Heart failure

[x4251869]

At this time i'm on Entresto for heart failure, a new heart failure medication dapagliflozin is now being prescribed for heart failure patients if anyone is on this new medication have you felt any difference in your heart failure symptoms

[Prada47]

Hello

I have read a little about dapagliflozin but not on it . Just wondering what dose of Entresto are you on and do you think it has helped ?? I ask because I am on the middle dose 49/51 mg and I have been told for me that's the Maximum level I can tolerate.

I have lost a few % on my EF down from 44 to 40 % but happy with that !!

Vaccinated Hands Face Space to stay safe

[sherwood123]

I am taking Entresto max strength , I asked the same question, I was told I am on the best meds available! This from consultant and HFNurse, looking at Dapagliflozin it is a tablet taken by diabetics, but works well with heart failure patients , with diabetes or not. My EF as gone from 28% to 45% with Entresto and a CRT-d device, so it’s working for me. Regards Stephen

[RufusScamp]

Like another poster, I'm on the max dose of Entresto, and had a CRT device fitted. I'm hoping this will have as good a result - EF 20% at the last reading. I've not heard of this new drug; I'll bet it's even more expensive!!

[RufusScamp]

Thanks for that. If it's as effective, I would rather have a drug that is less expensive.

[sherwood123]

Brilliant news, take all the positives from the test, a lot better than no change or indeed things getting worse! My EF when I was taken ill was 15%, now after op, meds and device up to 45%, consultant says it’s remarkable, he expected a small increase but rarely sees this improvement. All this after initially being told that I had severe heart disease, that we would not expect to see in someone my age. So to all suffering with heart failure, there is hope, if not a cure. Keep safe

[Virgil_Anon]

I have been on Entresto 24/26 for a month, it replaced Ramipril. On Friday I had a CRTD fitted and Dapagliflozin was prescribed. Cardiologist said that it will help with my ejection fraction which before the CRTD was <35. I have an echo due at the end of month so hopefully that will show an improvement.

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My LV was totally shot prior to my operation last year - caused by having to bare the load of a totally disfunctional Aorta. My surgeon put a ballon pump in to the LV for a while to take the work load off it, and amazingly it recovered. Apparently, the LV has a touch of the Liver (or is it Kidney) in that it can heal itself if given the chance to rest and recover. My LV is now functioning as though nothing had ever happened - according to all the post op tests.

We live in some amazing times!

ps. in respect of the cost of drugs - the NHS has a finite budget and has to pay for drugs. If one drug costs the NHS £1million pa, and another does the same job for £500k - i'd want the cheaper one because it leave £500k to treat other people or even help lower the numbers waiting for treatment. And having had the treatment, i can appreciate just how much of a benefit it is to get treated. 👍

[Lezzers]

Hi, thought I'd let you know that I belong to a HF support group and there are quite a few people on there who's EF has increased considerably. My husband's own EF has increased from 30 to 51 so he's deemed to have gone from severe HF to mild. Today's meds etc really do work in improving the heart function, especially Entresto & dapaglafloxin, which was only recently licenced for HF

My husband's BNP is over 600 which is slightly elevated but not unexpected, even with mild HF you would expect an elevated BNP, obviously the lower the better but anything over 100 is considered abnormal.

Ps: I hope you get your surgery, my husband was given the ok for cancer treatment based on his results!!

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I didn't make it clear, in both tablet options, it should be assumed they done done the job. If BOTH do the required job, and are made using the same ingredients, where is the justification for buying the more expensive brand? I only buy Heinz Veg Soup because I don't like the Veg Soups sold with 'Own Brand ' Supermarket labels - i've tried them all pretty much.

[RufusScamp]

In what way do I seem bitter?

I just would like to know the NHS is getting good value for money.

[Curlyman83]

Only one person here seems bitter, and it’s not Rufus. Both my mother and two sisters are nurses plus my wife works in the NHS so I totally understand what you’re saying when it comes to wastage, but as Rufus says, taking a cheaper buy just as if not more effective drug is the way forward. He might not make a massive difference on his own, but if we all thought like this, maybe there would be more more to pay nurses a wage they actually deserve rather than throwing money to big pharma for drugs we don’t need.