Heart failure. Im going crazy

Since January i've been getting worse and worse. it started with a strange cough and what seemed like an asthma crysis, worse at night. Now i cant do anything, i can only stay in bedf, if i walk or do something that needs a physical effort i start to get very very tired with loss of breath and my heart pounding like crazy Went to the hospital 3 times, one they told me it was a case of bronchitis although i had no fever and my heart rate was 130 bpm. Next 2 times they told me it was anxiety, stress and gave me anti depressive. Needless to say it didnt help,

I still cough and still feel very tired everytime i do something, even walking around the house, i used to go to the gym and now i feel useless as i cant do anything and i'm afraid of goig out. I need to sleep with 2 pillows, because i have trouble sleeping if i dont. I'm a 37 year old male, with so much ahead of me, used to very healthy and bam now this happens, I dont smoke, i dont drink, i used to exercise regularly and now i cant even go to the supermarket.

i'm having constant arrythmias between 90 and 100 bpm while not doing anything,just relaxing or staying in the living room watching a movie. If i walk around or try to make my bed heart rates will go rom 110 to 135 bpm (Tachycardia).

I used to drink a Red Bull everyday, i stopped. now that i think about it it could be related, but then again, if its so dangerous why are they selling it worldwide?

Im going to the cardiologist monday but i'm very afraid of what he's going to say. If it's heart failure (and all the symptoms indicate this) i read there's no cure, just medicines to give a better quality of life and prolong surival. I dont think how i will handle the situation.

My dad died in January 2012 with 69 due to COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), he smoked a lot and his heart health diminished to the the point that even combing his hair would made him feel miserable. He suffered a lot always being connected to an oxygen mask.I dont know if i can or want go through the same he did.

I'm not afraid of dying i just dont want to suffer.

It does sound like bronchitis, and you may also be dehydrated which could cause the arythmias and adding to your tired feeling. Check yourself to make sure you are taking in enough liquids. Your urine should be clear if it is not your are dehydrated, the darker the urine the more dehydrated you are.

Try to stay calm, the more you worry the more you'll cause the arythmeia if it is anxiety related. Try some deep slow breathing when you feel your heart start to race, that will sometime bring mine back to a normal pace.

Good luck and hope you feel better soon and Monday you get good news

When my brother was 34, he was experiencing the same symptoms. Lightheaded, palpitations, even blurry vision.

We took a walk one day on the beach with my son and his girlfriend. On the way back up to the top of the cove, he was gasping for air and clutching his chest. He felt nauseous and we had to stop on the way home for him to vomit.
The whole time, I was concerned but not prepared for what happened next.
He got home, fell to the floor and passed out. By a miracle he woke up and called his girlfriend to take him to the ER. His heart rate remained steady over 200 for nearly 4 hours.
The nurses and physicians were stumped. They tried lots of medication to fix his wildly beating heart, finally having to shock it to make it stop fluttering. They were finally able to figure out he had a heart attack. His age and his seemingly strong health stumped everyone. He remained in the ICU for 11 days, and left with a defibrillator in his chest.
The cause? A super rare condition called Cardiac Sarcoidosis.
I do not know what the future holds, but he is doing all he can now to live very healthily.

I advise you not to wait for the appt. Go to the ER. Ask them to check for sarcoidosis, just to be sure. There is no one test for it, they have to basically rule out other causes. But it is rare enough that many doctors don't think to check for it..but not so rare that you could not have it.
It is often found in more than one organ..lungs are common for the disease.

A doctor told my brother that most people with cardiac sarcoidosis never know they have it..it is only diagnosed post-mortem. Just a thought,

I wish you the best and hope all turns out okay for you!

What was the duration period of you consuming a red bull once a day? All energy drinks are bad for you, and red bull is banned in France and Denmark if my memory is correct.The worst thing the drink has is tons of caffeine , which can cause heart cells to release calcium, which may affect heartbeat, leading to arrhythmia. The drinks may also disrupt the normal balance of salts in the body, which has been linked to arrhythmia as well. Not enough research has been done on these drinks, but they for sure have major side effects on the heart and human body.

Are you self-diagnosing the arrhythmia or has a doctor validated this? There are many kinds of tachycardia - including sinus tach which is just a normal rhythm going too fast.

It is honestly too early either way to freak out. There are a plethora of things that it might be. One thing you can do currently is eat a couple of bananas every day. This will raise your potassium levels and can often resolve arrhythmic issues.

Originally posted by szusty
What was the duration period of you consuming a red bull once a day? All energy drinks are bad for you, and red bull is banned in France and Denmark if my memory is correct.The worst thing the drink has is tons of caffeine , which can cause heart cells to release calcium, which may affect heartbeat, leading to arrhythmia. The drinks may also disrupt the normal balance of salts in the body, which has been linked to arrhythmia as well. Not enough research has been done on these drinks, but they for sure have major side effects on the heart and human body.

It's not only the caffeine, which I agree with you is in super high doses, but the taurine in it masks the effects of caffeine overdose. You don't get the jitters or shakes or anxiety like you're about to break a wall down.

People often assume taurine is a stimulant, but it's actually a good anxiolytic which is good for the heart and liver. But mixed with grams of caffeine it gets a bad rap.

I agree about the self diagnosing. A normal heart rate is 60-100 bpm. For someone that is young and healthy, a heart rate up to 130 or so is nothing to be alarmed about.

The cough is certainly concerning, and if you were diagnosed with bronchitis and given antibiotics and didn't complete the doses as directed and follow up with your doctor, you may well have relapsed or have developed a drug resistant strain of infection.

Until you see the doctor, please do NOT follow the advice to increase your fluid intake. In the possible instance that you do have CHF, fluids are restricted. You would be given a diuretic to remove fluids, such as Lasix. Increasing your fluids without a diagnosis could make your condition much worse.

The banana suggestion is fine, that will help too, if you have leg cramps. Just keep doing what you are doing until you see the doctor, sleep in a recliner or with extra pillows to increase sleeping comfort, and avoid caffeine.

Caffeine is in lots of things, even chocolate, so just be aware.

If something gets worse, you can't breathe, or can't seem to catch your breath, chest pain, jaw pain, or left arm pain, even central back pain, please call 911. Don't take yourself, or let someone take you to the hospital, precious seconds may be lost in travel that could make a difference.

Stay safe, and try to relax. I have you in my prayers.

Good luck at your appointment.

Oops double post...

I've studied holistic health at the PhD level and can tell you traditional western trained doctors often do not have the training to fully understand a lot of medical conditions and WHY they happen. They are trained to set bones, do surgery or prescribe synthetic medications. They don't often understand or receive training how to identify a root cause. Only if you have a MD/DO with a combination of naturopath/holistic doctor will you get a power house physician who is often capable of understanding the CAUSE of illness and disease as well as how to treat.

With that being said, OP your symptoms could be a multitude of things. I'd want to know what you are eating/drinking daily. You could have an infection of the lining of your heart, which would cause some of your symptoms. I actually had it once and good ole' antibiotics will cure it. It's not as crazy deadly as this link describes. I thought I was having a heart attack when mine was diagnosed.

Endocarditis

I've studied abnormal arrhythmia in terms of causes and know first hand arrhythmia is often a dietary problem with a lack of zinc, potassium and magnesium. High quality, pharmaceutical grade supplements are what I recommend as not all supplements are created equal. Believe me when I tell you to try this as they are liken to a miracle cure for arrhythmia problems.

Eliminate anything / everything with artificial sweeteners. The chemicals in artificial sweeteners can cause problems.

There could be mold or something else in your home causing you problems.

Allergic reactions can cause breathing problems as described.

It could be many things, and not necessarily your heart failing with no chance of recovery.

Wishing you the best!

thing is i've taken two boxes of amoxicilin + clavulanic acid, have taken them till the end, so i think a pneumonia or respiratory infection would be ruled out by now, also i never had a fever during this. the asthma discs and inhalers stopped working,so i think these breathing problems and loss of air are not because of asthma.

@curiouswa i dont eat fast food / junk food. i eat lots of fruits, vegetables, i dont drink milk. And yes i dont use sugar but artificial sweetener (didnt know that could cause problems)


in fact since end of january when this began i lost 7 kilos (i was 82 kg now 75 kg). i was @ the gym doing a cycling class and i noticed the shortness of air and the cough, also a taste of blood/iron in my mouth like when you run or exercise too much. then it started to get worse and worse everyday.



wouldn't rule out anxiety yet but i dont think that's it, wish it was. i think the red bulls ( i took one per day) also played a part in this. i wouldnt take them as an energetic drink but as a refreshment. silly thing to do, but yeah i did it.

reply to post by Picollo30


You could have even been exposed unwittingly to any multitude of diseases, or the antibiotics you took were not appropriate for the strain of infection that you have. Without a chest xray, a sputum sample, and some other labs and possuibly studies, it just will be guessing. You could even have a mucus plug, a small pulmonary embolous, or tuberculosis, endocarditis, or cardiomyopathy, maybe even a blocked artery, or unsiscovered birth defect.

The heart issue could simply be a symptom, and not necessarily the problem. Until the root of the problem is diagnosed by a doctor, you are grasping at straws. Two more days, and you will have some answers.

Sorry you're going through this. Hope things turn out well. Keep us posted!

Sorry to hear you are going through this. Hope your doctor can figure it out and get you squared away soon.

The advances they have made is surgical procedures should give you hope. So thinking positive will help you deal with whatever your diagnosis might be. Give yourself the mindset that you will get better.. A woman I know in her early 40's had several heart related surgeries done recently and she surprised me when she said her doctor said is was better to sleep on your back than your side. You might want to hear what your doctor's opinion is on this.

Think of every question you can and write them down. Take someone with you. It helps to take another set of ears who might catch something you missed.

What Heff said about bananas and potassium was good advice. My sister is an ICU nurse and when they have a patient whose heart rate is problematic the first thing they do is check their potassium and magnesium levels.

Better 'fess up to the doctor about the Red Bull. Take an empty can so he can read the label.

Rooting for you.

Heart failure is a chronic disease needing lifelong management. However, with treatment, signs and symptoms of heart failure can improve and the heart sometimes becomes stronger. Treatment can help you live longer and reduce your chance of dying suddenly. Doctors sometimes can correct heart failure by treating the underlying cause. For example, repairing a heart valve or controlling a fast heart rhythm may reverse heart failure. But for most people, the treatment of heart failure involves a balance of the right medications, and in some cases, devices that help the heart beat and contract properly.

Medications
Doctors usually treat heart failure with a combination of medications. Depending on your symptoms, you might take one or more of these drugs. They include:

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. These drugs help people with heart failure live longer and feel better. ACE inhibitors are a type of vasodilator, a drug that widens blood vessels to lower blood pressure, improve blood flow and decrease the workload on the heart. Examples include enalapril (Vasotec), lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril) and captopril (Capoten).
Angiotensin II receptor blockers. These drugs, which include losartan (Cozaar) and valsartan (Diovan), have many of the same benefits as ACE inhibitors. They may be an alternative for people who can't tolerate ACE inhibitors.
Digoxin (Lanoxin). This drug, also referred to as digitalis, increases the strength of your heart muscle contractions. It also tends to slow the heartbeat. Digoxin reduces heart failure symptoms.
Beta blockers. This class of drugs not only slows your heart rate and reduces blood pressure but also limits or reverses some of the damage to your heart. Examples include carvedilol (Coreg), metoprolol (Lopressor) and bisoprolol (Zebeta). These medicines reduce the risk of some abnormal heart rhythms and lessen your chance of dying unexpectedly. Beta blockers may reduce signs and symptoms of heart failure, improve heart function, and help you live longer.
Diuretics. Often called water pills, diuretics make you urinate more frequently and keep fluid from collecting in your body. Commonly prescribed diuretics for heart failure include bumetanide (Bumex) and furosemide (Lasix). The drugs also decrease fluid in your lungs, so you can breathe more easily. Because diuretics make your body lose potassium and magnesium, your doctor may also prescribe supplements of these minerals. If you're taking a diuretic, your doctor will likely monitor levels of potassium and magnesium in your blood through regular blood tests.
Aldosterone antagonists. These drugs include spironolactone (Aldactone) and eplerenone (Inspra). They are potassium-sparing diuretics but also have additional properties that may reverse scarring of the heart and help people with severe heart failure live longer. Unlike some other diuretics, spironolactone can raise the level of potassium in your blood to dangerous levels, so talk to your doctor if increased potassium is a concern, and learn if you need to modify your intake of food that's high in potassium.

You'll probably need to take two or more medications to treat heart failure. Your doctor may prescribe other heart medications as well — such as nitrates for chest pain, a statin to lower cholesterol or blood-thinning medications to help prevent blood clots — along with heart failure medications.

You may be hospitalized if you have a flare-up of heart failure symptoms. While in the hospital, you may receive additional medications to help your heart pump better and relieve your symptoms. You may also receive supplemental oxygen through a mask or small tubes placed in your nose. If you have severe heart failure, you may need to use supplemental oxygen long term.

Surgery and medical devices
In some cases, doctors recommend surgery to treat the underlying problem that led to heart failure. Some treatments being studied and used in certain people include:

Coronary bypass surgery. If severely blocked arteries are contributing to your heart failure, your doctor may recommend coronary artery bypass surgery. In this procedure, blood vessels from your leg, arm or chest bypass a blocked artery in your heart to allow blood to flow through your heart more freely.
Heart valve repair or replacement. If a faulty heart valve causes your heart failure, your doctor may recommend repairing or replacing the valve. The surgeon can modify the original valve (valvuloplasty) to eliminate backward blood flow. Surgeons also can repair the valve by reconnecting valve leaflets or by removing excess valve tissue so that the leaflets can close tightly. Sometimes repairing the valve includes tightening or replacing the ring around the valve (annuloplasty). Valve replacement is done when valve repair isn't possible. In valve replacement surgery, the damaged valve is replaced by an artificial (prosthetic) valve.
Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs). An ICD is a device similar to a pacemaker. It's implanted under the skin in your chest with wires leading through your veins and into your heart. The ICD monitors the heart rhythm. If the heart starts beating at a dangerous rhythm, or if your heart stops, the ICD tries to pace your heart or shock it back into normal rhythm. An ICD can also function as a pacemaker and speed your heart up if it is going too slow.
Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) or biventricular pacing. A biventricular pacemaker sends timed electrical impulses to both of the heart's lower chambers (the left and right ventricles), so that they pump in a more efficient, coordinated manner. Many people with heart failure have problems with their heart's electrical system that cause their already-weak heart muscle to beat in an uncoordinated fashion. This inefficient muscle contraction may cause heart failure to worsen. Often a biventricular pacemaker is combined with an ICD for people with heart failure.

Heart pumps (left ventricular assist devices, or LVADs). These mechanical devices are implanted into the abdomen or chest and attached to a weakened heart to help it pump. Doctors first used heart pumps to help keep heart transplant candidates alive while they waited for a donor heart.

LVADs are now sometimes used as an alternative to transplantation. Implanted heart pumps can significantly extend and improve the lives of some people with severe heart failure who aren't eligible for or able to undergo heart transplantation or are waiting for a new heart.
Heart transplant. Some people have such severe heart failure that surgery or medications don't help. They may need to have their diseased heart replaced with a healthy donor heart. Heart transplants can dramatically improve the survival and quality of life of some people with severe heart failure. However, candidates for transplantation often have to wait months or years before a suitable donor heart is found. Some transplant candidates improve during this waiting period through drug treatment or device therapy and can be removed from the transplant waiting list.

End-of-life care and heart failure
Even with the number of treatments available for heart failure, it's possible that your heart failure may worsen to the point a heart transplant isn't an option, and you may need to enter hospice care. Hospice care provides a special course of treatment to terminally ill people.

Hospice care allows family and friends — with the aid of nurses, social workers and trained volunteers — to care for and comfort a loved one at home or in hospice residences. It also provides emotional, social and spiritual support for people who are ill and those closest to them. Although most people under hospice care remain in their own homes, the program is available anywhere — including nursing homes and assisted living centers. For people who stay in a hospital, specialists in end-of-life care can provide comfort, compassionate care and dignity.

Although it can be extremely difficult, discuss end-of-life issues with your family and medical team. Part of this discussion will likely involve advance directives - a general term for oral and written instructions you give concerning your medical care should you become unable to speak for yourself. If you have an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), one important consideration to discuss with your family and doctors is turning off the defibrillator so it can't deliver shocks to make your heart continue beating.

Something to consider.

Conscious breathing, deep relaxation, meditation.

Conscious breathing is energizing/clearing/healing. The body can heal itself, but it requires prolonged deep relaxation.

I have experienced some of what you have mentioned. Relaxation and focusing on full/even breathing helps tremendously.

It is not called 'The breath of life' for nothing...

Also, on a side note, I have read that cayenne pepper can ease/stop a heart attack.

Blessings,
*e