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Heart failure with edema
Posted on 10/28/26 at 9:26 pm
Posted on 10/28/26 at 9:26 pm
My best friend has stage 4 heart failure with edema. Has anyone gone thru this experience with a loved one? What to expect? Any tips?
Posted on 10/28/26 at 9:28 pm to 3rdDOWN
Sorry friend. Big prayers for yall
Posted on 10/28/26 at 9:28 pm to 3rdDOWN
It sucks. I can't really offer advice more than taking advantage of the time left. My dad eventually got lucky and found a heart donor. Cancer took him a couple years ago, though.
Posted on 10/28/26 at 9:33 pm to 3rdDOWN
Prayers up
Posted on 10/28/26 at 9:45 pm to 3rdDOWN
There may be hope if he is a candidate for a heart valve replacement.
Posted on 10/28/26 at 9:47 pm to 3rdDOWN
quote:
Any tips?
The health/fitness board probably has a peptide that will help
Posted on 10/28/26 at 9:49 pm to Honeybadge
quote:thanks. Its been a rough week. Googling life expanctancy really got me
Sorry friend. Big prayers for yall
Posted on 10/28/26 at 9:58 pm to 3rdDOWN
Step #1 = Define heart issue
Electrical
Mechanical
Plumbing
Actual heart muscle
Step #2 = Define age
Youth
Middle Age
Early Old Age
Late Old Age
Step #3 = Define symptoms from actual causes
Step #4 = get the right tool for the job
Best cardio doc you can
Get a EF number (they run a painless test like checking a baby in the womb only this is for the actual heart muscle.
Critical IV is the worst place to be, but not always fatal. The heart is a muscle, and if it is in the heart muscle, you can "exercise it"
What is the edema telling you?
Trouble breathing
Unable to sleep / breath lying down
Old Jewish lady cankles
Tightness of skin on shins
Bloated "African starving belly" but firm, not jelly like
If this fits, it means you body can not process fluids with the heart issue and the first thing is to get rid of the excess fluid (which at this stage is collecting around the heart muscle, and making it harder to pump blood and circulate oxygen)
First step (been a care giver all my life, but not a doctor or registered professional) is to get all that excess fluid out of your body so you can "exercise" that heart muscle. Critical IV is no joke, and eventually old age means terminal because you are old and you are wearing down.
My advice for your BFF
Best doctor you can find
Best staff that will do 99% of the work
Major effort by your Bestie to follow doctors orders
(this this can be fatal, 85% don't make first years anniversary and 95% don't make second, the actual patient is in full control to cut this percentages by 1/3 to 2/3)
Have watched those around me die, and spoken to the caregivers as well, and the worst cause of fatality is patients not listening to treatment plans).
If doc say no smoking, you quit cold turkey
If doc says no booze, you quit cold turkey
If doc says no dope, you quit cold turkey
If doc say no salt, you drop to just below minimum RDA's
If you will be advocate for your Bestie, go with them and take notes. Help them help themselves back by lifestyle changes. It is a crap job, with stress and no financial rewards, but is a true test of being a Bestie, no matter what social media would have you believe.
Have no way to reach you, but will help if I can
Posted on 10/28/26 at 10:02 pm to 3rdDOWN
If there’s one disease to unfortunately have in life, it’s heart disease. The cardiology specialty has a lot more proven tools, either through surgery of pharmaceutical, at their disposal than someone suffering from say cancer
Posted on 10/28/26 at 10:07 pm to 3rdDOWN
Several things factor into it.
How old is he?
What is his overall health prior to this?
Does he have a family history of similar?
Prayers for your bud.
How old is he?
What is his overall health prior to this?
Does he have a family history of similar?
Prayers for your bud.
Posted on 10/28/26 at 10:13 pm to Cheese Grits
She has a resting heart rate over 110, she just turned 45, and has high blood pressure and is a cancer survivor. Also has sleep narcolepsy. Swollen feet and hands. Shortness of breath even when resting and has joint pains in knees.
160 sys
122 dia
122 pul
This is her typical read out
160 sys
122 dia
122 pul
This is her typical read out
Posted on 10/28/26 at 10:25 pm to 3rdDOWN
Unfortunately I know a lot about this progressive disease…because I have it. The typical course of action is as follows:
1. Pharmaceuticals - there are some really good drugs, that can strengthen the heart. They don’t always work, but a very inexpensive beta blocker brought my ejection fraction basically back to normal. Gotta take this for life.
2. When the heart gets weak enough, they can put a mechanical pump in one of the arteries to boost efficiency.
3. When none of that works, you are put on the heart transplant list.
Someone on this board just had a heart transplant…search up the thread, if you are inclined. Heart failure is very common and is some serious shite. However, it is not necessarily the death sentence that the internet would have you believe.
1. Pharmaceuticals - there are some really good drugs, that can strengthen the heart. They don’t always work, but a very inexpensive beta blocker brought my ejection fraction basically back to normal. Gotta take this for life.
2. When the heart gets weak enough, they can put a mechanical pump in one of the arteries to boost efficiency.
3. When none of that works, you are put on the heart transplant list.
Someone on this board just had a heart transplant…search up the thread, if you are inclined. Heart failure is very common and is some serious shite. However, it is not necessarily the death sentence that the internet would have you believe.
This post was edited on 10/28/26 at 10:27 pm
Posted on 10/28/26 at 11:21 pm to 3rdDOWN
quote:
she just turned 45
Good news, the younger the patient, the more building the heart back up helps
quote:
cancer survivor
Means she knows how to fight, also good news
quote:
Also has sleep narcolepsy.
Does she have apnea, this can be treated
quote:
Swollen feet
quote:
Shortness of breath
That sounds like too much fluid in her body
Check out doctors advice on Lasix. IV / needle will get 2x to 3x results over a pill, but pill can be done daily at home. Think it has gone generic so that helps with costs. After that other meds can be added but check for long term organ issue like liver or kidneys
quote:
160 sys
122 dia
122 pul
Focus on systolic and pulse. Meds out there to treat both, and bodies are different, but my rule of thumb.
100 to 130 = GREEN
131 to 170 = YELLOW (check with doctor for fixes)
171+ = RED (potential ER trip)
Need her to know her Ejection Fraction, not just EKG
Based on what little info I have, may be electrical but get a top cardio doc to verify (not just you GP / Primary). Check out his staff, they will be your best conduit once they figure out what you have and how to treat.
Posted on 10/28/26 at 11:29 pm to Spankum
quote:
Gotta take this for life.
Once your treatment plan is set, most any drugs you are on at that time will be taken for life. Be prepared for this possibility
The Good News when you bump up to Critical III
You are off the transplant list
The Bad News when you bump up to Critical III
You are off the transplant list
Key is what the patient puts in during recovery / modification, and at 45, that is good. You can improve over time. As you get older and hit old old age, it is about holding a spot as long as you can till Mother Nature and Father Time catch up and degrade you not matter what you do.
quote:
However, it is not necessarily the death sentence that the internet would have you believe.
Internet is mostly crap these days, my suggestion is to avoid it altogether when dealing with heart. Face to face with a top cardio keeps you alive a lot longer than the internet.
Posted on 10/28/26 at 11:32 pm to 3rdDOWN
My dad was diagnosed with afib two summers ago. They didnt do much for it except monitor, probably because he was 89 at the time. Last November he was rushed to the hospital with a very low heart rate. They put in a pacemaker which stabilized his pulse but he was very weak. He did inpatient rehab for about a month and came home for a couple of weeks but he was still too weak to care for himself. He went back to rehab but never gained any strength back. Around the middle of March he started going progressively downhill and died at the end of May.
I don't think it was particularly painful, he just got weaker and weaker. He would have episodes of shortness of breath and eventually was on oxygen nearly full time.
Hard to see him go through that but at least he stayed mentally sharp to the end.
That was just his experience. It may not apply to your friend. Some people live for years with CHF.
I don't think it was particularly painful, he just got weaker and weaker. He would have episodes of shortness of breath and eventually was on oxygen nearly full time.
Hard to see him go through that but at least he stayed mentally sharp to the end.
That was just his experience. It may not apply to your friend. Some people live for years with CHF.
Posted on 10/28/26 at 11:38 pm to Jim Rockford
quote:
Some people live for years with CHF.
That is the point!
Well said
CHF at 45 has possibilities
CHF at 95 is expected
quote:
he stayed mentally sharp to the end.
That is the true blessing, hopefully with that time you got as many of his stories in your head or on media to pass on to your kids and grandkids.
Posted on 10/28/26 at 11:57 pm to Cheese Grits
quote:
Face to face with a top cardio keeps you alive a lot longer than the internet.
Truth! I am a retired engineer and my cardiologist also has an electrical engineering degree, so he knows exactly how to explain things to ensure my compliance!
Posted on 10/29/26 at 12:18 am to Spankum
Send to vanderbilt heart.. probably will transplant
Posted on 10/29/26 at 12:39 am to Spankum
quote:
because I have it.
Was there something that caused it?
Posted on 10/29/26 at 12:54 am to 3rdDOWN
quote:
My best friend has stage 4 heart failure with edema. Has anyone gone thru this experience with a loved one? What to expect? Any tips?
Restrict salt, be compliant with meds including diuretics, keep BP controlled, Mediterranean diet, keep close follow up with cardiologist and PCP, have a low threshold to go to the ER if swelling and dyspnea are worsening. Also, weight loss is important.
This post was edited on 10/29/26 at 12:56 am
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