Today I went into accident and emergency for a completely different issue, but mentioned I sometime felt a bit breathless.
I left 2 hours later with a ' suspected HF '
Feeling a bit num , but surprised I wasn't admitted.
I believe that I will reverse this but havent a clue how
I think this is something for a cardiologist. When I was in the Cardiac Care Unit (after a HA) back in 2020 there was a chap (relatively young) who’d had heart failure but was unaware of it. He was in there for observation. I’m not sure it can be “reversed”.
I’m interested to hear what others have to say.
Thank you Henry for your reply,
Hello 
So sorry to hear you have had such a shock and it is a shock I remember it well
I agree you do now need referring to a cardiologist and they should send a copy of what they found to your Doctors
I would phone your Doctors and ask to speak with them and ask for a referral
A&E is great when you are unwell and the Doctors are good to but they are not specialists a such in certain fields so try not to read to much into it till you get that referral as fingers crossed it might not be as bad as it sounds
Please let us know how you get on and I imagine it they thought it was really serious they would not have let you come home so try and see that as a positive x
I’m sorry this was such a shock. The name alone sounds dire, but I would speak to your GP and get a clear, balanced picture of what this means for you, and what might happen next.
As to seeing a Cardio in A and E. In my local Hosp they often call down a Cardio Dr to see me, and always do if they are considering admission. The ones I really like to see are the Specialist Registrars, often young, personable and very up-to-date.
Thank you Kristin1812, hooefully will know more in a couple of weeks
There are four stages to HF and this is diagnosed by Echocardiogram or MRI.My HF dianogsis came about after a Cardiac Arrest and the day before discharge after 6 weeks in hospital that was 2 years ago personally I do not feel the effects of HF although have a moderate to severe HF dianogsis no fatigue,breathlessness or tiredness keeping physically fit is equally important as taking the medication. Iam 66 years of age hope all goes well with your recovery Adreamboy.
HF is an unfortunate term. All it means is that the heart is not working as well as it should. It is hood that it has been picked up. The working of the heart can be improved with drugs and maybe an intervention. Make sure as suggested that you get in front of a cardiologist. In the meantime keep a not of what triggers your breathlessness and at what time of day. If you smoke try and stop and if overweight review your diet. The BHF is a great source of reliable information. Avoid the temptation to Google!
Thank you Clerkenweller, I agree the wording seems harsh, and funnily enough google made me panic a bit -)
I remember the shock of having heart failure when I had atrial flutter. I had an ablation which was successful and I have had it clarified by BARTS that I no longer have heart failure. As in previous replies the term is used when your heart is not coping - in some cases it can be possible to reverse the state that the heart is functioning in. If not there are many treatments to manage the condition and also lifestyle changes. I wish you the best outcome.
Thank you Easternmost, it was great to hear yours was reversed with ablation, ill post my updates on here
Dear Adreamboy,
Welcome to the forum and I hope that it will be as much help to you as it has been to me.
We are here for you so that you know that you are not alone, but at the moment I’m sure that is exactly how you feel along with the shock and anger.
Yes many of us have gone through exactly theses feelings.
Heart failure! Has a horrible ring to it doesn’t it, it was a sentence that I heard only a few months ago.
After talking/reading about it you realise that not only us { the patients } but a lot of the medical profession want the title changed.
You are at the beginning of your heart journey and if you wish we will be with you throughout it.
As you progress that process will bring a lot of questions with it, even though you are an individual, someone on here { or a group of us } will have followed the same path, so you can share your doubts/fears/ interest or just sound off in a rant !
My thoughts are with you, please keep us informed.
Thank you Blue1958, you reassured me with your message, and I hope the wording is changed as it is really alarming and words have power. I have rephrased it in y mind already
I had an unexpected diagnosis of 'probable heart failure' as, although I also have lung conditions, I was more breathless than usual and my ankles were swelling. I saw my GP who blithely said, 'I think you've got heart failure - we'll get you tested.' She referred me to cardiology, arranged a chest x-ray and a blood test and made an appointment to contact me again on a later date once all the test results were back. She prescribed Furosemide for the fluid in my legs to go with other medication I was already taking. And that was that. Off I went.
The x-ray showed there was no fluid on the lungs, inflammation or infection.
The blood test showed that my heart was pumping ok.
Cardiology got me fitted up with a monitor two weeks later and it showed that my Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation was the most likely problem. I've had it for many years but now it has gone into overdrive!
I am currently taking Diltiazem, Apixaban and Furosemide and that combination has settled things down a bit, although sometimes my heart still goes a bit wild and somedays I'm very tired and more breathless than I should be.
The cardiologist has put me on the list for cathether ablation.
So all this from a bit of breathlessness and swollen ankles. Who'd have thought it?
It was a shock to begin with, especially as my mother died of heart failure (1980). No one knew she was ill and so she had not been treated for it.
My husband (79) was diagnosed with heart failure a year ago and the reason for his was severe aortic stenosis. He has had a pacemaker fitted and had a valve replacement done in November. He has recovered well from both procedures and now has more energy and is not breathless - however, he is still being regularly monitored by the community heart failure team and is on a number of medications to keep his condition stable. The nurses are excellent!
So, you must now realise that there can be a number of different reasons for heart failure and so the treatment is different for each patient.
It is NOT a death sentence!
It is GREAT that someone has identified that you may possibly have it as now that can be investigated and a treatment plan sorted out.
You must contact your GP to find out if they are fully aware of the A&E findings and ask them to take this forward on your behalf.
Please don't be frightened by the diagnosis. It does come as a shock initially, but the condition can be managed successfully for the majority of people, especially if caught early.
I believe there is a lot of discussion going on about getting the name changed as the word 'failure' makes it sound as though your heart has given up, whereas it just needs a bit of help. to work efficiently again.
Best wishes
xx Moy
What an excellent post, puts Heart Failure into perspective, thank you. I was told about 6 months ago that I had Heart Failure and when I saw a Heart Failure Nurse Specialist she gave me a medication and made a comment "this won't prolong your life but will make you feel a bit better" well it didn't, just gave me other issues to deal with so I stopped taking it. Also read an article recently which implied would be lucky to make it to 5 years. So thank you again for your post as it has put a far better perspective on it for me. xx
Hi Snapkack, yes the 5 year sentence was my first result on google search, and it threw me a bit. then I found a book on amazon by Ray Renolds " Heart failure recovery' where he talks about his journey from complete failure to recovery. Im still reading it but it shows hope
Found book and ordered it on Amazon, should be delivered tomorrow, thank you.
great ! would be interested to hear your opinion.
I had HF due to a virus leaving debris in my heart. I have a bucket load of tablets but it has improved enormously. You must get to see a cardiologist they saved my life. Pester your Doctor to refer you urgently.
Thank you Stonechick , sending you good energy and so my journey begins!
I'll tell you my story about heart failure which is very scary (to me anyway) at first but that all turns to hope and happiness.
First a bit of history. I am what I describe as middle aged (in my 70s) have been diabetic since time began. Have had a really rough past 2 years. 2020 cancer, - beat it and clear for last 12 months. 2021 started with a heart attack, got through that and following loads of tests MRI, echograms and other gadgetry, had a couple more stents added beginning of July. I had been feeling a bit breathless after the HA but found I could ease it by getting up and gently moving around.
Then end of July, (start of that really hot spell, woke in the early hours of the morning, felt like I was drowning, or being waterboarded. Tried to get up and walk, but it was more like crawl. did a 999 difficult to speak. The only thing I could think was that I was going to die. The operator kept me on the line and tried to keep me talking, and was saying, the ambulance is on its way. I could barely talk but all I said was, I won't last till they arrive. It was the scariest most terrible thing I have been through. Don't know if the ambulance took 10 hours or 10 minutes to get to me, and to be fair, my memory from then on is very blurred. I do remember the paramedics were ultra efficient and really nice. One seeing to me while the other collected my bag of meds and list of what I take and when (I have that on the table because I take so many) I remember telling them I am under the care of the regional heart specialist hospital for my heart attack and she replied we havent got time to go there and that we are going to the local hospital. I thought she meant that they had so many calls that night that they couldn't spare time for the long trip. But I was so enjoying the oxygen she was feeding me.
At the hospital the NHS were their usual selves speedy, kind and caring. Not ironic remark, it is truly what I have always felt. I reckon I passed in and out of consciousness, or maybe my brain is just blocking those memories, but next thing I remember is the A&E doctor telling me I had congestive heart failure, and then a long speech about it being a dreadful name, basically meaning the old ticker had taken a bit of a beating recently and it needs a bit of help doing its job.
I spent the next week or so on a cardio ward and having all sorts of tests and things.
Finally I got out. After 18 months of battering I was still a bit weak and was using a stick to hobble around.
That is the down side of the story, now the up.
I am still on restricted fluids, my nurse helped me translate it into 1 litre of water and 2 cups of tea a day. My GP, since my release has been working with me to constantly jiggle and readjust my meds. After my release and a short bit of a convalescence I was put on Cardio rehab. (distance of course, apart from the initial assessment due to covid) I start each day by recording symptoms, weight (a check on fluid retention) blood pressure and blood sugar - 5 minutes. I do 2x30 minutes walking indoors using the rehab app and 2x per week and hour following the exercise program. I feel really fit, I mean much fitter than I did a couple of years ago. The main difficulty is limiting myself not to overdo the exercise. Oh and I got rid of the walking stick.
Sorry very long winded, but I wanted to show you that in 6 months it is possible to get from a much worse case of heart failure than yours to how I am now. Oh and just before Xmas my echogram showed and EF of 57. Low I know, but higher than the 55% definition of HF
There is hope, follow the docs instructions to the letter and get your GP involved.
I've had 2 valves repaired 3 years ago and things are ok BUT can I caution you NOT to ready Dr Google, you will get all sorts of scary information. This forum you will find will support you and help you get through this health scare, good luck x
Im learning that quickly glasgowgirl1947 😀. Thank you for your help
When I was first diagnosed with heart problems, caused I think, by a viral infection, or at least the viral infection made it worse and showed up my problems. I have (had) AF "cured" with cardioversion, triscuspid and mitral valve leakage thickened septum and enlarged left (or was it the right) chamber. I was initially diagnosed with HF, but after 6 months the diagnosis was changed and I no longer have HF. So you might get undiagnosed, it happens!
The name is awful but it is not a death sentence. You need to follow a sensible diet and probably limit your fluid intake in the early days. Hopefully your HF nurse and clinic will have gone through that will you. Although with Covid conditions around I don’t know if you are getting the support I did in the early days. (Weekly app with the HF nurse, weight checked to see how much fluid was still coming off, BP taken and bloods.
If not check it out here:
bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...
Pace yourself, eat sensibly and stick to the fluid intake guide.
If you need more help please ask us.
Things do get better I promise!
Fiona
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