Aa
Heart Failure Meds/Recovery & Second Opinions
I'm a bit new to this whole heart failure thing, but am trying to sort it all out. I'm turning 40 soon and my heart tried going out 12 hours after I delivered my 3rd baby via c-section 5 months ago. Lungs filled with fluid, spent a week in ICU, the whole shebang. HF was about 30-35%(?) I believe. After a few months wearing a Zoll life vest I had a defibrillator implanted and so far have not had any major issues. My defibrillator paces at 11% and I'm on a couple of meds (lisinopril hctz, metoprolol, aspirin, lasix), and just went up on the metoprolol dosing although I've been having moments of a racing beat all day after dosing went up.
So, how do you know when you're heading in the right direction for treatment? How do you know the meds prescribed are the right ones? Sorry to ask such seemingly basic questions. My Dr says he doesn't anticipate a higher HF % next month on ultrasound and that it could take 1-2 years for improvement. I don't know, maybe I'm too impatient, but that sounds so far away. Is getting a second opinion from another Dr worth it or is this all sounding fairly normal?
So, how do you know when you're heading in the right direction for treatment? How do you know the meds prescribed are the right ones? Sorry to ask such seemingly basic questions. My Dr says he doesn't anticipate a higher HF % next month on ultrasound and that it could take 1-2 years for improvement. I don't know, maybe I'm too impatient, but that sounds so far away. Is getting a second opinion from another Dr worth it or is this all sounding fairly normal?
Very tricky, could you recover quicker, yes absolutely! Are you going to get any promises as such? Unlikely.
2 years is a liberal estimate, but it's usually wiser to expect the worst and hope for the best.
The meds you were prescribed are pretty standard. They are for the following:
1. Remove excessive fluid build up
2. Reduce blood pressure
3. Reduce the frequency of tachycardia (fast heart rate) episodes.
This together with the story you had about fluid in your lungs sounds like you have a volume overload or dilated cm type of problem.
Not enough information was provided on your pacemaker/defib to accurately give any thoughts there. The information from the card they gave you to carry with the make and model along with the leads would be helpful in making some more guesses.
However, without actualky having met you and reviewed the pages on pages of documents related to your case anything said here is literally completely a guess.
As for your Doc; so far, despite missing quite a bit of very critical data, nothing sounds fishy about the care you recieved to me. However if you are starting to have doubts about your physician you absolutrly have the right to seek a second opinion and it is advisable to do so.
Even if it all sounds normal to one person, at the end of the day it is YOUR body, you need to be comfortable with whoever you trust to work on it.
2 years is a liberal estimate, but it's usually wiser to expect the worst and hope for the best.
The meds you were prescribed are pretty standard. They are for the following:
1. Remove excessive fluid build up
2. Reduce blood pressure
3. Reduce the frequency of tachycardia (fast heart rate) episodes.
This together with the story you had about fluid in your lungs sounds like you have a volume overload or dilated cm type of problem.
Not enough information was provided on your pacemaker/defib to accurately give any thoughts there. The information from the card they gave you to carry with the make and model along with the leads would be helpful in making some more guesses.
However, without actualky having met you and reviewed the pages on pages of documents related to your case anything said here is literally completely a guess.
As for your Doc; so far, despite missing quite a bit of very critical data, nothing sounds fishy about the care you recieved to me. However if you are starting to have doubts about your physician you absolutrly have the right to seek a second opinion and it is advisable to do so.
Even if it all sounds normal to one person, at the end of the day it is YOUR body, you need to be comfortable with whoever you trust to work on it.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Heart Disease Community
Is a low-fat diet really that heart healthy after all? James D. Nicolantonio, PharmD, urges us to reconsider decades-long dietary guidelines.
Can depression and anxiety cause heart disease? Get the facts in this Missouri Medicine report.
Fish oil, folic acid, vitamin C. Find out if these supplements are heart-healthy or overhyped.
Learn what happens before, during and after a heart attack occurs.
What are the pros and cons of taking fish oil for heart health? Find out in this article from Missouri Medicine.
How to lower your heart attack risk.
