Pre op for ablation

[bushy2016]

As I also have hf and have to sleep or lie down with around 5 pillows to stop me from coughing Ive been told to try 2 pillows and see if I dont cough...otherwise ...ablation cant be done...ive had hf with high doses of diarectics since last may anyone else had this problem?

[Mazza23]

Have you had a chest X-ray I was the same then rushed to ed with HF fluid on the lungs they drained 9lts have been on diuretic for 3years have just had ablation under GA so coughing was not a problem

[P0rtnahapp1e]

I have hf and am on high doses of diuretics. Like Mazza23 I had to have fluid removed in hospital, as I was retaining fluid even with 20 mg of furesimide. Quick way to lose weight. Over a stone in ten days!

Check your other medication for side effects. I had to have one changed as it caused me to have a dry cough which was only relieved by sipping water, but since I'm restricted to 1300 MLS per day this was eating into my quota.

[bushy2016 in reply to P0rtnahapp1e]

Hi my weight goes up and down at present im on 120mg of furodemide and 50mg of spironolactone with a limit of 1.5 lt

[philologus]

I have HF and 30% ectopics too and was waiting for an ablation when I got a call to say that there had been a cancellation and could I come in the next day?

I went in at 8am and went through the routine and then saw the EP who would be doing the job under a local anaesthetic.

I explained that, because of the HF and arthritis in the spine, I could not lie flat or stay in one position for more than about fifteen minutes.

He thought about and then said that the only way it could be done was under a GA and could not be done that day.

He also said that, under a GA the ectopics often stopped so, when he got the catheter in place, there was nothing to ablate.

That was a year ago.

I got a lousy cough just before Christmas and it lasted for three weeks. After a week's peace it came back again and I was struggling to breathe. As a HF patient you will probably already know the advice to get weighed every morning to see if you are retaining fluid.

I put on five pounds in one day so knew there was a problem.

I tried to get an appointment to see my GP but appointments are as rare as hen's teeth because of staffing shortages so I was advised to ring 111 - which I did and the medic said that I needed to get into hospital quickly and that they would send an ambulance.

I said that I just needed to see a Doctor to get some advice so this was arranged.

At 10pm a doctor saw me at my local hospital (only 200 yds down the road from my house) and wanted to call for an ambulance. Although I understood that he had to do this to cover his back, I declined and said that I would ring the HF specialist nurse the next day as I'd had numerous similar trips to the hospital and all they did was carry out the same tests over a 24 hour period and reach the same conclusions. I wanted something quicker than that as I felt very ill and was really struggling to breathe.

I went home and took a Furosimide tablet - then took another the next morning.

I rang the HF nurse and she agreed that I'd done the right thing and told me to increase the Furosimide for two days.

She rang me the next morning to see how I was and, based on my answers, she arranged for me to see one of her team later that day.

I was checked over and then sent for an X-Ray after which I was advised to keep taking the Furosimide for a week.

I get side effects from just about everything the doctors give me so I took the Furosimide until my weight had dropped and then rang the HF nurse to tell her that I was going to stop taking it. She said OK but keep monitoring.

I take Epleronone and that usually keeps me about right but the virus that caused the coughing somehow had an effect on my HF.

DISCLAIMER:-

I've been a member on this site for some time now and have learned so much from it - and from my own research - that I felt confident that I knew what was best for me under the circumstances. This may not be the case for everyone.