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Please help...undiagnosed issues!!!!
My husband has been suffering terriably with this undiagnosed condition. We have gone to the ER mutiple times and each time we are sent home. His family doctor has said that she has no idea whats wrong with him and suggested another trip to the ER. This has been going on for over 2 mths and NO ONE has ANY answers!! SOOO, I'm coming here for some help/advice.
I will TRY to make this as short as I can...
My husband is sig. overweight. However, up until 2 mths ago, his life has been just fine, his ONLY health problem was his BP. One day he woke up and had a weird pounding in the back of his head. A few dys after that, the pain moved down to his left shoulder. After a few dys, the pain became so bad that he could not sleep AT ALL. SO we went to the ER. The dct said that he had either a pinched nerve or a pulled muscle. He gave my husband a muscle relaxant, an anxiety medicine, atavan, and a shot of his BP med Lopressor. His BP was 222/120!! Fast forward a few days and he STILL hadn't been sleeping...another wasted couple of trips to the ER and still no answers.
The hospital did run a few of the same tests everytime we went...chest xray, EKG, an ultrasound on his heart, a cat scan and bloodwork on his sugar, liver, kidneys, they tested him for CHF (b/c he has EVERY symptom of that) but EVERYTHING has checked out fine.
Hubby did some research on his own and found out the Lopressor was what was causing most of these side effects, so he quit taking it. That next day, he slept for the 1st time in 10 days!!! Mind you, it was only for 2 hrs but that was a miracle! We thought the end of the crisis was over, but its progressed into different symptoms.
Currently (this is 2 mths later) his bp is more controlled, (160/100) He is able to sleep all night again..but he has to sleep sitting up in a chair because he can NOT breathe laying down, or even reclined at all. When we get into a car he has an "attack" where he sticks his head out the door and breathes very heavy. He has to concentrate on slowing his breathing down. It lasts about 2 minutes until he's ok enough to continue. Believing that after 5 times in the ER and no help was available, we found a family doctor. She put the pulse ox on his finger and when he laid down his O2 went from 100% to 80% within seconds! he jumped up coughing and gasping for breath. She ran the same tests the hosp did with the same results. She wanted him admitted again, but hosp. gave us no answers AGAIN.
We've been given "solutions" anywhere from allergies, panic attacks, weight related problems, to that venous insuffiency...you name it. I really think that whoever the dct is just pulls a diagoses out of his hat. I understand that he's overweight and that can effect your breathing, But you know, I don't buy it for a second that you can be just fine all your life, and one day wake up and you can't breath and it be b/c of his weight. If it was b/c of his weight, it would be gradually difficult for him to breath, a little bit at a time. Not just WHAM out of nowhere!!!
Now heres another element...quiet possibly b/c he sits in a chair all day (desk job) and all night b/c of his breathing...his legs are HUGE with water....stage 2+ He is having alot of difficulty walking. His feet are so huge! He says he feels like his skin is going to pop. He's taken lasix for 3wks to no relief. The last time we went to the dct she said that she thinks his problem w/ his legs is venous insuffiency. We dont' know that we buy that either. We're sure the reason he's retaining so much water is b/c he can't put his legs up at all b/c he can't breath. We really really think if he could just breath again laying down, that maybe after getting his legs up the water will go away???
This is turning out to be a difficult life for the whole family this past two months and my poor hubby is soooo miserable! Any suggestions guys???
I will TRY to make this as short as I can...
My husband is sig. overweight. However, up until 2 mths ago, his life has been just fine, his ONLY health problem was his BP. One day he woke up and had a weird pounding in the back of his head. A few dys after that, the pain moved down to his left shoulder. After a few dys, the pain became so bad that he could not sleep AT ALL. SO we went to the ER. The dct said that he had either a pinched nerve or a pulled muscle. He gave my husband a muscle relaxant, an anxiety medicine, atavan, and a shot of his BP med Lopressor. His BP was 222/120!! Fast forward a few days and he STILL hadn't been sleeping...another wasted couple of trips to the ER and still no answers.
The hospital did run a few of the same tests everytime we went...chest xray, EKG, an ultrasound on his heart, a cat scan and bloodwork on his sugar, liver, kidneys, they tested him for CHF (b/c he has EVERY symptom of that) but EVERYTHING has checked out fine.
Hubby did some research on his own and found out the Lopressor was what was causing most of these side effects, so he quit taking it. That next day, he slept for the 1st time in 10 days!!! Mind you, it was only for 2 hrs but that was a miracle! We thought the end of the crisis was over, but its progressed into different symptoms.
Currently (this is 2 mths later) his bp is more controlled, (160/100) He is able to sleep all night again..but he has to sleep sitting up in a chair because he can NOT breathe laying down, or even reclined at all. When we get into a car he has an "attack" where he sticks his head out the door and breathes very heavy. He has to concentrate on slowing his breathing down. It lasts about 2 minutes until he's ok enough to continue. Believing that after 5 times in the ER and no help was available, we found a family doctor. She put the pulse ox on his finger and when he laid down his O2 went from 100% to 80% within seconds! he jumped up coughing and gasping for breath. She ran the same tests the hosp did with the same results. She wanted him admitted again, but hosp. gave us no answers AGAIN.
We've been given "solutions" anywhere from allergies, panic attacks, weight related problems, to that venous insuffiency...you name it. I really think that whoever the dct is just pulls a diagoses out of his hat. I understand that he's overweight and that can effect your breathing, But you know, I don't buy it for a second that you can be just fine all your life, and one day wake up and you can't breath and it be b/c of his weight. If it was b/c of his weight, it would be gradually difficult for him to breath, a little bit at a time. Not just WHAM out of nowhere!!!
Now heres another element...quiet possibly b/c he sits in a chair all day (desk job) and all night b/c of his breathing...his legs are HUGE with water....stage 2+ He is having alot of difficulty walking. His feet are so huge! He says he feels like his skin is going to pop. He's taken lasix for 3wks to no relief. The last time we went to the dct she said that she thinks his problem w/ his legs is venous insuffiency. We dont' know that we buy that either. We're sure the reason he's retaining so much water is b/c he can't put his legs up at all b/c he can't breath. We really really think if he could just breath again laying down, that maybe after getting his legs up the water will go away???
This is turning out to be a difficult life for the whole family this past two months and my poor hubby is soooo miserable! Any suggestions guys???
Keep us updated. There are more than one factor that goes into dx CHF. They look at heart size with the CXR, an ECG & an echocardiogram are also done to determine CHF. I would definately talk with a cardiologist soon.
Thanks for the responces!
Felsha, I agree that it sounds JUST LIKE CHF! I know! But the dct somehow tested some level for CHF. Normal range is 1-100 and his is 18. The dct said that its incrediably low and theres no way its CHF...even though he has EVERY symptom.
Beargizmo,I know, his treatment has been unbelieably poor. I'm sooo frusterated. I am in nursing school to be an LPN and to see this degree of neglect and just plain "not caring" is really frusterating. In school we get "patient education" pounded into our heads, yet in the real life, it appears like that concept is lost.
The last time we went to the ER (on christmas day) the dct said "yea, i know you've been here before..but your goign to have to go home and just come back in 2 dys if its still like this" I was like "WHAT??? YOUR KIDDING ME??? its been like this for 2mths and you think it'll clear up in the next 2 dys???" and my hubby said "so this water in my legs, this almost stage 3, isnt' concerning to you??" and the dct said "oh no, we get patients in here and they're legs are seaping and we just give them gauze and send them home" . Needless to say, we were P'd!!
Anyways, thanks for the suggestion about the cardiologist. I'll get that done!
Felsha, I agree that it sounds JUST LIKE CHF! I know! But the dct somehow tested some level for CHF. Normal range is 1-100 and his is 18. The dct said that its incrediably low and theres no way its CHF...even though he has EVERY symptom.
Beargizmo,I know, his treatment has been unbelieably poor. I'm sooo frusterated. I am in nursing school to be an LPN and to see this degree of neglect and just plain "not caring" is really frusterating. In school we get "patient education" pounded into our heads, yet in the real life, it appears like that concept is lost.
The last time we went to the ER (on christmas day) the dct said "yea, i know you've been here before..but your goign to have to go home and just come back in 2 dys if its still like this" I was like "WHAT??? YOUR KIDDING ME??? its been like this for 2mths and you think it'll clear up in the next 2 dys???" and my hubby said "so this water in my legs, this almost stage 3, isnt' concerning to you??" and the dct said "oh no, we get patients in here and they're legs are seaping and we just give them gauze and send them home" . Needless to say, we were P'd!!
Anyways, thanks for the suggestion about the cardiologist. I'll get that done!
I cannot believe (though I believe your story) that this is the treatment your husband has been receiving...has he seen a cardiologist? If not I'd DEMAND that your doctor get him to see one at once.. (Oh, now I see a cardiologist has been suggested)....but I'd go to your doctor and not leave the room without a recommendation and an immediate appointment to see one.
Jim
I have a feeling your husband has CHF-congestive heart failure. I see it all the time at the hospital.Copy & paste the following site or just search in google. It should help you out. Have you seen a cardiologist? That would be your next step. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4585
Good luck & hope that helps.
Good luck & hope that helps.
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