CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE

[Melissa]

MY FATHER IN LAW, 71 YEAR OLD, HISTORY OF VERY CONTROLLED DIABETES, WHOM MOST OF HIS LIFE HAS BEEN ON DISABILITY DUE TO SOMETHING CALLED SILICOSIS OF THE LUNGS(I MAY BE SPELLING IT INCORRECTLY, BUT ITIS DUST ONTHE LUNGS)WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN CONTROLLED WITH MEDICATION. HE OBTAINED FROM A FACTORY, HAS RECENTLY BEEN TOLD THAT HE HAS CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE WITH A PERCENTAGE OF 13%. I TAKE IT THIS MEANS EJECTION FIGURE, THE DOCTORS HERE HAVE TOLD HIM THAT BECAUSE OF THE CONDITION OF HIS LUNGS, HE IS NOT A CANDIDATE FOR A HEART TRANSPLANT.HE RECENTLY HAS BEGUN TO USE OXYGEN OCCASIONALLY, HOWEVER HIS O2 LEVELS STAY NORMAL, HIS BLOOD PRESSURE IS NORMAL, AND BEFORE A FEW WEEKS AGO WAS IN PRETTY GOOD HEALTH, HE OFTEN WENT OUT OF TOWN GAMBLING AND SUCH. HIS DOCTOR TRIED TO PUT HIM ON COREG, BUT THAT DID NOT DO WELL WITH HIM,IT MADE HIM SHORTER OF BREATH. HE NOW TAKES LANOXIN, VASOTEC, LASIX, SOME DIURETIC MEDICATION(PRESCRIPTION),ASPIRIN, AND OCCASIONALY THROUGHOUT THE DAY WILL USE HIS OXYGEN. WE ARE VERY CONCERNED, SINCE COMING HOME, HE HAS BEEN DEPRESSED SINCE HE CANNOT GET OUT AND GO, WHILE IN THE HOSPITAL, HE HAD A VERY GOOD APETITE,BUT DAYS AFTER COMING HOME, HE LOST IT, WE BELIEVE, AS WELL AS THE DOCTOR, BECAUSE HE IS DEPRESSED, THE DOCTOR IS GOING TO GIVE HIM SOMETHING FOR THAT.  HOWEVER, ISNT THERE ANY OTHER DRUGS THEY COULD TRY, AS WELL AS ANY OTHER SURGERY. HE NOT SO LONG AGO GOT AROUND PERFECT,AND NOW SAYS HE FEELS GOOD, BUT JUST DOES NOT HAVE ANY STRENGTH, HIS LUNGS ALSO REMAIN CLEAR, WITH NO FLUID. THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING ELSE WE CAN TRY, HIS DOCTOR IS ONLY A LUNG DOCTOR AND WE FELT SOMEONE MAY KNOW HERE BETTER. PLEASE GIVE ANY SUGGESTIONS OF TRIALS,MEDS, OR SURGERIES THEY MAY TRY. WE ARE DESPERATE.

[Cleveland Clinic, MD]

Dear Melissa,

I don't know of any other medical options available to him right now other than medication and supportive care.  Depression is not uncommon in individuals with serious health conditions.  There are good medications that can help with this and he should discuss this with his doctor.  In addition, counseling with a trusted individual such as his pastor or rabbi is very important in dealing with end of life issues.

[Apple Annie]

Mellisa,--- My Mother was recently diagnosed with CHF.She now has a multitude of heart problems as a result of CHF  distruction.The docs. have started her on a multitude of different meds. We have had to change meds. quite   a bit due to side effects of these meds. cardiac meds. cause a variety of awful side effects some more tolerable then others.I have found the side effects range from coughing severely to  decreased appetite i.e. mild to severe. Anyways,we have found out there are many different meds. which can be substituted for one another when unacceptable side effects for that person occur.Amongst these side effects can be depression or decreased appetite.My mother always seemed to have a great appetite in the hospital then at home.I think this happened because 1- she was more at ease knowing there was a dr. and nurse there in case anything happened. 2- they gave her intravenous meds. which helped her breathing and energy level increase .and3- she didn't have to do anything but eat and sleep giving her more strength to eat and sleep.Most of all  I think it was because the Congestive  Heart Failure was controlled best at the Hospital.Getting the meds. right for each person can be a long grueling ordeal in itself from what I hear. I would definately get a CARDIOLOGIST to help your Father. We are going to a special Heart Failure Clinic and all the nurse does there is see CHF clients. She does everything from getting your meds. RIGHT FOR YOU to teaching you all she knows about your specific heart problems. This prevents hospital stays and many other problems including anxietythat goes along with CHF.If you  think something is not right insist the Dr.  tries something different. GOOD LUCK!!!!      2/12/01

[Apple Annie]

Mellisa,--- My Mother was recently diagnosed with CHF.She now has a multitude of heart problems as a result of CHF  distruction.The docs. have started her on a multitude of different meds. We have had to change meds. quite   a bit due to side effects of these meds. cardiac meds. cause a variety of awful side effects some more tolerable then others.I have found the side effects range from coughing severely to  decreased appetite i.e. mild to severe. Anyways,we have found out there are many different meds. which can be substituted for one another when unacceptable side effects for that person occur.Amongst these side effects can be depression or decreased appetite.My mother always seemed to have a great appetite in the hospital then at home.I think this happened because 1- she was more at ease knowing there was a dr. and nurse there in case anything happened. 2- they gave her intravenous meds. which helped her breathing and energy level increase .and3- she didn't have to do anything but eat and sleep giving her more strength to eat and sleep.Most of all  I think it was because the Congestive  Heart Failure was controlled best at the Hospital.Getting the meds. right for each person can be a long grueling ordeal in itself from what I hear. I would definately get a CARDIOLOGIST to help your Father. We are going to a special Heart Failure Clinic and all the nurse does there is see CHF clients. She does everything from getting your meds. RIGHT FOR YOU to teaching you all she knows about your specific heart problems. This prevents hospital stays and many other problems including anxietythat goes along with CHF.If you  think something is not right insist the Dr.  tries something different. GOOD LUCK!!!!      2/12/01

[Paul New]

Have you heard about EECP offered by Vasomedical? Here is their site.

http://www.naturalbypass.com/

If you would like more information please e-mail ma at this site. P


http://sites.netscape.net/pnewpppppp/Myhomepage.html

[concerned]

I'm not a doctor, but you might want to read up on Co-enzyme Q-10.  Doctors in Japan have great faith in it for congestive heart failure. I was quite impressed with the findings, and take it myself for MVP.

[Chris-a]

I am interested in finding out about EECP, but would like to hear from someone who has tried it. Would it help my inoperable coronary artery disease?I am 61 and this heart trouble has left me disabled.