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What Are The Chances Of Water Retention After PVC-induced Cardiomyopathy?
Question: I am terrified of water retention after recovering from PVC-induced cardiomyopathy after an ablation. One of my doctors said I'd always be in danger of water retention and heart failure so I am afraid to drink normally. Tonight I definitely am drinking more than I am urinating and I am so scared but every doctor says I'm fine. I don't know how to get over this fear. Heart function and size are normal but even though my last echo was just two weeks ago, I fear my EF has gone down and I'm beginning to have CHF.
Is this impossible? Is it normal to have such variable urine output? Ever since being told I had a terminal illness, I can't relax even though now I'm told I'm cured and should not have any recurrences.
Is this impossible? Is it normal to have such variable urine output? Ever since being told I had a terminal illness, I can't relax even though now I'm told I'm cured and should not have any recurrences.
Brief Answer:
Hi, there is no problem if urine output is less than the input.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I think we are back with the discussion.
Firstly let me reassure you that the urine output will not always be equal to water intake as we tend to loose water through sweat, during respiration, some in stool. So if you had an active day, and if you perspire more on that day you would loose less water through urine, a balance which is maintained beautifully by our kidney depending on the needs of the body.
Again I would like to impress upon some points
1) your heart condition is completely reversed and you don't need to maintain input output balance as presently your ejection fraction is normal.
2) someone has falsely made you feel that you have a end stage heart problem, rather with the normal echo and a complete reversal, your risk of future cardiac event is same that of general population. You have no additional risk after the ablation.
3) I think you should take some help from a psychologist who would help you get out of the anxiety and fear that has crept withen.
As a practising cardiologist and also as all your doctors have repetedly told you, All is well with your heart, with a normal functioning heart you will never go in congestive heart failure..
Do relax and please don't less the stress harm you more
Regards Dr Priyank Mody
Hi, there is no problem if urine output is less than the input.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I think we are back with the discussion.
Firstly let me reassure you that the urine output will not always be equal to water intake as we tend to loose water through sweat, during respiration, some in stool. So if you had an active day, and if you perspire more on that day you would loose less water through urine, a balance which is maintained beautifully by our kidney depending on the needs of the body.
Again I would like to impress upon some points
1) your heart condition is completely reversed and you don't need to maintain input output balance as presently your ejection fraction is normal.
2) someone has falsely made you feel that you have a end stage heart problem, rather with the normal echo and a complete reversal, your risk of future cardiac event is same that of general population. You have no additional risk after the ablation.
3) I think you should take some help from a psychologist who would help you get out of the anxiety and fear that has crept withen.
As a practising cardiologist and also as all your doctors have repetedly told you, All is well with your heart, with a normal functioning heart you will never go in congestive heart failure..
Do relax and please don't less the stress harm you more
Regards Dr Priyank Mody
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Dear Dr Mody,
I am both happy and embarassed to speak to you again. You are so kind and so knowledgable.
Thank you so much for the reassurance. I think you are right about the false impression a doctor made. Before my ablation one cardiologist did not believe PVCs (65,000 a day) caused my cardiomyopathy and told me I was gravely ill and my only chance to survive more than a few months was with aggressive medical treatment. He also said I'd always be in danger and that I'd have to watch out for even the slightest bit of weight gain because it would mean I was in heart failure. He is a partner of my EP and behaved terribly. He told me to keep taking Coreg before my ablation, which of course is stopped 3 days before, or else I could die. He scared me so much and made me believe I could never get better.
I worry my pulse feels weak, or too fast, or too slow. Mostly I worry about water retention, as you know, because of all those warnings before I recovered. Even at EF 25-30, I had no real symptoms other than the PVCs so I'm so scared of getting sick again without even knowing.
Is it quite impossible that my heart function would have fallen since last echo just two weeks ago? I only feel reassured for a few days and then I worry my heart is failing again. Perhaps I need to go to medical school so I can fully understand how mistaken and crazy I am. I just see 55-60 EF and I think if it was 54, it would be reduced so every day I worry and worry.
I am in counseling and taking medication to work on my anxiety. Your knowledge is truly helpful and I wish you could be my actual local cardiologist.
Many thanks to you.
I am both happy and embarassed to speak to you again. You are so kind and so knowledgable.
Thank you so much for the reassurance. I think you are right about the false impression a doctor made. Before my ablation one cardiologist did not believe PVCs (65,000 a day) caused my cardiomyopathy and told me I was gravely ill and my only chance to survive more than a few months was with aggressive medical treatment. He also said I'd always be in danger and that I'd have to watch out for even the slightest bit of weight gain because it would mean I was in heart failure. He is a partner of my EP and behaved terribly. He told me to keep taking Coreg before my ablation, which of course is stopped 3 days before, or else I could die. He scared me so much and made me believe I could never get better.
I worry my pulse feels weak, or too fast, or too slow. Mostly I worry about water retention, as you know, because of all those warnings before I recovered. Even at EF 25-30, I had no real symptoms other than the PVCs so I'm so scared of getting sick again without even knowing.
Is it quite impossible that my heart function would have fallen since last echo just two weeks ago? I only feel reassured for a few days and then I worry my heart is failing again. Perhaps I need to go to medical school so I can fully understand how mistaken and crazy I am. I just see 55-60 EF and I think if it was 54, it would be reduced so every day I worry and worry.
I am in counseling and taking medication to work on my anxiety. Your knowledge is truly helpful and I wish you could be my actual local cardiologist.
Many thanks to you.
Brief Answer:
Just relax and keep a regular follow up. Regards
Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXX, plz don't feel so as I fully understand your concern. I thereby advice my junior doctors to be specific with their words as the patient may take the wrong msg which can be detrimental to his health and psyche.
Now important things I would like to bring it to your notice.
1) if the doctor was right that the pvc s were not the cause of cardiomyopathy, than post ablation when the pvcs were abolished, the heart function would not have reversed, so that the very fact that the it got back to normal, meant that it was due to it
2) please don't follow the number, ejection fraction is a subjective calculation, so so if two different operators and even same operator at different may have different reading. Trust me 50 or 60 it doesn't matter, as not one day of your life would be less than your friend, with either of the number.
3) unless the pvc s return which is rare, you wouldn't get back the cardiomyopathy, so plz don't worry
4) remember worries wouldn't decrease the probability of it coming back (which according to literature is negligible)
5) just keep a routine follow up, and things would be fine
6) no lifestyle modifications is needed specifically for CHF when ef is normal as ablation is a definitive procedure.
Just relax and keep a regular follow up. Regards
Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXX, plz don't feel so as I fully understand your concern. I thereby advice my junior doctors to be specific with their words as the patient may take the wrong msg which can be detrimental to his health and psyche.
Now important things I would like to bring it to your notice.
1) if the doctor was right that the pvc s were not the cause of cardiomyopathy, than post ablation when the pvcs were abolished, the heart function would not have reversed, so that the very fact that the it got back to normal, meant that it was due to it
2) please don't follow the number, ejection fraction is a subjective calculation, so so if two different operators and even same operator at different may have different reading. Trust me 50 or 60 it doesn't matter, as not one day of your life would be less than your friend, with either of the number.
3) unless the pvc s return which is rare, you wouldn't get back the cardiomyopathy, so plz don't worry
4) remember worries wouldn't decrease the probability of it coming back (which according to literature is negligible)
5) just keep a routine follow up, and things would be fine
6) no lifestyle modifications is needed specifically for CHF when ef is normal as ablation is a definitive procedure.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Dear Dr. Mody,
Again many thanks for your knowledge and kindness.
I am so anxious that my doctor is going to do another echo since last one was performed in a different office. Would it be extraordinarily unlikely for there to be any significant changes in just 3 weeks? I am so frightened by echoes although they are the only things that reassure me as well. Also, I was told that my hydration status would definitely affect EF. Should I refrain from normal drinking and eating right before? I wish to believe I am normal again but keep thinking of water retention and find it difficult to think of anything else. It is quite maddening and paralyzing.
Many thanks to you, good doctor.
Again many thanks for your knowledge and kindness.
I am so anxious that my doctor is going to do another echo since last one was performed in a different office. Would it be extraordinarily unlikely for there to be any significant changes in just 3 weeks? I am so frightened by echoes although they are the only things that reassure me as well. Also, I was told that my hydration status would definitely affect EF. Should I refrain from normal drinking and eating right before? I wish to believe I am normal again but keep thinking of water retention and find it difficult to think of anything else. It is quite maddening and paralyzing.
Many thanks to you, good doctor.
Brief Answer:
Everything if fine :)
Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXX, my job is to help you in the best of my capabilities.
So being brief and to the point.
1)It is unlikely that the echo may drastically change in 3 weeks
2)if your ejection fraction has come back to normal, it means your body has regained the capacity to take care of extra fluid. So if you drink more and if your heart and kidney are normal it will flush the extra in urine, so no accumulation occurs in a normal person. Only when any one of heart or kidney is compromised the body wouldn't be able to manage the extra load and so we should restrict. Also there are far many health benefits for more water. So don't refrain from it.
The beat way to keep a track is keep measuring your weight. If you seem to gain weight it's most probable you are retaining fluids if your diet and lifestyle remains regular
3) you are normal as any friend of your.
Hoping I could help, do rate the answers on your way back.
Also you may keep me in loop of all the progress over years so I can warn you of red flag signs if ever needed.
Any further information you can send me a direct question on this application @Dr. Priyank Mody
Everything if fine :)
Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXX, my job is to help you in the best of my capabilities.
So being brief and to the point.
1)It is unlikely that the echo may drastically change in 3 weeks
2)if your ejection fraction has come back to normal, it means your body has regained the capacity to take care of extra fluid. So if you drink more and if your heart and kidney are normal it will flush the extra in urine, so no accumulation occurs in a normal person. Only when any one of heart or kidney is compromised the body wouldn't be able to manage the extra load and so we should restrict. Also there are far many health benefits for more water. So don't refrain from it.
The beat way to keep a track is keep measuring your weight. If you seem to gain weight it's most probable you are retaining fluids if your diet and lifestyle remains regular
3) you are normal as any friend of your.
Hoping I could help, do rate the answers on your way back.
Also you may keep me in loop of all the progress over years so I can warn you of red flag signs if ever needed.
Any further information you can send me a direct question on this application @Dr. Priyank Mody
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
Dear Dr. Mody,
Thank you so much for everything. You don't know how much you've been helping me.
Had echo today by cardiologist who originally disgnosed my cardiomyopathy. I worry so much about EF, and I understand it's not sensible as they are estimates but today my EF was 65-70, when other dr 3 weeks ago found 55-60. So is this all normal variation or EF going up or I should just say it's all normal and just leave it at that? It seems most times EF measures in 60s. I will try to focus less on numbers.
Generally my weight is stable but sometimes there is a 1-2 lb difference at night. Also I am now taking Prozac again which in the past has made me gain weight. So this must be normal for me since my heart function is normal? I don't want to weigh myself every day as it causes me so much stress.
How do I message you directly and not get a random cardiologist?
I am still confused and a little worried but trying to relax.
Many many thanks
Thank you so much for everything. You don't know how much you've been helping me.
Had echo today by cardiologist who originally disgnosed my cardiomyopathy. I worry so much about EF, and I understand it's not sensible as they are estimates but today my EF was 65-70, when other dr 3 weeks ago found 55-60. So is this all normal variation or EF going up or I should just say it's all normal and just leave it at that? It seems most times EF measures in 60s. I will try to focus less on numbers.
Generally my weight is stable but sometimes there is a 1-2 lb difference at night. Also I am now taking Prozac again which in the past has made me gain weight. So this must be normal for me since my heart function is normal? I don't want to weigh myself every day as it causes me so much stress.
How do I message you directly and not get a random cardiologist?
I am still confused and a little worried but trying to relax.
Many many thanks
Brief Answer:
http://doctor.healthcaremagic.com/doctors/dr-priyank-mody/70273
Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX ,
I am so happy that ultimately we could find a closure .
Very truely said don't pursue numbers , even a 18 year old athlete would have EF 60 % , 100 % is not the normal value here . to be XXXXXXX anything above 50 is considered normal .
You dont need to measure the weight on daily basis , just look at the trend and in all normal humans it does varies 1-2 lbs per day because of our food and daily routine . Just if needed keep a track on month or 3 monthly basis to detect any rare possibility of any relapse ( xtremely rare post ablation , less than 0.5 %)
All the best and wishing you the best of health .
God bless
You may directly ask me a question at the following url:
http://doctor.healthcaremagic.com/doctors/dr-priyank-mody/70273
Regards Dr. Priyank Mody
http://doctor.healthcaremagic.com/doctors/dr-priyank-mody/70273
Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX ,
I am so happy that ultimately we could find a closure .
Very truely said don't pursue numbers , even a 18 year old athlete would have EF 60 % , 100 % is not the normal value here . to be XXXXXXX anything above 50 is considered normal .
You dont need to measure the weight on daily basis , just look at the trend and in all normal humans it does varies 1-2 lbs per day because of our food and daily routine . Just if needed keep a track on month or 3 monthly basis to detect any rare possibility of any relapse ( xtremely rare post ablation , less than 0.5 %)
All the best and wishing you the best of health .
God bless
You may directly ask me a question at the following url:
http://doctor.healthcaremagic.com/doctors/dr-priyank-mody/70273
Regards Dr. Priyank Mody
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Answered by
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