What can be done for CHF besides duiratecs?

My husband was taking furosemide 40mg twice a day still retaining water so dr has tried bumetanide 1mg twice a day. It really does not seem to be working. We have tried taking 1mg 4xday. He slowly gains weight a pound a day then we double up the pills but his kidneys are being affected. What else can we do. He exercise and we watch the soduim. His kidneys now are being effected. His creatine is now 2.4 and his BUN is 39. Now trying to get in to see a kidney specialist. He has diabeties which is doing very well and high blood pressure not a problem under control along with his cholsteral. He is 73 years old.We go to the gym 4-5 times a week.I am not sure what else we can do. This is just so hard and I am so scared for him. Does anyone have any suggestions???? Is there another medication that he can take that will not be so hard on his kidneys and help with the water retention. Please help

[erijon]

Sorry to hear of your husband's issues. The goal of treatment of CHF is to treat the underlying cause first, improve his symptoms and quality of life, stop the heart failure from getting worse and prolonging life. Much depends on the cause of his CHF, has his doctor discussed the type of CHF your husband has and what the underlying cause is?

Let us know so we can provide more help,

Jon

[laurawall2]

No he has never said. I just assumed because he had heart surgery in 1993, has high blood pressure and diabeties ,which both are controlled with meds, also had a pacemaker put in in April that it was just heart related. Acutually after pacemaker in April he started having shortness of breath in May. He's retenting water but really always has maybe a bit worst but his feet have always been swollen worst in the summer. Then he had a knee replacement in Januray so his leg is swollen but almost back to normal. Just doesn't seem to be getting better and has had a cough since May which I guess is related to CHF.Just so worried about his kidneys.

[erijon]

Can I ask what was the nature of the heart surgery?

[jrbon]

A pacemaker and shortness of breath it is properly regulated?? It is not a Cardiac Resyn device (CRT) which are far more difficult to regulate?

As per the fluids what comes to my mind is:

1) Try different diuretics (already tested)
2) Reduce sodium intake below 1000 mg/day
3) Add potassium spare diuretic (epleronona or spirolactone)
4) Add thiazide diuretic (it works in some cases of diuretic resistance)
5) Use IV Diuretics (far more effective that oral ones)
6) Exercise (already done)
7) If all fails and really needed ... look for micro filtration (sort of dialysis where they extract mechanically all the liquid that is needed)

If he has a low EF, the real risk of fluid retention is the pulmonary edema. If he has chest pain a breathing problems take him to ER.

What does his cardiologist says about short of breath and cough ? Cough can be produced by medication (ACE-I like enalapril, ramipril ... are known to produce it).

Jesus

[laurawall2]

Heart surgery he had blocked arties, I beleive they call it a cabbage.
Yea no chest pains just hard to catch his breath. Shortness of breath because he is retaining water. Cough again because of the CHF. Sodium we have been really watching it.Just trying to get into seeing a kidney specialist. But Cardiologist will not call me back since Monday.

Now they have called and a CAT scan that was done on Sept. 10 showed nodules. NO one said a word. We were in ER because Cardiologist suggested to go so that he could get IV Diuretics they took chest xray and CAT scan. Said we could go home just check in with Cardiologist which we did 9 days later. He said nothing!!! I am so pissed and scared. So have a call into Cardiologist again Tuesday to ask what this is all about called again today still no call back!!!

Hey anyone heard of cornsilk tea to help improve kidneys? Kind of weird today Jim has really bad muscle cramps I think because of the diuretics. This bus boy just zonned in on him and said that he was having kidney problems just like that kind of crazy I know. But was telling us some things to do,kind of hard to understand speaks spanish. Very nice so cornsilk tea which told me how to make and also to put lemon on his lips and also make a tea using pineapple skin. Don't laugh I am sure some of the old reamdys work.

[laurawall2]

Heart surgery he had blocked arties, I beleive they call it a cabbage.
Yea no chest pains just hard to catch his breath. Shortness of breath because he is retaining water. Cough again because of the CHF. Sodium we have been really watching it.Just trying to get into seeing a kidney specialist. But Cardiologist will not call me back since Monday.

Now they have called and a CAT scan that was done on Sept. 10 showed nodules. NO one said a word. We were in ER because Cardiologist suggested to go so that he could get IV Diuretics they took chest xray and CAT scan. Said we could go home just check in with Cardiologist which we did 9 days later. He said nothing!!! I am so pissed and scared. So have a call into Cardiologist again Tuesday to ask what this is all about called again today still no call back!!!

Hey anyone heard of cornsilk tea to help improve kidneys? Kind of weird today Jim has really bad muscle cramps I think because of the diuretics. This bus boy just zonned in on him and said that he was having kidney problems just like that kind of crazy I know. But was telling us some things to do,kind of hard to understand speaks spanish. Very nice so cornsilk tea which told me how to make and also to put lemon on his lips and also make a tea using pineapple skin. Don't laugh I am sure some of the old reamdys work.
.

[grendslori]

Gee.....let's see......you have a cardiologist who can't take 5 minutes out of his day to help your husband feel better and to help give you some peace of mind? Well....we'll just see about that! Here's a piece of advice and they will just love you for this one; every medical facility should have a doctor who is in charge of Quality Control for all of the physcians working within their network. Threaten to call that Quality Control physican and file a formal complaint! You may end up with the best care you have ever seen!

In the meantime: find out if your husband can be given Torsamide as a diuretic; it works real well for me and my dauyghter is also taking it as Lasix pooped out on both of us. The IV works better than pills if you can get him admitted for the IV treatment. Take care