Heart Failure

Hi Everyone

I've been unwell since May/June feeling very tired. i had an Echocardiogram a month ago and received a letter from my cardiologist today with the diagnosis of heart failure. Seems Im one of many in this boat.

[Sunnie2day]

Welcome. Don't let the term 'heart failure' make you feel as though you've been given a horrific diagnosis. For most people, 'heart failure' really means 'heart needs a bit of an assist'.

I don't have it (I have other heart conditions) but there are several here who do and they'll be along soon to talk with you about their experience with the condition.

[Hidden in reply to Sunnie2day]

Thank you for your encouragement

[SpiritoftheFloyd]

Hi morris_8

Sorry to hear you've been diagnosed with heart failure. It seems a bit brutal to just send you a letter, it's bad enough being told to your face, but ti just get a letter seems very insensitive!

Anyway, first of all, don't panic. The term heart failure is an awful term, I prefer to call it Impaired Heart Function. It just means that you heart needs a bit of help pumping blood around you body.

HF is determined by the EF (ejection fraction) of you heart - that's the amount of blood the heart pumps when it contracts, a normal EF is over 55%, anything between 40-55% is borderline, and HF is below 40%.

However doctors aren't that bothered by the EF of the patient, they're more interested in how to patient copes with the condition, for this this use the New York Heart Association classification system, link below:-

heart.org/en/health-topics/...

The BHF also produce an excellent booklet on the subject, link below:-

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

Try not to Google the subject as most of what you will find is either wrong or years out of date.

People with heart failure can and do live long active lives, there are a number of people on this forum who have lived good lives for 20 years or more with the condition.

The medicines that are prescribed to manage the condition also allow you to lead a good life.

Hope this helps.

[Hidden in reply to SpiritoftheFloyd]

Thank you for this great info and encouragement. Really just unfortunate circumstances that the diagnosis came by letter and good now to know something is wrong and that it wasn't my imagination

[Yasyass in reply to Hidden]

Yes I too am new but this forum has helped me try to understand that people can live longer than wh I kept googling which kept giving me anxiety

[Qualipop in reply to SpiritoftheFloyd]

My mum as I've said before, was diagnosed with heart failure in her 20s. She lived a normal life span with no treatment and no problems except breathlessness on hills.

[Yasyass in reply to Qualipop]

Just out of curiosity why didn’t she have treatment with thanks

[Qualipop in reply to Yasyass]

It never occurred to me to ask her but I assume because in the 1940s there was no treatment; she changed GP and never even thought to mention it to the new one. She simply ignored it, said she was told to never have a general anaesthetic and got on with living. They did do her hip replacement with a spinal injection because her heart wasn't up to a general but no one ever suggested any treatment for her. I was too young to ask questions really. I knew nothing at all about heart failure and just assumed they'd done whatever was possible. I didn't know until recently it could be treated. It's just not something she ever mentioned. I think people of her generation just didn't ask questions. When she was diagnosed it was before the NHS so I assume they wouldn't have been able to afford treatment even if there had been any.

[Yasyass in reply to Qualipop]

Thanks for replying sometimes when not knowing can be a good thing just depends on how a person can handle it

[Hidden in reply to Qualipop]

We really don't appreciate how fortunate we are today to have the NHS.

[Qualipop in reply to Hidden]

Very true. It was only recently that I realised I was born about 6 months before the NHS started so how my parents managed especially when mum had advanced toxaemia/eclampsia, I can't imagine. I know I was born in a hospital which must have cost them a fortune. Dad was a coal man and earned very little. All I can remember as a very young child was our family doctor who would visit our house when I had scarlet fever, chicken pox and mumps and his surgery was a room in his own house.

[GracieOS]

I was diagnosed with heart failure a year ago now. I found the diagnosis completely shocking, just the name! It's been a bit of a rough ride this year, aniexty levels have been high. Definitely don't Google heart failure, I made that mistake before I found this forum. Instead go to the sources already recommended. You should get a heart failure nurse, that is someone you can talk to and take your questions to. I too prefer to call it impaired heart function, its actually a more accurate description and doesn't, for me, have such negative connotations.

As for me, a year on and the meds are working well. I still work, albeit on slightly reduced hours, I still walk my dog regularly I still do most things pretty much as I always have. I have an appointment with my consultant in a couple of weeks to go review my progress, I'm fairly optimistic for this. This forum, and hearing from people who have been living with heart failure for many years has done a lot to reduce my anxiety, I hope it does the same for you.

[Hidden in reply to GracieOS]

Gracie Thank you for sharing this with me. I have really been doing everything I have always done although Im off work and now feel very tired and sleep quite a bit. I had a blackout at beginning of September. I went to gp who did all the manual checks and said everything seems ok ,I'll just get an ecg done but I don't think it will show anything. When it was done a whole panic. Sit there and don't move. Letter sent to hospital for an appt with cardioligist and instructions if any pain at all go to a+e. As I never complained or experienced any pain the appointment was triaged as routine so didn't see cardioligist until 18th October and had echocardiogram on 26th October. Nurse just said the cardioligist will be in touch with you soon. I have an appt to have heart monitor fitted on 4th December and an mri scan to be done in December. Then will see cardioloigist in January. Also have an appt now with the Heart failure nurse sometime soon

[Yasyass in reply to GracieOS]

Thanks Gracie but the anxiety gets to me I kp try get over it I have no symptoms but the word hf and gp say severe 30-35ef scared me

[GracieOS in reply to Yasyass]

I'm very much with you. The Aniexty is a real challenge! The words are terrible. I have no symptoms, apart from tiredness, never have had symptoms, but my diagnosis was severe heart failure (ef 30 to 35) a year ago. With meds and a few fairly minor life style changes, a year on my ef has gone over 50, around 53. It gives me hope but I still struggle with the anxiety, i have some good days some pretty bad.

[Yasyass in reply to GracieOS]

Thank you so much I had ha three yrs ago abroad but carried on but when came here had echo then told me hf althou I had no symptoms or now the fear comes whilst I start to think or read google I am so glad ur ef improved and hope mine does to just wish could carry on as before I knew th hf

[rimpac2012]

Hello Morris and welcome to the club. I think the early days of HF being diagnosed are probably the worse. The key really is acceptance. If you create an inner battle with it. It can become a little overwhelming. Let go of the fear as the worry and anxiety are probably more of a problem than the condition itself. We all occupy a body that from time to time goes a little wonky but we are more than just a physical self and having a positive and yes spiritual outlook will put you in good hands. Yes it can at times be a bit of a roller coaster but if you focus on just one day at a time you will find most of those days will be good days. When you do have a more challenging day (and we all do) just go with it, It will pass. As others have said HF is not the end, you still have much life to live and your time is precious. FEAR is only a thought.

All the best.

[shwills]

Hello

I have heart failure diagnosed this year among 2 leaky valves, heart block, persistent AF

I had a pacemaker fitted earlier this year as well. My HF is moderate and I went into shock at first but am ok now. Breathing a bit of a problem but not all the time, extreme tiredness is my problem but I am learning to cope with it, my heart failure nurse is amazed that I still work 4 days a week, I put it down to mental attitude be positive as much as you can it really does help

Hope this helps

[Hidden in reply to shwills]

Hey shills,

Like you I have various heart problems: fast heart rate, enlarged, fluid around, leakage, blockage & murmur are the ones I can remember, there are technical ones I can't, but work part time as I also have other health issues as well which amazes my work coach as I to try & remain positive

[Yasyass in reply to Hidden]

Ur words mean lots and your positivity wishing u the best

[Hidden in reply to Yasyass]

Thanks, it's the only way I can be as don't want the problems to get the best of me, have always known that @ some point in the future I might have to go back into hospital for open heart surgery again, had it when I was 25,youngest on the ward!

[Hidden in reply to shwills]

Hi Thank you for sharing .My HF is described as moderate to severe .I feel worse now than I did 2 months ago. I was so worried at GP and cardioligist appts that they would think I was pretending to be unwell as i never had pain just tiredness and lack of energy. Actually relieved in some ways that i have a diagnosis even though frightening in many respects

[Hidden]

Did the cardiologist find what was causing your HF?

Apparently, my recent ECG flagged up HB as well.

I persisted this time thanks to this Hub.

Life-saving, one must add!

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for your reply and sharing with me. My bp was always normal but when ecg showed left lobe block .Gp said we wouldn't normally treat bp in normal range but since you are upper end of normal we will. Cardioligist said not best med gp had given so will be changed next week when I see gp. Cardioligist now thinks I did have a heart attack but I never had any pain. My dad dropped dead coming from kitchen t living room in 1994 but because he had ms no pm was done. My gran his mum and brothers the same so I assume a hereditory thing. I'm on a learning curve at the moment

[Hidden]

Just an update .I spent last week in hospital after tightness in chest and feeling sick . Dr in A&E said I had unstable angina as well as HF. When in the ward I had first actual chest pain which was relieved by GTN spray. This happened on two occassions. Then Angiogram done which showed all arteries clear. Discharged with increase in Amilapril to 5mg twice per day Bisoprolol 2.5mg per day and fuorsemide 5mg per day. I am not gathering fluid in my ankles so they think now gathering in belly. My weight has decreased by 2 lb in 6 days . I think this is with reduction in fluid. Very short of breath when walking or climbing stairs.