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Suggest Treatment For Extreme Fatigue And Shortness Of Breath
Question: I am extreamly fatigued, shortness of breath, need to rest after 5or 10minutes of standing. . . weak. . . been diagnosed with congestive heart failure, renal failure, and spinal stenosis, my primary thinks i have lupus and has scheduled appt, with reumatologist, and also pulmonary dr. My kidney dr. says that it is not lupus and blood test can show symptons of lupus because of medications being taken. was in hosp. for 5 days with lots of lasix, helped somewhat with breathing. . . but been home a month and back to original symtons. I am female weigh about 185 5ft. 5inch. . can u shine any light on who i should see or tests that may be necessary? thank you, it has been frustrating and my husband thinks it may be time to change drs.
so do i close now and just wait for email or stay here. . thank you
so do i close now and just wait for email or stay here. . thank you
Brief Answer:
Need more aggressive treatment for the heart failure
Detailed Answer:
Hi, thank you for using Healthcare Magic. I am sorry to hear about your situation. The congestive heart failure and kidney failure are likely responsible for your main symptoms, and need to be treated aggressively to make you feel better. With these conditions, fluid accumulates in the body, including the lungs, which makes it difficult to breathe. You noticed some improvement with the Lasix- this is because the drug helps the fluid get removed from your lungs. You most likely need to be on this medicine all the time and possibly at a higher dose so that the fluid stays out of your lungs. With heart failure, fluid also accumulates in the lungs because the heart is too weak to pump it all out. There are drugs available to help the heart pump stronger.
Whether lupus is present or not is really irrelevant at this point, in my opinion. You would be better served by seeing a cardiologist as soon as possible, rather than a rheumatologist. The kidney specialist and cardiologist can work together to determine the best treatment regimen for you to reduce the fluid, help your breathing, and reduce the fatigue. It is likely that the heart failure is causing the extreme fatigue, and a cardiologist can advise you on the best drugs to improve your heart function.
Blood tests may have shown evidence for lupus, but this does not necessarily mean you have it. Test results can be falsely positive and can be affected by medicines you've taken, as your kidney doctor mentioned. Your symptoms of fatigue, shortness of breath, and weakness are typical symptoms of congestive heart failure and not lupus.
Try to get in with a cardiologist as soon as possible. A pulmonary specialist may also be helpful, but if you were diagnosed with heart failure in the hospital, you need to see a heart specialist. Hope this answers your query. If you have further questions, I would be happy to answer them.
Need more aggressive treatment for the heart failure
Detailed Answer:
Hi, thank you for using Healthcare Magic. I am sorry to hear about your situation. The congestive heart failure and kidney failure are likely responsible for your main symptoms, and need to be treated aggressively to make you feel better. With these conditions, fluid accumulates in the body, including the lungs, which makes it difficult to breathe. You noticed some improvement with the Lasix- this is because the drug helps the fluid get removed from your lungs. You most likely need to be on this medicine all the time and possibly at a higher dose so that the fluid stays out of your lungs. With heart failure, fluid also accumulates in the lungs because the heart is too weak to pump it all out. There are drugs available to help the heart pump stronger.
Whether lupus is present or not is really irrelevant at this point, in my opinion. You would be better served by seeing a cardiologist as soon as possible, rather than a rheumatologist. The kidney specialist and cardiologist can work together to determine the best treatment regimen for you to reduce the fluid, help your breathing, and reduce the fatigue. It is likely that the heart failure is causing the extreme fatigue, and a cardiologist can advise you on the best drugs to improve your heart function.
Blood tests may have shown evidence for lupus, but this does not necessarily mean you have it. Test results can be falsely positive and can be affected by medicines you've taken, as your kidney doctor mentioned. Your symptoms of fatigue, shortness of breath, and weakness are typical symptoms of congestive heart failure and not lupus.
Try to get in with a cardiologist as soon as possible. A pulmonary specialist may also be helpful, but if you were diagnosed with heart failure in the hospital, you need to see a heart specialist. Hope this answers your query. If you have further questions, I would be happy to answer them.
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Answered by
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