Post Edited (WayneTX) : 5/11/2024 4:54:32 AM (GMT-8)
I am being seen at the Veteran Hospital in Dallas - Heart Failure Clinic - due to an echo Ejection Fraction (EF) reading of 35. I will turn 75 next month. I have had no prior heart side effects, but I still sought an evaluation only after my younger brother suffered a near fatal heart attack last August. My family tree has a history of heart attacks. I was hoping for a good report but instead found out that I've been placed under the care of the Heart Failure Clinic since February 2024. They also said I had a moderate leaky heart valve. They have me on six different daily meds now...Atorvastatin Calcium 40 mg, Empagliflozin 25 mg, Sacubitril 49mg, Aspirin 81mg, Spironolactone 25mg, Metoprolol Succinate 25 mg. They told me take the meds as prescribed, get at least 30 minutes of exercise daily (I'm walking), drop some more weight (220 to 211) and watch my sodium intake. I have followed all their directives to date. They're going to do another Echo in July or August. My question is has anyone here had an Echo EF reading of 35 or less, or 41-45, and actually recovered back into a normal range of 50-70 just off medications alone, and if so how long did it take? Love to hear some testimonials.
Wayne, I will try to get back to this later today.
Susie
Moderator in Chronic Pain & Psoriasis Forums
Susie
Moderator in Chronic Pain & Psoriasis Forums
thank you......
I went back Cleveland Clinic & read on their site again about EF ranges. There is a variety of reasons for below normal ranges with people, as in your situation you had no symptoms. This also applies to people with symptoms, there really isn't one answer to nail all of this stuff down. I wish you would go to their website & read up on this, I think it would help settle your mind down.
The medications you are taking are to help the leaking valve not over work your heart & cause damage to the heart & muscle. Treatment varies from medication to a potential pacemaker. Again, it's a matter of meeting all of the criteria to determine which path works the best for patient. Wish It was simple to explain all of this, lol.
Who knows if you can get to the 50 range even with medication, that's ok, the medication will do it's job to protect your heart. Follow through with your drs directions, don't try to deviate away from those recommendations, it will come back & bite you in the butt. Your check engine light has now come on, you have a condition that needs to be monitored from here on out.
When I get to feeling better I will go to Drugs.com & look up the meds you are taking. They will all correlate back to the leaking heart valve. I take 3 BP meds to keep my valve from over working. By taking these meds it keeps us out of the operating rooms for valve replacements. I just got out of the hospital with a variety of issues, my D/C papers much like yours. Low sodium diet, exercise & so on.
Again, don't let yourself get too hung up on all of this. Now you are aware of it, your dr has a plan & above all educate yourself about this. You have plenty of years ahead of you to live. I will be 71 in June & intend on being around for many more.
Susie
Moderator in Chronic Pain & Psoriasis Forums
The medications you are taking are to help the leaking valve not over work your heart & cause damage to the heart & muscle. Treatment varies from medication to a potential pacemaker. Again, it's a matter of meeting all of the criteria to determine which path works the best for patient. Wish It was simple to explain all of this, lol.
Who knows if you can get to the 50 range even with medication, that's ok, the medication will do it's job to protect your heart. Follow through with your drs directions, don't try to deviate away from those recommendations, it will come back & bite you in the butt. Your check engine light has now come on, you have a condition that needs to be monitored from here on out.
When I get to feeling better I will go to Drugs.com & look up the meds you are taking. They will all correlate back to the leaking heart valve. I take 3 BP meds to keep my valve from over working. By taking these meds it keeps us out of the operating rooms for valve replacements. I just got out of the hospital with a variety of issues, my D/C papers much like yours. Low sodium diet, exercise & so on.
Again, don't let yourself get too hung up on all of this. Now you are aware of it, your dr has a plan & above all educate yourself about this. You have plenty of years ahead of you to live. I will be 71 in June & intend on being around for many more.
Susie
Moderator in Chronic Pain & Psoriasis Forums
Hope you get to feeling better soon....thanks for the comments....it really helps to understand more and thanks for calming the journey by sharing experiences and insight. Just got word today that my next ECHO will be on July 26....got a bit to go time-wise before I'll really know much more.....taking all the meds (5 + aspirin) as directed and walking daily. I go back for another follow-up with VA Cardio Clinic on May 22 and VA Heart Failure Clinic on June 3rd. They're keeping on top of close monitoring.
Went to Drugs.com & looked up the medications your dr has you taking. All of the medications are recommended when treating your condition. We have so many different generic medications on the market today I always go there & look everything up. The one that starts with A, that's a cholesterol medication, this helps keep your cholesterol in check.
I use my patient portal to track down my medical stuff, especially if I've been in the hospital. Both of my parents had cardiac issues & out of 5 kids, only my brother & I have problems. There is a genetic component to this stuff no doubt. When I was young I thought I was bullet proof, (don't we all) & I was not very responsible. I finally realized it was easier to do things right than being dumb, lol.
Once the shock of all of this wears off with you Wayne, you will be just fine. Here is a tidbit to give you a little laugh. The afternoon I was discharged from the hospital, I was taken downstairs by wheelchair to wait on my husband to go get the truck. The aid & I are waiting in the pull up area, my husband's hip is out on him, he could barely walk to the truck. The aid ran & got another wheelchair for him to get him to the truck. She got him to the truck, finally he pulls around to get me. What a train wreck we must have looked like, lol. A little laughter goes a long way.......
Hang in there, you got this.
Susie
Moderator in Chronic Pain & Psoriasis Forums
I use my patient portal to track down my medical stuff, especially if I've been in the hospital. Both of my parents had cardiac issues & out of 5 kids, only my brother & I have problems. There is a genetic component to this stuff no doubt. When I was young I thought I was bullet proof, (don't we all) & I was not very responsible. I finally realized it was easier to do things right than being dumb, lol.
Once the shock of all of this wears off with you Wayne, you will be just fine. Here is a tidbit to give you a little laugh. The afternoon I was discharged from the hospital, I was taken downstairs by wheelchair to wait on my husband to go get the truck. The aid & I are waiting in the pull up area, my husband's hip is out on him, he could barely walk to the truck. The aid ran & got another wheelchair for him to get him to the truck. She got him to the truck, finally he pulls around to get me. What a train wreck we must have looked like, lol. A little laughter goes a long way.......
Hang in there, you got this.
Susie
Moderator in Chronic Pain & Psoriasis Forums
thank you straydog.......I wish to give you a compliment.....you're advice gives hope to others and hope is all most of us really need to push forward in whatever health situations. Most MD's do not address hope......just prescribe and say return on such and such date for follow-up......maybe if one is lucky an RN or PA might inject tidbits of encouragement to ease worry concerns. I prefer listening to the patient who has already been there for my knowledge base and for whatever provided inspiration derived from success stories. May God bless and keep you safe as well. Healing Well is lucky to have you here! I'll post again after my ECHO results on July 26
Post Edited (WayneTX) : 5/19/2024 12:47:27 PM (GMT-8)
Hi Wayne,
I am late to the party but I am on the same meds minus jardiance and plus an ICD Implant, just had an echo about 3 weeks ago and I am@ estimated 25% up from 19% back from Feb 2024, sure is taking its time rising, how are you doing now days? Straydog I sincerely regret not having neck surgery, ended up having a syncope episode and passed out while driving on a deserted road on fort Lewis feb 2024 also
I am late to the party but I am on the same meds minus jardiance and plus an ICD Implant, just had an echo about 3 weeks ago and I am@ estimated 25% up from 19% back from Feb 2024, sure is taking its time rising, how are you doing now days? Straydog I sincerely regret not having neck surgery, ended up having a syncope episode and passed out while driving on a deserted road on fort Lewis feb 2024 also
Bebbles, Wayne hasn't been around since August of 2024, I sure wish he would check in.
You know I told you about my daughter's friend having this surgery, it took time to get everything on an even keel. She was hospitalized a couple times after surgery mainly to monitor her. She is still doing well.
Sorry to read about your episode driving. You can't look back, gotta keep looking forward. Don't be a stranger.
Susie
Moderator in Chronic Pain & Psoriasis Forums
You know I told you about my daughter's friend having this surgery, it took time to get everything on an even keel. She was hospitalized a couple times after surgery mainly to monitor her. She is still doing well.
Sorry to read about your episode driving. You can't look back, gotta keep looking forward. Don't be a stranger.
Susie
Moderator in Chronic Pain & Psoriasis Forums
Will do! I will post in other forums
Hello there! May I ask a question? How is the BPM in people with reduced EF? Personally, I have no problems with low EF but am researching something and, according to my presumptions, I expect the Heart Rate to be or to has been low at the onset of low EF... Am I wrong? I know that this forum is slow running, so every reply will be accepted with gratitude, no matter when it arrives.