Treatment:

You may be placed on a low-salt diet. The amount of liquids you drink may be restricted. It is very important that you stop drinking alcohol completely.

Heart failure may be treated with:

• ACE inhibitors
• Beta blockers
• Diuretics (furosemide and spironolactone)

In people with congestive heart failure and severely weakened heart pumping, an implantable defibrillator (ICD) may help them live longer. Sometimes a biventricular pacemaker can improve symptoms and quality of life. The health care provider may recommend a single device that combines a biventricular pacemaker and an ICD.

A heart transplant may be considered when the cardiomyopathy is not reversible.

Eventually, nutritional problems involving thiamine, phosphorus, potassium, or magnesium levels may require treatment.

Support Groups:

For more information on support groups where members share common experiences and problems, see alcoholism support groups and heart disease support groups.

Expectations (prognosis):

Not drinking any alcohol may stop the disease and improve the heart's functioning. However, people with severe heart damage may never return to normal.

Once the heart damage and heart failure is irreversible, the outlook is poor.

Complications:

• Congestive heart failure
• Heart arrhythmias, including lethal arrhythmias

Calling your health care provider:

Call your provider if you have:

• Symptoms of heart failure or cardiomyopathy
• Been diagnosed with alcoholic cardiomyopathy and your symptoms do not improve with treatment

Go to the emergency room or call 911 if you have alcoholic cardiomyopathy and experience:

• Fainting
• Palpitations
• Severe chest pain