Heart failure is a condition in which the heart’s ability to supply the body with the blood is impaired. It causes a variety of symptoms that worsens gradually, thus interfering with the daily activities.
Despite the deterioration of heart function and the seriousness of the condition, heart failure is not an irreversible condition. It can be treated if the patient provides enough compliance to his medicines.
I am a 67 year old female with paroxymal AFib. In March of 2019 I had an AFib episode lasting for 30 hours with 2 breaks during that time. Went to ER and they found fluid around my lungs which dissipated on its own...no diuretic given. The BNP was 608 before conversion and immediately went down to 200 after conversion. I realize this is considered heart failure. I am now on Flecainide and Diltiazem and have been AFib free for over 2 months. Have been on Eliquis for a couple of years now.
Prolonged standing
Long airplane flights or automobile rides
Menstrual periods (for some women)
Pregnancy -- excessive swelling may be a sign of preeclampsia, a serious condition sometimes called toxemia, which includes high blood pressure and swelling
Being overweight
Increased age
Injury or trauma to your ankle or foot
Swollen legs may be a sign of heart failure, kidney failure, or liver failure. In these conditions, there is too much fluid in the body.
A related discussion, <a href='/posts/show/738624'>Improving EF</a> was started.
It decreases or slows conduction through the AV node, and reduces the contractility of the heart, so it could be inappropriate in cases of heart failure. I believe that Diltiazem works on the reentrant type of SVT called AVNRT. To me that another way of saying that it does not work on accessory path SVT's, like atrioventricular reciprocating tachycardia (AVRT).
re like most people, you think that heart disease is a problem for others. But heart disease is the number one killer in the U.S. It is also a major cause of disability. There are many different forms of heart disease. The most common cause of heart disease is narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart itself. This is called coronary artery disease and happens slowly over time. It's the major reason people have heart attacks.
The heart will ultimately give-in, resulting usually in cardiac failure (heart attack). But with good management, proper treatment, careful monitoring by the vet (involving regular check-ups), low-salt diet, moderate exercise but no excitement or over-exertion, and lots of TLC, many dogs live a fairly full and contented life.
If the EF is below 29%, it is considered in the heart failure range...meaning the supply of blood/oxygen is probably less than the demand and the heart (left ventricle) will enlarge in an attempt to meet the demand and eventually contractions will become even weaker and there will be congested heart failure (blood backs up into the lungs causing congestion (edema)).
Like noheart4me said, there is no simple answer and everyone is different. Heart failure can be acute or chronic. My Dad, who is now 84, was diagnosed with heart failure about 3 years ago. He had heart surgery in July 2008 and today is doing well heart-wise and is able to walk and even go dancing.
How is your Mom's doctor? Does he/she listen well to your questions and concerns and explain things so you both of you understand? If not, my advice would be to get a new doctor.
I had an episode of afib and was in the hospital is Sept. They took me off the beta blocker and put me on diltiazem. It didn't control my heart rate like the beta blocker. My resting heart rate went from upper 60s to the low 80s. After a few days without my beta blocker, I ended up in the ER, in sinus tachycardia with a rate of about 120. Long story short, it did not do a good job of keeping my heart rate down.
There is usually a history of excessive alcohol intake. Symptoms of heart failure are most common and include shortness of breath with activity or after lying down for a while, swelling of feet and ankles, irregular or rapid pulse, fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite and even cough. These develop slowly over time. Treatment for alcoholic cardiomyopathy is stopping alcohol intake and treating the heart failure present.
diltiazem or verapamil, which are more centrally acting). Beta blockers is a proven medication that improves survival in those who have suffered a heart attack, have coronary artery disesase, or heart failure. If there are indications for this, then it is usually a good idea to be on one. There is no absolute value of heart rate that is too low but the general rule that is accepted is you are symptomatic, then the dose should be decreased.
My husband is 31 years old & just went through open heart surgery to repair his mitral valve. He had severe regurgitation. Since before he went in for the surgery he has been taking Cardizem 120 & even after surgery they kept him on the medication with 1 baby aspirin a day. They said they would monitor him for the next few months and decide if he can come off or not. Since then he had his echo cardiogram & they reported his heart muscle function has decreased.
My husband completed the 12 wk of the Incivek on 7/6 - the next two days he felt pretty good. On 7/9 he felt great in the am - went to work and within 2 hours he was taken by ambulance because of a racing heart. The cardio doctor (not the gastro doctor) is treating him for A-Fib. After 24 hours his heart rate was normal and the stress and Echo showed fine. But this new cardio doctor loaded him up with medicine to treat A-fib (like there was not an underlining issue).
No significant changes were observed in any of the values in patients taking either diltiazem hydrochloride (180 mg/day) or beta-blockers (15 mg of pindolol or 60 mg of propranolol daily). The decrease in HDL-cholesterol levels and increase in triglyceride levels reported in 1978 to be associated with use of propranolol, and with the concomitant use of hydrochlorothiazide and propranolol, was not found.
I'm not talking about what it "feels" like. I'm reading what the meters tell me, both at home and at my doctor's office. My low pulse rate started in mid-Sept. of 2015. Yet the Holter analysis was said to be abnormal, yet asymptomatic. ??????
I was on tiazac 360mg for a couple of years for high blood pressure.I started having palpitations, skipped beats. The longer I was on it the worse it got. It finally got to where I was having some beats so strong and violent.I told my cardiologist and asked to change medication or a lower dose.He told me to go back to my family doctor who prescribed it originally. As it was 6 weeks to see him, I decided to stop the tiazac. After a few days the symptoms went away.
First time, adenosine failed twice to bring down 180+ pulse. Diltiazem given, and worked. Sent home with extended-release 120mg diltiazem. Experienced breakthrough arrhythmias and eventual return to tachycardia 170bpm that lasted 8 hours before heading to the ER again. Given fast-acting diltiazem 60mg, which seems to be working so far, although I'm still experiencing arrhythmias. Cardiologist preliminarily diagnosed AVNRT and recommended ablation asap.
If people have side effects to the medications, sometimes the best option is to place a pacemaker and do a simple procedure (AV node ablation) that makes you pacemaker dependent. That why the pacemaker is in full control of the heart rate and the medication doses can be decreased. I have noticed that older women are often the ones that have the most medications side effects with atrial fibrillation and are more frequently the patients that end up with a pacemaker.
I was put on Verapamil at first and ended up in ER with chest pain, SOB and general weakness. Now I can take Diltiazem (similar but different) with no trouble.
Two medications seem like a lot of drugs to control some atrial tachy. Can you be more specific as to what type of atrial tach you have: PSVT, a-flutter, a-fib? How fast and how long do the episodes last?
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