Does this sound like congestive heart failure

[memesue]

Last week I was sent to a pulmanologist that does the sleep study in my city.By the time I left I was diagnosed with copd,put on spiriva and an albuterol inhaler. He never said another word about the sleep study,lol. He said that there's something abnormal going on with my heart and they scheduled a CHEST PA and LATERAL, an echocardiogram, and a CT CHEST W CONTRAST. I have no insurance so therefore these test will probably not be had. From the questions he asked such as,do you sleep with 2 pillows? do you have chills? do you have swelling in your ankles and feet? can you walk to your car without getting breathless. All these questions pertain to me. So i am surmising that he's thinking on the lines of congestive heart failure. Can anyone with this condition comment on this. And does anyone know of any hospitals that will do the test and treat someone without insurance.

[bjd0316]

I forgot to add that when I had the symptoms that led up to CHF, that I did have a lot of swelling in my legs below knee, or, ankles, or one or both feet, or all together. I also had a constant dry hack that seemed to put out a watery substance, not mucus, into my throat sometimes. Please stay completely away from salt!

[bjd0316]

I just came out of being hospitilized for about nine days due to congestive heart failure, and luckily for me, it can be reversed with exercise and medications. When the attack occurred, it was so horrible, that I had no choice but to allow my son call 911. There was no other solutions, since the heart beat was consistently high and getting higher and higher, and I was not calming down. I stood there with a pounding and consistent higher heartbeat for about five minutes until the ambulance arrived. Once they arrived, there was no turning back..it was hospital and all..and I did not have insurance. But, it turned out, the hospital has a 'charity grant', in which I was lucky, since the financial department has sent in an application for myself, and I hope to qualify, but many people do. I would suggest that you check your local hospital and ask to speak with someone about the hospital 'charity package' or whatever services they have to offer for people like us, who have no insurance..I am sure your hospital has something, since people do get sick, insured or not..hospitals are not legally allowed to turn away people who have life threatening situations too. It does sound like congestive heart failure though. For the last six months, I felt like I was suffocating especially when doing exertions..it also felt like I had a tight squeezing in my chest and throat area too. I was informed that this was the edema accumulating in my lungs due to CHF. I periodically would have some bouts of 'air hunger' attacks which would be stopped using my emergency inhaler, but the last attack, it did not help and used it four times! I did not have any doctor help during the buildup to the last attack that landed me in the hospital, so I would suggest allowing your doctor to help you in any way he can, so the edema buildup will be dealt with, since the edema is the major problem with CHF. He could give you some water diuretics to clear out the edema in your lungs using forosemide (lasix) and lung dialators, etc. It would prevent you from having an attack...what I went through was not fun, since I almost ended up being ventilated, but was lucky to only have to use the C-Pap for the first two days while being hospitilized. Ventilation is where they partially paralyze a person and have a tube doing the breathing for them..they paralyze the person because the person wants to constantly pull out the tube from the lungs..so best not go through this and try to prevent it if possible. The C-Pap was almost unbearable and uncomfortable the first two days in hospital, because the first day was okay, but the following two more days, I had to keep calm and psych myself into helping myself by keeping it on. It was a head mask that I had to wear that did my breathing for me..the nurse warned me that if I did not wear it, then they were going to ventilate me..so I kept it on..lol. But it was a life saver too..nice to be able to breath using it. Also, now, I am recooperating, and feel my old health back, spiritually too..I can breath again..had no idea it was not the lungs..had no idea it was the heart..thought it was definitely the lungs. Suffocating is serious, and everyone should think 'heart' first before considering anything else. Thank you!

[lynnkay]

I too have COPD. I was diagnosed in Oct. 07. My family doctor diagnosed the COPD. But, I wanted a second opinion from a pulmonary doctor, which I did get. The pulmonary doctor also diagnosed COPD. The pulmonary doctor scheduled me to have a heart stress test at a local hospital in my area. The pulmonary doctor would not allow me to be put on a treadmill for this test. So, they did this test with me lying down and injecting me with a drug, to speed up my heart. COPD can effect the heart. But, my stress test came back, showing that my heart was fine. That test was approx. 18 mths. ago. I too sleep with 2 pillows, my feet and ankles are always somewhat swollen and I have been breathless even before the diagnosis of COPD in 07. I sometimes have chills. But, mainly I burn up. I get so hot, I feel I will combust. My pulmonary doctor asked me did I feel like I ran fevers. My answer was yes. So, I assume that is why I feel so much like I am so hot. I will not answer whether you have congestive heart failure, as I simply do not know. When I was having my heart stress done, my ankles and feet at that time were not swelling. The swelling started about maybe a year ago. So, I too wonder at me now developing early stages of congestive heart failure. I very much do understand you feeling overwhelmed and even scared. I feel that way at times myself. I won't even diagnosis myself as possibly having CHF. But, the thought is now in the back of my mind. At the time of my diagnosis of COPD and the heart stress test, I did have health insurance. In March 2008, my husband lost his long time job, due to the rotten economy. He has since found another job, but without any benefits. Even if he were provided health insurance, I probably would not be covered...pre-existing conditions. So, like you, I do not have health insurance. And without health insurance, my COPD is receiving very little treatment. I live in Kentucky. I have called health departments, a university hospital in our area, sliding scale clinics, etc. I have received no help whatsoever. Just a lot of attitude basically. But whatever state you are in, maybe totally different than Kentucky. I wish you the very best on all this. I am where you are at. I very much understand and deeply feel for you. God Bless you.

[lynnkay]

I too have COPD. I was diagnosed in Oct. 07. My family doctor diagnosed the COPD. But, I wanted a second opinion from a pulmonary doctor, which I did get. The pulmonary doctor also diagnosed COPD. The pulmonary doctor scheduled me to have a heart stress test at a local hospital in my area. The pulmonary doctor would not allow me to be put on a treadmill for this test. So, they did this test with me lying down and injecting me with a drug, to speed up my heart. COPD can effect the heart. But, my stress test came back, showing that my heart was fine. That test was approx. 18 mths. ago. I too sleep with 2 pillows, my feet and ankles are always somewhat swollen and I have been breathless even before the diagnosis of COPD in 07. I sometimes have chills. But, mainly I burn up. I get so hot, I feel I will combust. My pulmonary doctor asked me did I feel like I ran fevers. My answer was yes. So, I assume that is why I feel so much like I am so hot. I will not answer whether you have congestive heart failure, as I simply do not know. When I was having my heart stress done, my ankles and feet at that time were not swelling. The swelling started about maybe a year ago. So, I too wonder at me now developing early stages of congestive heart failure. I very much do understand you feeling overwhelmed and even scared. I feel that way at times myself. I won't even diagnosis myself as possibly having CHF. But, the thought is now in the back of my mind. At the time of my diagnosis of COPD and the heart stress test, I did have health insurance. In March 2008, my husband lost his long time job, due to the rotten economy. He has since found another job, but without any benefits. Even if he were provided health insurance, I probably would not be covered...pre-existing conditions. So, like you, I do not have health insurance. And without health insurance, my COPD is receiving very little treatment. I live in Kentucky. I have called health departments, a university hospital in our area, sliding scale clinics, etc. I have received no help whatsoever. Just a lot of attitude basically. But whatever state you are in, maybe totally different than Kentucky. I wish you the very best on all this. I am where you are at. I very much understand and deeply feel for you. God Bless you.