sounds like congestive heart failure to me

[Shadowrage]

When my husband was 23 he was hospitalized with severe abdominal pain and they were prepared to take his gallbladder out when blood test results made them go back for more tests. They decided he had cardiomyopathy. He gets severe swelling in his foot, legs, stomach, groin, back and upper chest. His heart doctors said he got it from a virus but unsure which one. They also said if it wasn't for his age they would think he had congestive heart failure. He is now 29 years old and his swelling is worse than ever,if he sits, lies down, stands, etc for any amount of time he swells first in his legs then on to the rest of his body. Upon taking water reduction pills he will loose 25-30lbs in 24hours! however the water pills give him leg/back cramping to where he is unable to even stand. He has asthma, as well as high blood pressure (the blood pressure was diagnosed same time as heart problem). The doctors have no idea why his swelling is so bad, they have even changed his meds alot. No one can figure it out,  now his joints ache and he is unable to hold a job and doesn't qualify for ssi. Even at his age now the heart specialists refuse to believe it could be congestive heart failure. Could I be right and What do I do if I am? or do you have any idea's about his swelling?

[Encephalomalcia]

Anytime the body is putting on more water than it can take off, the heart is failing.  What is alarming is that he takes off 24 to 30 pounds in 24 hours.  Is the doctor aware of this much water coming off in this little time?  I am concerned as to what this is doing to his kidneys as taking off 30 pounds of water can be dangerous.  Usually with congestive heart failure there is a cough and spit up white or clear mucus.  Sleeping is hard and have a hard time breathing when trying to sleep.  Right side heart failure presents with water in the ankles, legs and left side heart failure is water in the abdomen, lungs.  Sounds like the right and left side of his heart is failing.  Take a look at what he is eating.  Only fresh fruits and vegetables, organic if possible.  Add no salt to food.  Eat no canned foods, processed foods, no hotdogs, no salty foods.  He needs to be very strict with his diet.  Watch how much he is drinking a day and ice cream is counted as liquid also.  Make sure not to go overboard and get dehydrated which is easy to do and dangerous.  If he stills is retaining water, the doctors will have to determine what the next step would be.    

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hi,

To me it seems like congestive heart failure only and the usual causes in a young patient are damage to the heart muscle secondary to the viral infection of the myocardium (muscle of the heart). It is really impossible to find out the culprit virus and even if one has found out, there’s isn’t much which can be done as the viral myocarditis is treated by supportive measures as there’s no specific antiviral therapy which can help.

Over a period of time, the heart muscles get damaged after the viral myocarditis and subsequently, cardiomyopathy results in which the heart muscle becomes weakened and is not able to pump out blood for the various organs of the body.

The other possibility which can’t be ruled out is damage to the valves of the heart which can occur secondary to the rheumatic fever, caused by bacteria. In this, a sore throat occurs usually in the childhood along with the joint pains an ultimately the antibodies produced against the bacteria start damaging the valves of the heart and over a period of time the valves get damaged and ultimately it has a hazardous effect on the muscles of the heart also which also get damaged subsequently resulting in the weakening of the muscles and a situation similar to congestive heart failure.

So, it is basically viral myocarditis and rheumatic valvulitis , which ultimately lead to damage to the heart muscle and then congestive heart failure.

I hope that helps. Please do keep me posted.

Kind regards.