Af returning and water build up around heart

[Debfro34]

Hi some of you may remember me I have another question sorry. My husband was recently diagnosed with heart failure , He had a cardioversion (4th one) two weeks ago which was successful and he is already getting flutters again. In addition to this he is on water tablets for his heart but he has had some episodes of dizziness and he had upped the water tablets by another tablet which seems to rectify this. His GP has said over the phone to not take more water tablets until he speaks to the hospital . They have given him an emergency appointment for the 12th July again over the phone.

My question is has anyone else upped their water tablets occasionally? We are swimming in the dark really the NHS has no time for us and the cardiac nurse is on holiday. I just want to see if its ok and what the alternative might be?

Thank you. I appreciate any advice at all.

[Hidden]

Dear Debfro34

So sorry to hear that your husband is still having problems and now it seems to be a water retention one.

Please let me first say that you never have to apologise for asking questions, just ask away that is what this forum is all about.

Water retention is notorious to get right, please remember that I am not medically trained, but I do suffer with it and after the first procedure { the bypass} it is steadily getting worse, remember this is me we are all individuals and respond differently to the drugs prescribed.

I take a few different water tablets and judging by my breathlessness/swollen ankles, I can up or lower them in the given parameters set by my heart nurse, I find that this tweaking tends to keep it at bay for the time being.

Just because your heart nurse in on holiday doesn’t mean that someone else can’t answer your questions, you will have to phone the hospital and ask for the heart failure team and they will tell you who is seeing your old nurses patients {someone has to}

Try to get your husband moving more as this helps.

Take care

[Debfro34 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for your advice. He is walking everyday he is dreadfully thirsty all the time though and the amount he is allowed to drink is making him miserable. I will make sure he monitors that the next few days and hopefully they will speak to him Monday.

[10gingercats]

When I tok Furosimide(I guess this what your husband has been prescribed) for water retention around heart and in lungs it did not help at all , even with a high dose.But when Spirolactone was added the water drained in pints literally within days .I now take a small dose of Furosimide and Spirolactone daily(as prescribed by cardiologist) to keep the water retention at bay and so far,one year on all is well.You must get adivce for this for your husband soon as water retention is debilitating to say the least. Do follow Blues advice and track down the cardiac heart failure nurse who is filling in for your nurse.It is not in your husbands interest to let this go on until July.

[Debfro34 in reply to 10gingercats]

Thank you thats really helpful. I will get him to ask. We have left a message on the answerphone but they are closed now until Monday because of the bank holidays. Hopefully they will call him Monday.

[10gingercats]

If your husband has to limit his water/liquid intake he may find it helpful to eat more moist fruit,as in oranges and pears.......strawberries are also quite moist.

[shopman]

I take Furosemide of varying strengths depending on how swollen I am. I can take up to 320mg per day but once I hit these heights then I must also go for extra blood tests to make sure my kidney function is OK. Fortunately I have been ticking along on just 40mg for a while now.

You say he is constantly thirsty - has he been tested to make sure his blood sugars are OK?

[Becksagogo]

Your body is like a finely tuned Ferrari although some days mine is more like a Ford Cortina! After my last valve replacement I was put on a strict litre and a half restriction but the fluid just wouldn't go and I was blue lighted to hospital where I had 9 litres drained from my tummy area. I looked like I was pregnant.I am now on 4 bumetanide and 1 spironolactone daily but I do admit to taking the odd extra tablet if I feel my ankles swelling.

My HFN is quite happy with this as long as I don't overdo it.

With regards to drinks, has your oh tried ice cubes. You can buy little ice lolly sticks to put in the ice trays and he can suck on those.

[Keith1949]

Restricted fluid intake is difficult, especially in warmer weather. At my last cardiologist appointment, he did explain about the fine balance, getting rid of the fluids vs pressure on the kidneys and did a blood test for BNP before upping my dose of furosemide to 3 tabs a day. I have also had the importance of exercise to help with fluid removal. That though is a tough one. When the fluid builds up, the effects are tiredness and shortage of breath, neither of which is conducive with doing lots of extra exercise! I do try to push it a little though, at times like that, and suck a mini ice cube while pacing the flat