Please! Congested heart failure advice.

**tagi** · 03-17-2010, 09:31 AM

Would appreciate open and candid info on prognosis, personal experience on someone who has or knows someone that has or had this condition, rundown, quick man late 50's heavy drinker, heart problems, gout, obese, high blood pressure, diabetes type 2. History of wheezing, on C-PAP for sleep apnea......just got diagnosed with Congested heart failure.......put on steroids, lasix, etc,,,,,,,takes so many pills already...takes 2000 mg a day metformin along with many other drugs for high blood pressure etc........looked up on web says 5 years or less............any advice or info......what should we expect..........please dont sugar coat
thanks so much

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**NasCat** · 03-17-2010, 09:58 AM

http://www.americanheart.org/present...dentifier=4585

**dinosmom** · 03-17-2010, 01:08 PM

Congestive heart failure is treatable in most cases. Usually with drugs, diet changes and exercise. My Dad had CHF along with a bunch of other problems-heart disease, numerous heart attacks, open heart surgeries etc etc. The CHF made him very tired and he had to be careful not to over exert himself and later he did have edema caused by the heart failure. He was in CHF for yrs before he died due to complications from HepC (which he got from a blood transfusion during open heart surgery). It wasnt the CHF that lead to his death.

**belle5691** · 03-17-2010, 03:07 PM

I dont have a lot of time right now as I have just moved and am in the midst of putting things away (seems like it will never get done). My husband has CHF, along with diabetes, and a myriad of other complications. He was given a prognosis of about 5 years also. We are 3 years beyond that. He is pretty much disabled totally. He sits. He is swollen constantly---all made worse by his refusal to try....It's in and out of hospitals. Sometimes every month, sometimes every 3 or 4 months. We have even at one point went a whole year with no hospital stays. Its depressing. Its frustrating. But maybe my husband is not the typical story. He doesnt follow doctors directions like he should. Just make sure you follow every direction to the letter...watch for swelling and catch it as soon as you can and do what the doctor has told you to do. Ill write more later of some of the things we have gone through. I need to get back to work for the moment...But, Im thinking of you, and hoping for the best.

**Jenefer3** · 03-17-2010, 07:30 PM

My dad was diagnosed with congestive heard failure back in 1999. He died in 2004. I'm not saying that will happen to your loved one, it's just what happened to mine. He had a lot of the same issues as your loved one (diabetes, weight, blood pressure, cpap)but he didn't change his diet and wouldn't stop smoking. He spent so much time in and out of the hospital (ICU) and it eventually became too much for his body and heart and he passed away. The last 2 years of his life were the most painful for him.

I'm sorry that your loved one was diagnosed with this, but I hope they are smart enough to listen to the doctor and change the things that they can change. I know it's easy to say to change things, but I believe that it's necessary. I love my dad dearly but we went through hell with him and all his hospital stays. Phone calls telling us that he was in the ICU, being on life support, he got MRSA and for the last few months of his life we couldn't even touch him without gloves on (the dr. said to do that because the kids were young and my son had a weakened immune system - I would rather be overly cautious than not cautious enough). He gradually got to the point where he couldn't take care of himself because he was too tired or just not feeling well. He suffered from horrible swelling of his legs and would get these 'sores' on his legs that would have to be dressed and changed by a home health nurse every day.

**gmyers** · 03-17-2010, 08:52 PM

My dad had congestive heart failure. He had diabetes and his legs would swell twice the size and he had sores all over them. They turned a dark purple color. He lost a lot of weight in the nursing home and it helped him. But he died when he fell and broke his thigh bone and had a blood clot go to his heart or brain I don't know which one for sure. But he was better in the nursing home when he lost weight and they got his diabetes under control. His legs stopped swelling and having the sores. I believe loosing weight and getting the diabetes and blood pressure under control helps if you can do it.

**queenangie** · 03-17-2010, 11:32 PM

Depends on his choice to follow doctor's orders, medications, diet, exercise.

My suggestions:
1) Daily weight every morning after urinating without clothing.
Weight gain of 3 - 5 pounds in a week, call the MD.

2) Stay on the prescribed low sodium diet.
Go with fresh fruits & veggies, beef or chicken (skinless, boneless, made from fresh), homemade soups. Use herbs & spices rather than salt.
Take the salt shaker off the table.
Avoid hotdogs, cold cuts, bacon, sausages, ham, tomato sauce that is filled with salt, Campbell's soups, convenience foods.
Avoid the classic Easter dinner of ham, cheesy potatoes, mac n cheese, green beans made with real bacon, pork 'n beans.
One year, we made Thanksgiving with very, very low salt for everything. It was for my elderly Dad just getting out of the hospital and actually, everything tasted good. BIL had to have his 'salt shaker', but nobody else complained.

3) Take the prescription medication every day. Create a weekly pill box, so you can see if meds are missed.

4) Use the cpap! Every night! That helps heart failure.

5) Exercise every day.

6) Some people have to limit their fluid intake, the doctor will prescribe if this is needed.

7) Avoid alcohol, nicotine.

8) See if the local hospital or home health can supply a telephonic device like Cardiocom Scales that will record daily his blood pressure, weight, and ask a series of questions to keep a daily monitored record of his progress.

Wishing you all the best!

**wubbywa** · 03-18-2010, 04:07 AM

My dad also has CHF. I thought it was a death sentence from the beginning. He has had it at least 6 years. He was a smoker quit 21 years ago. My mom is the best thing for him she has pushed him more than he would ever push himself. It has been up and down with healthe issues for awhile now. He is 81 and I never thought he would make it this far. He has regular checkups alot of times more than that, just a cold can get very tough for him to fight. He also has emphazima. He is a fighter he wants to do more but is unable to do to much. Walking distances tires him out. Always watch the ankles when they are swollen they are holding to much fluid. The lasics works wonders but then it dries my dad out and he has to go to the bathroom all the time. That is normal he just doesnt like it. Have a postiive attitude and try to keep him from getting depressed

**dv8grl** · 03-18-2010, 04:08 AM

If he doesn't make significant LIFESTYLE CHANGES, he'll die.
Simple as that.

**pepperpot** · 03-18-2010, 05:37 AM

Originally Posted by dv8grl

If he doesn't make significant LIFESTYLE CHANGES, he'll die.
Simple as that.

: And for some, it needs to be put out there that bluntly and not sugar coated for it to register in their brain. That was my mother's case.

**cabby92** · 03-18-2010, 09:10 AM

My dad was diagnosed with CHF in 2000. He has managed it just fine since then. He does what is needed to keep it under control. He'll be 83 in May and just went back to work for the census.

Thread: Please! Congested heart failure advice.

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