Heart Failure Support Group
Heart failure is a condition that can result from any structural or functional cardiac disorder that impairs the ability of the heart to fill with or pump a sufficient amount of blood throughout the body. It is often undiagnosed due to a lack of a universally agreed definition and difficulties in diagnosis, particularly when the condition is considered "mild."
Hi to all, I'm Frank, from Mexico, in June I was hospitalize. I felt bad after taking a shower and 2 days later I was feeling really bad, so I went to the hospital and surprise, the doc tells me "you had a heart attack" and guess what, this is your second one!!!!!!!!!
I'm 39 years old, have a 7 year old daughter and at the time my wife pregnant with my second daughter.
So I had a catheterization, then a second one and then a open heart surgery.
I was left with an ef of 33%, enlarged heart, etc.
This has been really hard for me, you know adapting, asimilating, etc.
I'm writing because today, I've been spitting a lot o f blood with the phlegms, and I mean red not pink, and that makes me feel scare.
It's been cold down here (not as much as in the US) and I do my cardio walk every evening, last night I was getting a running nose, so I don't know if it can be normal or if it's a valve that's been deteriorating.
I'm taking plavix, furosemide, espirinolactone, metropolol, valsartan, lipitor, aspirine and sodic levotiroxine.
Don't know if any of you have a similar experience....
I'm 39 years old, have a 7 year old daughter and at the time my wife pregnant with my second daughter.
So I had a catheterization, then a second one and then a open heart surgery.
I was left with an ef of 33%, enlarged heart, etc.
This has been really hard for me, you know adapting, asimilating, etc.
I'm writing because today, I've been spitting a lot o f blood with the phlegms, and I mean red not pink, and that makes me feel scare.
It's been cold down here (not as much as in the US) and I do my cardio walk every evening, last night I was getting a running nose, so I don't know if it can be normal or if it's a valve that's been deteriorating.
I'm taking plavix, furosemide, espirinolactone, metropolol, valsartan, lipitor, aspirine and sodic levotiroxine.
Don't know if any of you have a similar experience....
The spirinolactone at 50mg is half of maximum dosage
The ferosimide at 20mg is lowest dosage available.
But I imagine side eff3ects can occur at any dosages.
Regards,
Just Joe
I'm writing to see if you can clear some stuff for me.
I've gained 5 kilos of weight, and now I feel more tire than before, does it has to do with the excess weight I'm carrying?
My cardiologist, recommended that I havea tricameral pacemaker / defibrillator installed (LOL sounded like I'm a piece of hardware), to protect me and to try to raise my EF.
My question is, if my EF improves, would I be able to do more stuff? walk longer periods of time, do more physical activities? depend a little less on water pills, etc...
Please, someone with a tricameral, tell me everything... I need to know...
My experience, and all what I have learn, tells me that EF has little relation with the symptoms that you suffer. All depends on how you heart accommodates and how your body reacts. Just as an example, I have and EF of 23% and I am practically symptom free.
Having said that, the 3 camera defibrillator, can make you feel better, independently of weather it increase or not your EF. Your heart might be suffering some problems with the rhythm that is has, either arrhythmias, too long intervals or de-synchrony ... otherwise they will not indicate a 3 camera defib. Any / all of the above can be fixed with the 3 chambers defib and that will make you feel better.
Now you should weight the symptoms that you have now with the possible benefits: I would ask the cardiologist, Why does he recommends that particular device?. As I said I do think it is ONLY because a low EF.
A couple of questions, how do you feel? What symptoms do you have now?
Is your nick name (Bla(c)kVipper?) an indication that you are afro-american?
I am asking that because, if the answer is yes and you still are on the same medication that you indicated initially, a would like to make you a couple of suggestions.
Jesus
"As I said I do think it is NOT ONLY because a low EF. "
I still take the same medication as mentioned in my first post.
Regarding my symptoms, I feel better on the afternoons than the mornings, when sometimes I feel very weak, specially on the legs. Don't know what else you'd like to know, since I feel a lot of stuff...
You are now 1 year from your Heart Attack, do you know what your EF it is now?
Do you know why the Dr. recommend the defib.? It is just because the EF?
As per the symptoms, beside the week legs, what else you have ... short of breath, chess pain or pressure, dizziness, fluid retentions ...
For the week legs, how are you taking your medication?, If you take it all at once in the morning, I am surprised that you do not have it every day....
Personally, I take the lasix early in the morning, I set the alarm clock about 2 hours in advance of my normal get up and take it. That means that when I take other pills with breakfast, it is already 2 and half hours later. Also when I get out I no longer have the urgency to pee.
The metoprol, I understand that you can divide the dose between breakfast and dinner and the espironolactone, which also has diuretic effect I take it at lunch time. Of course the lipitor it is better to take it at dinner.
Now, it is very important that you control your thyroid at least every year or often and never forget your levotiroxine that should be taken in the morning.
Well, most probably you already know all this ...but just in case.
Jesus
Like I said, I feel better in the afternoons than in the mornings, I guess it has to do with the meds.
Reviewing my first post, I skiped a medicine, it's amiodarone, for my arritmias, which is the main reason the doctor recommended the tricameral/defib pace maker. He also told me about having a chance to improve my EF (last time checked was 33% as mentioned in the first post).
Last week I changed my Valsartan to the night, according to an article I read on the web.
My main concern right now is the tireness I feel, my guess is the excess weight I have on me (I'm currentloy weighting 95 kilos), so any advice is appreciated.
In my view there are 2 reasons for that :
1) if you have too low BP due to medication. But this normally you should get used after a few weeks.
2) The normal evolution of the sickness.
For that second problem, I managed to get rid of tiredness (most of the time) by taking supplements; Vitamin D, Taurine, D-Ribose, Coenzyme Q10, Omega 3, Vitamin B, Selenium.
As per the Forosemide, if you have no fluid retentions, you may try not to take it every day.
I weight myself daily and now only take it once per week... I normally lose 1 Kg in 3 hours that then I accumulate over the week.
I did not mention before, but a key point, for me, is have a very low intake of salt. In fact I do not add any salt to my food.
If you want to see tricks on how to cook without salt, you can have a look to my Spanish page:
www.cardiacos.net.
Jesus