Getting over the holidays
and realizing that my symptoms are not all COPD related but Heart Failure related too!
We go to my sisters on Christmas Eve, it is a long-standing tradition that is not to be missed. It is requires that everyone in my large family attend. There are aunts and uncles and cousins and nieces and nephews of all sizes and varieties. Some are born into the family and some are acquired. It makes no difference, we all attend.
It was a tough one for me this year.
It took a lot of preparation and determination for me to get there.
You see, the doctors have fooled around with my Lasix because I have been sodium deficient but when I cut back on it I start to retain water.
This happened about a week ago and the water that I retain appears to make my heart worse.
So I become very short of breath and I am fine when sitting but the minute I get up to walk around my 02 drops to 82. It is very annoying especially when I have to go to the bathroom every 10 minutes.
While I was sitting at my sisters dining room table, my niece pointed out that my breathing was shallow and irregular. We did some breathing exercises but it was tough to get it going and almost impossible to get my breathing under control.
Then it was time to leave
and I had to get to the car in 3 feet of snow. It took me 15 minutes to get into the car and equalize my breathing. That is when I realized that it was the water around my heart that was effecting my breathing and it was not lungs related. This is pretty freaky because last time this happened I spent a week in hospital.
I have extra Lasix, the doctor actually gave me a hundred before Christmas as said to use them if I had to.
So, I think he is thinking the same thing as I am but we will see after the holidays are over and I have some blood tests. In the meantime it is Lasix all the way.
Just a tip from my support group that I think is worth passing on.
If you are sodium deficient from Lasix or any water pills eat a pickle for every pill you take. I looked on the bottle of pickles and the sodium count for pickles is fairly high. so yeah! Great Tip.
Breakfast is 2 pickles, an orange and a banana!
Sorry to here you also have heart failure. I also have heart failure and copd. I have to watch what I drink and my salt intake. Salt makes you retain fluid. I have to weigh myself every morning to be sure I don’t have to much fluid. I take 60mg of lasix twice a day. My oxygen drops like yours when I get up and walk. I am on oxygen all the time. You can have ten pounds of fluid build up before you know it. Keep a close eye on your fluid build up because it can build up before you know it. The fluid can also cause congestion in your lungs. Hope you start feeling better and have a Happy New Year. Rachel
Thank You Rachel for your response. I didn’t see this before but appreciate your feedback. It is all so true. A shame but starting to feel better as I become accustomed to my new symptoms
That is very interesting about the pickles. I am praying you get some answers to get this under control soon.