Heart Failure
The following is a true story.
For about a year I was having very irritating sinus issues, most likely allergy related. This January things got worse. I saw my doctor and we decided on a treatment plan. As a result, I spent all of last weekend in the hospital with heart failure. What have I learned?
I have been experiencing sinus headaches that bordered on migraines for the past 12 months. It really hurt. My doctor and I decided on a very aggressive strategy to treat these issues with Allegra-D, Mucinex-D, Nasonex, and Astelin. These drugs work great. However, they do not cure an infection.
In January this year, the symptoms became more persistent and in fact seemed to have moved into my chest. I thought I was experiencing a relapse into a childhood asthmatic disorder related to the allergies. So I went to the doctor thinking I had an acute infection that needed to be treated with antibiotics. I asked the doctor what I should do about the 4-drug cocktail I was already taking, he advised me to continue taking the drugs. Here’s where the trouble begins.
I know and my doctor knows that I have a hereditary issue with hypertension. I have been on blood pressure medications in my past. However, I had been off of the medication for a while (3 years) due to lack of symptoms. If you were paying attention in paragraph two, you realize that two of the drugs in my four drug combo will drive blood pressure through the roof and in a susceptible individual like me… well, I think I may have set a record or two.
Anyway, after I finished the two weeks of antibiotic, I waited one more week to see the remaining symptoms to fade. The ‘asthma’ did not. The shortness of breath which I attributed to the inability to breathe did not fade. I thought I had pneumonia. I went back to my doctor; he wanted blood tests and x-rays. I guess he thought the same thing I did. I saw my doctor early the next morning (Friday). His diagnosis was not what anyone expected: heart failure.
I went to the hospital (Grady Memorial, yikes!) where I spent 2 days consulting with cardiologists (good cardiologist-bad cardiologist!) and lowering my blood pressure by all possible means. I had 4am tests, 5am blood draws, other tests, lots of drugs and no sleep. Let me tell you, the hospital is more like jail than the fancy hotel you could stay in for half the price.
In any event, I got out Sunday afternoon. Lowering the blood pressure seems to have helped tremendously. I will be seeing the cardiologist and my doctor later this week for more testing. We’ll find out how much damage has been done to my heart and how much can be repaired. As for the actual cause, we may not ever find out. God bless modern medicine.
For about a year I was having very irritating sinus issues, most likely allergy related. This January things got worse. I saw my doctor and we decided on a treatment plan. As a result, I spent all of last weekend in the hospital with heart failure. What have I learned?
I have been experiencing sinus headaches that bordered on migraines for the past 12 months. It really hurt. My doctor and I decided on a very aggressive strategy to treat these issues with Allegra-D, Mucinex-D, Nasonex, and Astelin. These drugs work great. However, they do not cure an infection.
In January this year, the symptoms became more persistent and in fact seemed to have moved into my chest. I thought I was experiencing a relapse into a childhood asthmatic disorder related to the allergies. So I went to the doctor thinking I had an acute infection that needed to be treated with antibiotics. I asked the doctor what I should do about the 4-drug cocktail I was already taking, he advised me to continue taking the drugs. Here’s where the trouble begins.
I know and my doctor knows that I have a hereditary issue with hypertension. I have been on blood pressure medications in my past. However, I had been off of the medication for a while (3 years) due to lack of symptoms. If you were paying attention in paragraph two, you realize that two of the drugs in my four drug combo will drive blood pressure through the roof and in a susceptible individual like me… well, I think I may have set a record or two.
Anyway, after I finished the two weeks of antibiotic, I waited one more week to see the remaining symptoms to fade. The ‘asthma’ did not. The shortness of breath which I attributed to the inability to breathe did not fade. I thought I had pneumonia. I went back to my doctor; he wanted blood tests and x-rays. I guess he thought the same thing I did. I saw my doctor early the next morning (Friday). His diagnosis was not what anyone expected: heart failure.
I went to the hospital (Grady Memorial, yikes!) where I spent 2 days consulting with cardiologists (good cardiologist-bad cardiologist!) and lowering my blood pressure by all possible means. I had 4am tests, 5am blood draws, other tests, lots of drugs and no sleep. Let me tell you, the hospital is more like jail than the fancy hotel you could stay in for half the price.
In any event, I got out Sunday afternoon. Lowering the blood pressure seems to have helped tremendously. I will be seeing the cardiologist and my doctor later this week for more testing. We’ll find out how much damage has been done to my heart and how much can be repaired. As for the actual cause, we may not ever find out. God bless modern medicine.
