FLUID AROUND THE HEART

[bluegil]

My husband has had 3 heart attacks this year.  Just this last week June 11, he went in for his 3rd heart cath and three new stints.  They spent 4 hours in the cath lab.  On the 15th of June I had to take him back to the emergency room, because he was having chest pains, shoulder pains, and back pains.  He said it didn't feel like a heart attack.  They did exrays on his heart and lungs and found some fluid in his lungs and around his heart.  The exray showed an increase in the fluid around his heart from the 11th of June during the cath.  They called his heart doctor and he said he wasn't worried about the fluid around his heart, so they put him on an antibiatic for infection and sent him home.  He is still having all the pains and is very short of breath.  I'm sitting here watching him get worse.  His fever runs from 100.2 to 102.6 back and forth all day.  Can you tell me is there something else I should be doing. Thank you

[gwendolyn730]

A related discussion, What causes the heart to build fluid and is considered a heart attack.   was started.

[grimmy]

I have been told that I have an enlarged heart.  I amm supposed to go see a cariologist on Wednesday of next week.  I just would like to know what is the causes of an enlarged heart.  I had some x-rays in May of 2000 and then again in June of 2001 and it was found that it was bigger.  What is some of the causes of this enlargement.

[bluegil]

They drained 1 1/2 liters of fluid from my husbands left lung today.  He says he already feels better.  He has a follow up with his heart doctor.  Just thought I would let you know.  Thanks for the quick reply from the MD.

[CCF-M.D.-CRC]

Dear bluegil,
If your husbands condition is not improving or is worsening from when he was seen in the ER you must take him back to the ER tonight.  Don't let him try to 'tough it out'.  I suspect he has a pericarditis from the heart cath and may even need to be hospitalized if he is not improving.  Let us know how things turn out.