PH Awareness Month - Post #7

Q. What are calcium channel blockers?

A. Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) are oral meds that relax the muscles around blood vessels, allowing better blood flow through the vessels. CCBs also can regulate the heart rate. CCBs have been used for years for PH patients, although, they do not work for every PH patient. Some PHers do not even respond to CCBs.

CCBs are grouped into conventional medical therapies in the treatment of PAH. Other meds included in this group are:

*Digoxin - A drug taken once a day that helps with the pumping function of the heart. It may also help to regulate irregular heart beats.

*Coumadin (Warfarin) - A drug taken once a day that helps to thin the blood in order to prevent clots. Coumadin must be monitored by blood draws to maintain the correct amount of the medicine in the bloodstream.

*Diuretics - A drug that helps with fluid retention, and also helps to treat heart failure. Diuretics can be taken one or two times daily, and bloodwork is often used to make sure the right dosage is being taken.

*Oxygen - This is prescribed when a person's oxygen saturation is below 90%. It is provided to the patient through an oxygen supplier, and delivered by concentrator and/or tanks.

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