Congested Heart Failure

[lostindoubt]

My husband, who is only 26 years old, has been diagnosed with congestive heart failure about 2 years ago.  At the age of 24, he had cancer that was located in and around his chest.  After 3 months of chemo and radiation, he had surgery to remove the rest of his cancer.  The doctors had removed his cancer, his left lung (it had collapsed because the tumor was sitting on top for so long), and the sac lining around his heart.  He has been cancer free since his surgery and had been doing fine.  Then about 6 months later he suddenly developed a large amount of fluid accumulation only in the abdomen area.  The doctors thought it might have to do with the liver so they performed a liver biopsy.  

During the biopsy, he had a cardiac arrest and was in the ICU for about a week.  The results for the biopsy showed that it was enlarge probably due to the fluid.  The cardiologist told us that he had congestive heart failure due to his cardiac arrest and that is the reason for the accumulation of fluid.  They have prescribed him heart medications and diuretics but the diuretic doesn’t seem to help.  He’s been having a paracentesis done about once a month to relieve the pressure and the usually take about 3 to 4 liters each time.  He is on a strict sodium diet with only 2,000 mg a day.  He had a recent Ekg done and the doctor said that he has a strong heart.

Also before all of this had happened, he was the picture of good health.  He was an upcoming professional boxer and exercised religiously.  He doesn’t smoke or drink.  Then all of a sudden he’s been having one problem after another.  I’m just hoping to maybe get some kind of answer or maybe someone is or has experienced the same thing.

My questions are:

1. Could he have been misdiagnosed with congestive heart failure?  Cardiologist said his CHF was due to the cardiac arrest, but that doesn’t explain the fluid accumulation before hand.

2. Would the removal of the sac lining around the heart have caused the CHF?

3. Is it normal to have this much fluid accumulation within a short period of time?  Many CHF patients I know don’t have nearly that amount of fluid especially in the abdomen.  

4. Does this sound like it could be another underlying cause rather than the CHF?

Someone, anyone, PLEASE HELP!!

[ajrenalli]

noooo, that is not normal.  My heart goes out to you.  Maybe a stronger diuretic?  Bumex often works when lasix begins to fail.

[lostindoubt]

Yes, he had a liver and kidney function test not too long ago and the doctors said that everything looked fine.  He also sees his oncologies about once a month as well.  Is it normal to accumulate that much fluid?  Thank you for your response.

[ajrenalli]

I am so sorry.  I know what you both are going through.  Yes, I do think your husband had chf, and no, I do not think it was from the pericardectomy.  The fluid in the abdomen is called ascites, and is often caused by liver malfunction.  Has he had his liver checked lately?  That is a common site for metastasis.