Sabrina Cuddy • September 26, 2023
It’s Emotional Wellness October!

If you’re  Newly Diagnosed  with HCM or have been living with symptoms for a long time, you may sometimes struggle with the emotional aspects of this condition. The HCMA is here to help you! Here are some of the resources we have available:

Twice a month, we offer  Emotional Support Discussion Groups  via Zoom. These sessions are a great place to learn coping skills, talk about your feelings, and meet your peers so you know you aren’t alone! You can also find Zoom groups on our calendar for other topics in HCM that may help you feel better.

From our Big Hearted Warriors Unite Tour, during the 3/10/22 session with  Ascension St. Thomas Heart , there is a video segment by Dr. Ronald Salomon titled “Coping with HCM – Building Resilience.” Dr. Salomon is a psychiatrist working within the HCM Center of Excellence, which gives him a unique understanding of the challenges of those living with HCM. This segment starts around 1 hour 26 minutes into the video.

If you aren’t already a member of our  Facebook private group , consider joining! Simply request to join the group and answer the 4 questions. Only those with HCM or close family members are allowed to join, so you can get the perspective of others living with HCM and be supported by your peers.

If you need more emotional health care, don’t be embarrassed to talk to a therapist. It isn’t a weakness that you need a specialist to care for your heart, and it isn’t weak to find a specialist to care for your mind! Ask your medical care team if they can recommend a mental health therapist specializing in HCM or chronic illness. You may need to research if they don’t know one in your area. You may also need to try several therapists to find one that clicks with you – that will make a difference in how much they can help you!
As a patient advocate, I believe that treating the whole person is essential, which means your mind, emotional state, and physical symptoms. One example is how you can increase an arrhythmia by becoming anxious when it happens. Of course, it’s natural to be anxious when your heart does something unusual, but through mindfulness, relaxation, and other coping techniques, you can avoid making yourself feel worse. You can balance your emotional state by educating yourself about when the feelings in your body are important signals to pay attention to and call your doctor about and when those feelings are things you can safely ignore. The  HCMA  can help you become educated in general, and talking with your medical team can help you become educated about your individual condition.

HCMA Blog

April 30, 2025
Medical Management means using medicines and other non-invasive therapies to relieve symptoms. It's exciting that new treatments for HCM are being studied and that the FDA approved Camzyos in 2022! HCM can cause various symptoms depending on how stiff the heart is, how much scarring (fibrosis) there is, and whether there is obstruction. Some people have no noticeable symptoms. Common symptoms are chest pain/pressure, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, fatigue, palpitations, and brain fog. Syncope (fainting) is dramatic but not as common as the other symptoms. Medications are the first-line treatment for symptoms of HCM. If patients can't take one class of medication, they can try a medication from a different class. Here are some medications used to treat HCM and what they're for: Beta Blockers - make your heart beat slower and relax better. They allow the heart to fill more completely between beats. They can lower blood pressure and relieve symptoms. Calcium Channel Blockers - used to lower blood pressure and slow the heart rate. May reduce symptoms from obstruction in HCM. Myosin Inhibitors - cause the heart to beat with less force. They may reduce obstruction and septal thickness in some patients. Camzyos (mavacamten) is the first of this class of medication. For more information, click HERE . Antiarrhythmics - help to restore normal rhythm in the heart. Blood Thinners - anticoagulants and anti-platelets make it harder for blood to clot. They are prescribed to reduce the risk of stroke. This risk is higher in patients with afib, aflutter, and artificial heart valves. Diuretics , or "water pills," help the kidneys get rid of extra water and salt, reducing swelling in the body. Sodium Channel Blockers - may reduce gradient in obstructive HCM and can treat chest pain. Some also act as antiarrhythmics. Antibiotics - treat or prevent bacterial infections. In HCM, they may be given before dental work to prevent infective endocarditis. To learn more and see the side effects of these medications, click HERE .
On a green background, a line drawing of a head that has complicated arrows pointing outwards
By Gordon Fox April 25, 2025
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