Heart failure meds causing renal failure

[CarerEdi]

Hi all! My 89 yo mum had no medical conditions before COVID. However breaking her foot, and sedentary lifestyle since lockdown resulted in a heart failure diagnosis last year. It's been very hard to get her to walk regularly due to the breathlessness - she also can't wear normal shoes anymore. She then developed AF and is on spironalactone, btenamide, blood thinner and now on diltiazem (was on verapamil before). We've now been told she's in mild renal failure but has a 10 day wait to be seen by GP - is this common on those drugs? What can we do?

[Deejay62]

Hi sorry to hear about your mum. I have heart failure and I take h/f meds. Yes it is normal for your kidneys to become low. My function is low but while on warfarin it became even lower so now I’m on the newer ones. Thats the benefits of various of the same meds.

It’s funny you should say about the kidney function and meds because I had the same conversation with my cardiologist who said yes the kidney function can be low on those meds but they also have to weigh up the benefits of being on them, helping the heart to function.

That’s why they do the blood tests monthly when we begin new meds and 6 monthly to see how our kidneys and other organs are coping.

I also realised warfarin was giving me foggy brain and shedding my hair in clumps. And he even said you don’t realise which one is doing what until you stop taking it, but it helps the heart to function.

All the best

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My husband has just started all the medication required to support and help his heart function because of heart failure. He had mild renal failure when his last blood test was done. His next blood test is in 3 weeks time so it is not something that needs urgent attention. Like Deejay62 says it is a matter of weighing up benefits - having a functioning heart versus having some impairment to the kidneys. If the scales tip too much in the kidney failure direction then the heart medication will be changed again. As I understand it the meetings with the GP/ cardiac nurse are to keep all the organs and medications in the best balance possible and the medications may be changed or increased or decreased in dose regularly. If you have not already read / watch the information about heart failure and heart failure medication on Hospice Care website and / or British Heart Foundation.