I can't tell you to increase your medication, I'm not a doctor.
My best advice is to tell you to call your doctor and ask them. A lot can be done over the phone when it comes to doctors. You will most likely talk to your doctor's nurse and then sit and wait for a call back, but I think Lasix is something they could increase over the phone, provided you tell them why you think you need to increase the medication.
You could try increasing the dose to 80 mg/day, on your own, but doctors don't like it when a patient tries to diagnose themselves, and take more medication than they have prescribed. So.....call your doctor's office and be persistant until they give you an answer.
Good luck!
Thank you so much!
Wow, I am only taking 40 mg of lasix, once a day. I asked them before I left if I could take more and they just told me to talk with my doctor on the follow up visit. But that's 1 week away and in the meantime I am gaining 1 pound a day. I've hardly had anything with sodium and I've drank only what they told me I could have since I left the hospital but I am still gaining! So should I try increasing my lasix to 80 mg once a day? I need to do something.
"heaviness started, an awful heaviness in my stomach and legs with shortness of breath" most likely cause would be heart failure, or Congestive Heart Failure, which in itself means that your heart is losing it's ability to move the fluids out of your system.
If you follow a strict, low sodium diet, it will help your situation greatly. Also, if you smoke, quit, and if you drink alcohol, quit. If you have any excess weight, lose it.
You don't say what the dosage of lasix is for you. I take 160 mg a day, and have been told it may go as high as 500 mg a day as my CHF progresses, in order to keep the fluids in check. At this time, I am stage 4 heart failure, as my EF is 15-20%. However I feel fine, except for problems with swelling.
You ask, "what makes them think my lasix will work now that I'm back home?" The strict, low sodium diet, and limiting your fluid intake, should help the lasix to do it's job more effectively.
CHF is a term used to describe an ailment where the heart doesn't beat effectively enough to move the excess fluid out of the body.
CHF, in itself, isn't a death sentence, but it's up to you how well you do. It's diet, and life style changes, such as no smoking or drinking, and keeping yourself as trim as possible.
I hope I've answered some of your questions, and I hope the best for you.