Question? CHF

My husband had blood work last week to determine if he has Congestive Heart Failure and we, of course, haven't heard any results yet. Maybe tomorrow or Tuesday?

Does anyone here have CHF and if so what is being done for the condtion?

He also has atria fib but actually doesn't feel when it is happening. It shows up just about everytime he as EKG.That is how the cardiologist found it.

He has been under the cardiologist's care for 3 years now.

Thanks for your help.

Margaret (PM FOR 3 YRS NOW)

5 Comments

CHF Info

by VonnieVern - 2008-06-22 11:06:22

Margaret, My mom was diagnosed with CHF some years ago. She had a pacemaker, but now also has a defibrillator.The link below will give you a lot of information. My mom has slowed down, but is still active and enjoying life. I got my pacemaker last October, for bradycardia associated with Sick Synus Syndrome. (Two of my sisters got Mama's looks, I tease that it appears I inherited her heart!) I had an afib episode in December (the only episode I'm aware of) and have been taking Warfarin (generic for Coumadin) since that time. Hope the CHF info helps.

Vonnie

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/congestive_heart_failure/article_em.htm

CHF patient for over 2 years

by Syrano - 2008-06-23 05:06:01

I have CHF, (currently class 4, stage C), with an ejection fraction in the low 20%`s. This was due to constant high blood pressure that they could not get under control with numerous medications. After countless hospitializations, with mutilpe heart caths, stress tests, MUGA scans, and more needle marks than a junkie, my current status is rather grim. I tell you this because I`m on the downward side of the condition. I also have a pacemaker and a heart that keeps throwing new and "exciting" symptoms for my cardiologist to enjoy. Left branch bundle blocks, V-fib, bradycardia...etc.
Now this is not necessarily true for all. Many can recover with proper medications, excerise, and care. This is a very excellent website to visit for CHF-ers...

http://www.chfpatients.com/

Gives a ton of info on the condition and how its treated.

Best advice to give is watch the fluid intake...absolutely no salt..and watch the weight gain. The MDs will perscrible a combination of meds to help. Learn to become one with your lasix ;-) . Just because they may discover that he does have CHF, it doesn`t mean the end of life. Like most medical conditions, it has really good days, and days you`ll wanna forget. I`ve managed to keep sane thru it all by being typically funny and rather sarcastic about the whole thing. Then there is the Wife.....

Be happy to answer what questions I can...you can email me at southernone@nc.rr.com

chf

by verger - 2008-06-23 06:06:51

i've had it for 3 years now, consequense of major heart attack and cardiac arrest. i agree with everything Syrano has said. visit that web site, it's one of the best to answer all your questions.
i was implanted with a defib, but when things got to be pretty bad, they upgraded me with a combo pacemaker.
that makes a bit of a difference, but then again, there are those bad days.

good luck

CHF

by peter - 2008-06-23 11:06:11

I did have it. It was severe. There are many causes of CHF. The cause of mine is difficult to say. AF caused it but what caused the AF? It could have been no specific reason or my regurgitating mitral valve , my cardiomyopathy or a virus attacking my heart. Often the doctors wont say why they think you have AF or CHF.
Atrial Fibrillation can certainly be a cause of CHF.
I could not feel my AF but some people can. AF can be chronic or paroxysmal. The atrims fibrillating (AF) confuses the ventricles so that they are not sure when or if they should beat. At your wrist you notice an irregular beat and each beat varies in strength as well. This can cause the heart to drift down into CHF as I know and have experienced on a number of occasions.
Treatment for AF induced CHF include the following.
The Maze proceedure
The mini maze proceedure
I cannot recommend the above proceedures.
Cardioversion - works but your heart eventually goes back into AF within a few weeks or possibly a year or two. Subsequent cardioversions work for less time
until the proceedure no longer works.
Pulmonary vein ablation. Results can be fantastic but you need a very experienced and tip top EP to carry this out to have any chance of it working at all.If it works
and you have no further problems for 6 months you
are probably cured for life.
Cardiac resynchronisation therapy which means a biventricular pacemaker and an AV node ablation. This is the most well tried cure for AF patients who drift down into CHF and the results can be excellent and any reasonably well experienced EP can do it without much difficulty.
If you want me to expand further please add a note to your post. Cheers Peter

CHF

by Smart Redd - 2008-06-23 12:06:55

I have been diagnosed (three years) with CHF and cardiomyopathy - probably the result of a viral infection.

My meds seem to have controlled my CHF with these exemptions. I couldn't climb over 3 flights of stairs without feeling tightness in my chest and slowing down, couln't walk up-hill or carry heavy weights without the same. Otherwise, I could walk for miles, build houses with Habitat (HFH), and do just about anything I wanted to do.

I took enalapril. furosomide, and spirolact for CHF as well as high blood-pressure and the cardiomopathy (along with coreg).

DR and my own research say that an ICD is the recommended way to go for CHF - which is often under-treated in spite of the abundance of research. So, despite a lack of [serious] symptoms, I went on 3/13/08.

Hasn't helped - hasn't hurt my ability to do what I want to do. Still take the same meds. I suppose now that the ICD is basically an insurance policy against further harm and stress to the heart.

Red

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