I need some answer

[amy122767]

Im sitting here in the hospital, running out of options. My mom is 67 yrs old. Has had heart problems in the past. She ended up in the hospital for lower stomach pains on Jan 16th. On Jan 19th she had a heart attack and went into congestive heart failure. They life flighted her to a bigger hospital. They did a angiogram finding no blockage. Which made them to believe she might of had a blood clot. She was on a respirator for a few days. They tried to take her off but she went into heart failure again. Which caused her lungs to fill up again. a couple days later she was able to be put on a bpap machine and then from there just oxygen. but again her lungs filled up again. her heart is very weak. it should be pumping out blood or fluids like 55 to 60 beats and she only can pump 25. i feel like im watching her die right in front of me. Is there something more I can be doing for her. one dr says she could pull throught this but would take a very long time, and the others says she is dying. I cant give up on her. please is there anything else i can be doing for her.
amy

[jrbon]

Dear Amy, I am very sorry for you and your mum.

It is difficult to give any answer... what else can you do ?? I will not go to advise medicaments, since my experience tells me that in crisis situation many different things can be used.

I can only advise to try her to stay in a coronary intensive unit (people in one of those  saved my life twice). Been there you are continuously monitored and with central veins open and ready to inject the most powerful medicaments available.

Also try to listen only to a doctor, even in large hospitals it should be a single dr. treating her and deciding on her treatment, try to identify him and speak with him. Items to discuss are: state of her kidneys, what has been done to make her to eliminate liquid, what are the options to strength her heart (Inotropics, counter pulsation balloon, Biventricular defibrilator ... ) ... Prognosis....

A 25% of EF is not that bad, I wish I had it.

Good luck.

Jesus

[gmachris518]

You don't mention what drugs they are giving her.  A lot of patients do well with Coreg and lasix.  

The Coreg, in the right dose, should help her heart beat more efficiently and stronger, helping to pump the fluid from her lungs, and the lasix would help clear the fluid from her system.  

Something else that I have had in the past, for CHF, is albuterol.  While most doctors don't like to use it with heart patients, it works real well for clearing the lungs.  Albuterol took me from 100% whiteout, to completely clear lungs in about 20 minutes, and they stayed clear for several days.

My EF went from 15% to 20 % with Coreg, which doesn't sound like much, but I have managed to survive for 5 years.  Of course the lasix did a very good job of helping to keep my lungs clear, during the 5 years, until now.

So, if her doctors aren't giving her Coreg, and lasix, you might insist that they at least try it.  Also, mentioning the albuterol when her lungs fill up, might go a long way in helping her.  If nothing else, it might all make her more comfortable in her battle.

I hope the best for her, and you.