A stressful meeting at work made me sense pressure in my chest. It was not severe and had gone the following day when I had an ECG and blood test at my GP surgery. I had zero other symptoms and felt fine but was told the ECG and blood test had shown a heart problem. I was admitted to hospital where tests were repeated and given around 20 tablets. The following day an ultrasound showed severe heart failure with EF below 35%. I still felt OK. Discharged with multiple meds to await an MRI (waiting lists are six months plus)I struggle to accept my heart is pumping so poorly, ie perhaps only half its normal rate. I have no problem with daily activities and can walk miles in the hills near my home without any hint of breathlessness or fatigue. How is this possible? Can Echos be wrong and over or underestimate function? I am suffering side effects from the heart meds (I think) including dreadful back pain and constant stomach pain, wind and diarhorrea but have been told by my heart nurse that neither she or any consultant would tell me to stop the meds. I have to accept I have serious heart failure and I need them. Why are there no symptoms of my heart functioning so poorly? Does anyone have a similar experience? Could my EF have improved since end January?
Low EF or less than 35% but zero symp... - British Heart Fou...
Low EF or less than 35% but zero symptoms
Hi, I don’t know if my experience can help but I do suffer severe symptoms so had the echo and it said I had an EF of 35%. I saw a consultant not long after the echo and he really wasn’t worried about my heart after looking at scans and said my EF was 45%. They told me to go on all the heart failure medication even thought his response was I’m not that worried so I refused them till I had the CMRI. The results from that came back 49% left side 48% right. But from the CMRI axillary lymph nodes flagged up, so have had an urgent referral to rule out cancer. My GP doesn’t think my symptoms are caused by the heart although it is weakened she thinks my body is trying to fight something off. I have an appointment with the heart failure nurses in a week. But when it came to them trying to put me on the medication I was very very worried as I know they can cause complications. I will wait to see what the consultant says regarding medication. My GP seemed to think at this moment in time I don’t really need it. Hope this helps
Thank you for replying and explaining your experience with EF percentages. I have always wondered how accurate the 35% is as the nurse who did the ultra-sound kept saying how hard it was to get a clear image and she pressed incredibly hard on my ribs saying it was hard because my ribs were so close together (?) It would be helpful to have another echo and see if it's the same. I will ask when I have a cardio outpatient appointment next month. I hope your appointments go well and you find out what is really going on. The meds frighten me and I'd love to stop them because of the side effects but I'm scared I'll be doing the wrong thing. I just wish the MRI wasn't 6 months away as that might make it easier to decide what to do.
My EF has gone from 35% from the original report and echo then 45% from another cardiologist looking at the original to now 49% from the CMRI. I’ve had them prescribe me the 4 pillars of heart failure medication then the consultant saying not to take them then ringing and saying just take losartan. To now saying my hearts working the way it is because it’s trying to fight something off and had an urgent oncology app. So I could of started medication before anyone was sure of what was going on if I’d listened to the first cardiologist and I was not going to risk going on medication that is not that easy to ever come off again.
I worry about being able to come off the meds and about whether I need them but the heart nurse was shocked to even be asked about them. It seems the medical profession sees them as marvellous and I'm sure they are if needed, I just don't want to take tablets for the rest of my life. One nurse even told me "everyone is on tablets of some kind by the time they're 40" and seemed surprised I was worried about the meds. The issue is that until the MRI no-one really knows what caused the heart falilure and yet they tell me I will probably need the tablets for life. All very worrying. Glad your EF is better than originally thought. Hope my eventual MRI shows mine as better than the echo did.
I got the same response when I questioned medication. They seem to want to put me on them before anyone knew what was going on. I’m glad I trusted my gut and didn’t start them. I’ve had bad experiences in the past with medical professionals dishing out tablets so I’ve done a lot of research. I do hope everything goes ok with you. It’s sad to think if your now having side effects from medication. Where I refused it I’m not sure if that made them do the CMRI quicker because they gave me about a 6 month waiting time but it was much quicker. If you’re really worried you could look into having a private scan. Or take yourself to A&E.
Hi! Sorry in advance, I'm terrible at writing these out and this may not be too helpful, however I'm in the same boat. Had an EF of 42 with no symptoms/very very mild symptoms! 6 months after being put on meds (ivabridine and a few others) and my EF was 34%. I'm 25, so quite young still, and the only symptoms were mild palpitations! But yes, I had an EF very similar to yours. it was only found as I kept bugging the GP to get my heart checked out after being tachycardic... A further 6 months down the line after being on the highest dose of entresto and my EF is above 60% which is amazing! All I'm trying to say is, it definitely IS possible to have HF and little to no symptoms and most importantly, you can get better with the right medication and lifestyle. All the best!
Thank you for replying. I am glad your EF has improved. It is hard to accept the heart isn't functioning when it seems to be OK. You are very young to have had problems so very glad you got yours sorted. It sounds like staying on the meds that they say improve heart function may be worth it. Its less than two months since the EF was measured so perhaps too soon for mine to have improved. Just wish the side effects weren't so awful. Thanks again.
after my ha my lvef was 25% . Loads of meds and 17 months 38%., last march(24)
I feel fine as well.
Thanks. Glad yours is improving. I hope mine does too. But still don't understand how a heart barely pumping half what it should be can allow me to do normal stuff, including walking in the hills.
We aren’t medically trained. To reason why
a normal heart lvef is => 50% in most cases.
Doc told me that over 35% for a damaged heart is a barest minimum. He is a surgeon at Ipswich and papworth.
My readings were 25 severe 27 moderate 38 slight.
I had an ichemic ha meaning a blockage of the heart arteries. Which is strange as one month before I had a routine scan that showed all clear.
I also heard it was a blood clot. So that is possible. Heavy smoker of 53 years didn’t help.
Results from an echo depends on several factors not least the skill of the technician. Most people think and MRI is more accurate. I have had 3 different sorts nuclear scan ultrasound and MRI. Lowest was a stress echo on a treadmill which uses ultrasound to record images of the heart. This gave 59%
Nuclear scan which gave 69%
MRI Which gave 59%
A non stress echo which gave between 51% just after I had a heart attack
And 69% done recently (a normal echo)
I have read that most methods should not give results which are within 10% of each other
Thank you for replying. Ideally I would like the echo done again as NHS waiting lists mean that the MRI is six months away or longer. The nurse doing my echo kept saying she was finding it hard to get a good image because my ribs were too close together (?)
I have had 4 echos. It seems to be common to have problems getting a good image. In my case it was the fact that I have pectus excavatum which apparently makes it difficult. I guess that if it was a nurse doing it (happened to me once) he/she would not comment about findings. Looking at my previous post it should say that results are typically within 10% of each other
Hi
Just over five years ago I had no symptoms whatsoever and suddenly out the blue I had an out of hospital cardiac arrest. It turned out I had dilated cardiomyopathy and an EF of 10% but felt fine. My EF has improved but is still classed as severe heart failure, last year I averaged over 10 miles per day walking and still have no symptoms. So basically listen to the experts as you can have severe heart failure without any symptoms until it’s too late. I was lucky as the location where I had my cardiac arrest had bought a Defibrillator two days before.
Take care and enjoy every day.
Thank you for replying. I still don't understand severe heart failure not having symptoms. I wish someone could explain. Do I understand from what you are saying that with heart failure I am at risk of a heart attack?
Hi I had a ha 7 years ago around three years I was diagnosed with heart failure ef of 31 I was shocked I have no symptoms only if I go upstairs or bend I go breathless I am glad I don’t have symptoms but also worry as no one has advised me how to improve ef only to say a icd would be best I have been taking Bisoprolol and Ramipril over five years but now Dr said stop the ramipril around 8 months ef said 39 but then uk say 31 I am constantly worried because I know I have hf but symptomless and worry if I’m getting worse without knowing
Afib low ef
Heart failure 34% ef rate. Moderate HF stable but borderline severe. Any way of improving this?
Heart Failure - 55% EF but still breathlessness
update to original post regarding heart failure and private consultations with cardiologist.
BNP Blood Test
