# Anyone want to talk catastrophic heart failure low sodium diet



## TNHermit (Jul 14, 2005)

Just got released from Five days in ER. Went Friday to see about gettin a local physician appointment to see about my shortness of breath. Went in to local clinic to check, she talked me into signing some papers fro an appointment in July. Then asked if I would talk with another nurse fro some info. She talked me into a urine test an blood test and a hour later I was in ER and they told me I had catastrophic heart failure. Perked me right up to hear that. And I left a house wide open with air running and all the lights and computers on. LOL But its so bad the ***** refused to come in either

Anyway after 4 days of pumping water out of me (3 gals I'm 20 lbs lighter) I'm home. But he called today and said that he read my sonigram and normally the heart pushed 55% of its blood. I was only doin 20%

Its all been a whirlwind And I am not sure about much of anything. Except they seem to have a fetish for my ankles in there always checking them.

I've read a little and there of course is pro and con on the salt thing.

They have me on Enalapril, Bumetanide Carvedilol and Klor -Con 20 

Bein this is my first time since 1983 (kidney stones) People seemed pretty professional and knew what they were doing. And didn't have to wait around much.

Anyhow the funnel to my brain for knowledge of your knowlege and experience is wide open.


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## WildernesFamily (Mar 11, 2006)

Wow. I was thinking about you the other day and wondering how it was going. *So glad* you went in to have it checked, and that you're back home again safe and sound.


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

They were checking your ankles to see if they were swollen. Swollen ankles = fluid retention = tough for the heart to work.


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## katy (Feb 15, 2010)

Herm, Sorry you've had such a rude awakening, 5 days in ER couldn't have been a good time. Glad they've nailed the cause down so that you know what you're fighting. I've been looking at High Blood pressure info, which seems to tie into the whole thing. To deal with the Low Sodium I switched to Sea Salt, or in a pinch Canning salt or Kosher salt. All three better than today's table salt. 

So much for being on strike from the food prep. Just kidding......

Here's some info for you.

There is a lot of confusion about salt vs. *sodium* and how much is too much. The following information will help you understand the difference between the two, how salt impacts your health, and what amounts you need to stay fit.
*Sodium vs. Salt: A Shade of Difference*

Salt is sodium plus chloride. Both are minerals. Salt is made up of 40% sodium and 60% chloride. It's that 40% that causes so much concern among doctors today. Their findings point to the dangers of people overdoing salt intake in their daily diets. High blood pressure, strokes, and kidney disease have all been associated with excessive salt intake.
*Salt's Bad Rap*

Just as fitness gurus warn against the dangers of salt, understand that salt is important--too little of this good thing may also be harmful. Salt, or sodium chloride, does great things for the body. It's essential for the health of all the cells. Along with potassium, you need your salt so that your nerves can function properly and your muscles can contract. Salt helps balance out the body. It contributes to fluid balance, electrolyte balance and pH balance.
*Sodium: Counting Down*

Various health organizations recommend different levels of sodium as safe for dietary intake per day. As a rule of thumb, think of the range this way: Don't go over 2300 mg if you're a healthy adult, but aim for the lower threshold of 1,5000 mg (*think this is a typo that should be 1,500 mg*)if you know you suffer from high blood pressure, kidney disease, or diabetes. Older persons should aim for that lower range, too. 
If you just had to deal with natural foods made from scratch, you would find this an easy task. The trouble is when people eat a lot of processed foods--out of the package, out of the can, out of the shake-well bottle. Nutrition experts estimate that processed foods account for as much as 75% of what most people eat each day. That's where sodium intake becomes the problem. Go to any supermarket, take a can of soup, tomato sauce, or beans off the shelf and read the label. Odds are that the sodium levels are quite high.
Here is a list of some high-sodium packaged and canned foods. Use them in careful moderation:


Tomato sauce
Soups
Pickles and sauerkraut
Cured meats (bologna, salami, hot dogs, sausage)
Processed cheese
Condiments (ketchup. mayonnaise, salad dressing)
Salty snacks
 * Sodium Outlook: Better Days Ahead*

With so much concern among consumers and health practitioners, the food industry today is reacting by making a variety of low-sodium options available. What's more, the American Heart Association says that you get used to eating foods with less sodium once you cut down. Apparently, sodium is an acquired taste. The AHA says it takes about two to three months for your taste preference to change.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

Your EF was 20? Did they explain to you what that meant? It is not a good report.

Are you seeing a cardiologist? You really need some digoxin. It will greatly improve your quality of life, length of life, and the heart function. Carvedilol is the premier beta blocker for heart failure because its claim to fame is that it doesn't reduce EF, so that is a great choice for you. Enalapril is an ACE inhibitor, usually used for hypertension. 

Whatever you do, please take a moment to call your doctor tomorrow and ask about the drug, digoxin. It is of paramount importance for you to take it. It could add years to your lifespan, and it will make you more comfortable. Specifically ask about it. It is the first line of treatment in heart failure.  Please call as soon as you can, and specifically ask about taking it. I beg you to talk to them about it. Don't worry about bothering them. This is your life we are talking about. Nobody should die one gasp at a time when there is a medication that can help them.

A good diuretic would also be a good idea, like the one they put you on. It will help you a lot more than a low sodium diet. No matter how low sodium you go, you are not going to be able to control fluid buildup if your EF is only 20. That is a very serious issue. You need some digoxin to help your heart beat a little stronger, and some diuretics to help you get rid of fluids so they don't have to be pumped out of your lungs.

I'm so sorry you are having to live through this. Make sure you get some sort of insurance or medicaid or something if you can. You will need it to help pay for oxygen therapy in the future. If you don't have insurance, then get on the new O-care exchanges as soon as they open. Or else start now to try to get Oked for SSI. I know they will turn you down the first time, but contest it again and again. Oxygen rental is expensive, so you need to get help in place.

BTW, the klor con is just potassium. People on strong diuretics take Potassium to prevent irregular heart rhythms from electrolyte depletion. You might have to go onto magnesium in the future too.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

Here are links on the drug digoxin and its use in CHF. Please, please call and ask the doctor about putting you on it. I don't know if they explained how serious the EF of 20 is, but it is just not a good report. The life span at that reading is just not good. Read about the medication, then call and talk to them about it. I'm not a doctor, but I cannot imagine a cardiologist not thinking that you need it.
https://www.google.com/search?q=dig...ome.0.57j62l2.5180j0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8


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## TNHermit (Jul 14, 2005)

mekasmom said:


> Here are links on the drug digoxin and its use in CHF. Please, please call and ask the doctor about putting you on it. I don't know if they explained how serious the EF of 20 is, but it is just not a good report. The life span at that reading is just not good. Read about the medication, then call and talk to them about it. I'm not a doctor, but I cannot imagine a cardiologist not thinking that you need it.
> https://www.google.com/search?q=dig...ome.0.57j62l2.5180j0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8



Thanks

i just found about the report this morning. I was given the name of a cardiologist to call. So I will set up an appointment. The sticker in the thing is my Medicare part B doesn't kick in till July 1. So i guess i have to wait a couple weeks. 
My daughter "the ruler" is coming down from Ohio to make sure things are done right . SO i will show and tell her about the drug.

I guess I will have to find some one to teach me to read "ankle". This whole thing is new to me in that I thought if you exercised and your cholesterol count was good. (Doc said mine was great). There was nothing to worry about.
The other thing is i don't eat most of the stuff that they call high sodium. I pretty make everything here at home. But i have to admit I did like my French bread ,cheese,sauerkraut and such. Wasnt a big eater of process meats. Most of the stuff they served in the hospital was prepakcaged . But I 'm sure it was made without real food in it. 
seems ironic that i eat real food and get a diet of ground cellulose. We''ll see


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

Cardiomyopathy can be caused by a virus. And that can happen even if you have a healthy lifestyle. I don't know if that is what happened in your case, but it can. And the healthiest person on the planet can catch a virus.
I am sorry you are dealing with this. It is important that you have some way in place to pay for oxygen when the time comes. When EF gets below 20 O2 is usually required for a person to live comfortably. I do know one man whose EF is down to 17, and has lived 7yrs with the issue. He is not comfortable at this point to be active, but he is alive. There are medications that can really help extend life span and keep you comfortable.


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## IowaLez (Mar 6, 2006)

Hi Folks,

I'm a lurker here, and have several different, very serious, genetic disease syndromes for which I get all my care at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. In yet another thing going wrong with me due to getting older, in February, after over a year of my doctors trying to figure out what was going on with my heart, with numerous tests showing nothing, an angiogram done by the TOP angio doctor at Mayo, proved I have coronary mvd, almost totally found in women beginning when we are reaching menopause, and little is really known about heart disease in women. I have only 2 minor things to predispose me to heart disease. Cholesterol and plaque have nothing to do with it.

To get to my point, TN, your condition is really, really serious, and I urge you to begin treatment asap, not waiting a month for your coverage to start.You could die between now and then, you realize that?

Heart disease is not just caused by plaque build up, nor by high cholesterol, there are many other things that contribute to it, or cause it. 

The one thing I want to share with you, and please folks, don't think I'm disrespecting your beliefs or use of natural herbs, but there are at least a dozen herbs that people commonly use as supplements, that interact negatively with prescription medications. My people at Mayo require all patients to tell them of all herbal supplements taken, so they can see if there is a bad interaction with them. The worst and most widespread culprit is St John's Wort. It is not safe to use this herb in many situations. Just because it's natural doesn't mean it's safe.

The only herbal item that is really okay, my Mayo docs say, is drinking hot peppermint tea as needed, as peppermint and helps your blood vessels relax and your heart can pump blood easier. It can help ease angina if you get that or any chest discomfort, it relaxes smooth muscle, and your veins are made of smooth muscle. You may want to try it. It truly won't hurt you.

You may want to seek care at a larger medical center where the docs see more patients and have greater experience in treating your condition. And please take the medicines the doctors give you, they can help you stay alive a lot longer, and make you feel a lot better than you do now, so you can go back to having a life and being able to do stuff you like to do.

I send you all the best wishes for getting good treatment and good results from it.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

You certain have been dragged through the mill. And thankfully spit out again. It's great that your daughter is coming. If she really is the ruler, then you will have someone to make sure you get answers.
The only think I can say about fluid retention is from when I had a problem due to medications. I found watermelon to be a lovely diuretic. 
Keep us informed so we will be armed with your experiences when our turn comes.
Get well fast.


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