back and to be able to walk again, play golf, lawn bowl, and today even started water aerobics again! Please keep us posted how you are feeling! 🙂

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Thank you! I have been hypersensitivity to every twitch of my body since I started on Monday. My blood pressure was up yesterday; it was probably because my anxiety level is so high. But, I feel positive and pray that Camzyos works for me. I will keep the group posted on my progress.

This group has made such a difference for me. It really helped me to move forward. Thanks to each of you.

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@saurabhshrivastava20

Thank you for sharing your experience @captainterry. I have been advised by my Cardiologist to take this medication as one of the options. I am trying to weigh my options and determine should I go ahead with this medication or opt for alcohol septal ablation? I am 40 years male.

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Hello @saurabhshrivastava20, and welcome to Mayo Connect. You will find that if you spend any time on here, you are not alone and the community really wants to share their experiences to help one another. There is nothing like Mayo Connect, and @jaymaysea has offered you some really good advice. Camzyos is relatively new, and therefore there is not a lot of history with it yet. It has been a "miracle" for some, and for others quite the opposite. One thing for sure is, having HOCM and trying to decide on trying a new drug versus open heart surgery or alcohol ablation is not an easy decision. From what I know, and I am not an expert, the alcohol ablation is not as controlled a procedure as a septal myectomy. Of course your doctor is the one who gave you your options, but I honestly feel you need to educate yourself as much as possible about HCM and the various treatments available so you can be your own best advocate. Take a poke around in here. You will find a lot of good information that may help you in your decision. Also, it is super important that your doctor is familiar with HCM, do you know if your doctor is specialized in treatment of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy? How long have you known you had HCM?

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@jaymaysea

Thank you! I have been hypersensitivity to every twitch of my body since I started on Monday. My blood pressure was up yesterday; it was probably because my anxiety level is so high. But, I feel positive and pray that Camzyos works for me. I will keep the group posted on my progress.

This group has made such a difference for me. It really helped me to move forward. Thanks to each of you.

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I can imagine you must be anxious @jaymaysea! I know I would be too 😮
I suppose two days is not enough time to determine it's working yet. But every person is unique so who knows? I'm glad you are feeling positive and pray. That is a great approach to this situation. Looking forward to hearing back from you on your progress.

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