Hello!
Maybe this will help...The diuretics (HCTZ) you take is considered a "loop diuretic" meaning (in a nutshell) it will take the potassium with it when it causes your body to get rid of excess fluids (the Klor-con is for replacing lost potassium)...Your beta -blocker (atenolol) is designed to improve the contractility of your heart (squeezing) without driving up your blood pressure...If you are more than 80 lbs overwieght, or small and 50+ lbs over, the fat begins to enclose your heart and prevents it from filling with blood properly. As this progresses, the amount of blood that your heart pumps out (your ejection fraction) drops rapidly decreasing the oxygen to your body. Your lungs work harder to try to get more and your blood pressure rises to help out.
whew...Okay, now the kicker...with your body's systems working harder and your heart pumping less, the blood fluids begins to back up into your limb and lung tissues causing fluid in your lungs and body swelling. The oxygen in your blood can't get to your brain and body and, as a result, you feel like poo, can't think clearly, and are short of breath frequently. When the output of your heart drops below 30%, you are in trouble and your body is working so hard to keep up that you are in a very real danger of a heart attack, stroke, or respiratory failure...
If all of this is just because of being overweight, it is reversible...Also, if you haven't, have a glucose tolerance test done to check for diabetes...This would contribute to the problems that you are enduring...Good luck...I hope this information helped rather than scared the peanutbutter out of you...(((HUGZ)))~MM
Thank you for your help. This eases my mind a little.
If I didnt know any better, I would think I had the flu or bronchitis.
Hi Terri,
Sorry to read your not feeling well. I recently asked my surgeon if potassium has anything to do with thyroid and he said, No.
I was admitted into the hospital for 5 days, due to no potassium/salt in my system.
Oddly, when I was put on diuretics prior to hospital stay, my heart enlarged, urination qaudrupled, and I flushed all the potassium and salt out of my system, and passed out with an over working heart.
While at the ER, the ER doc said I had congestive heart failure, the 2nd morning, I had a stress test, passed with ease, then during the week a heart cath, no abnormalities.
After leaving the hospital, I visit my cardiologist that performed serious of test, ultrasound, echo, etc....
He said my heart was in perfect working condition, I had a heart of an athelete, my heart was norml size.
So lack of salt/potassium caused my heart to overwork, I didn't have congestive heart failure.
Relax, try not to worry, I'm sure answers will come to you soon.
Good luck !!