Daily Ponderings

All of the PAH medications come with side effects. Some people experience side effects for a little while, and then they don't deal with them any longer. Some people have side effects constantly. Side effects can include one or more of the following, depending on the medication(s) being taken: -Dizziness -Low blood pressure -Fluid retention -Irregular heart rhythms -Nausea -Excessive bleeding -Dehydration -Nosebleeds -Liver failure -Blurry vision -Loss of hearing -Headaches -Anemia -Nasal congestion -Sinusitis -Flushing -Muscle pain -Heartburn -Diarrhea -Jaw Pain -Bone pain -Rashes -Itching -Swelling

Many PHers are on one or more of the following conventional drugs to treat symptoms: Calcium Channel Blockers (CCBs) - These are oral meds which relax the muscles around blood vessels which allows better blood flow. CCBs can also help to regulate heart rates. CCBs are only effective in less than 10% of PH patients. Digoxin - Digoxin can help the heart pump. It can also help regulate the electrical activity in the heart. It is an oral med taken once a day. I've been on this medication for over 35 years!! Warfarin (Coumadin) - Warfarin is a blood thinner taken once a day. It must be carefully regulated, so bloodwork is required often. Warfarin can be affected by foods and other medications, so a person taking it must make sure they monitor what they eat and the other things they ingest closely. I was on Coumadin for at least 10 years, and finally stopped it last year to try a baby aspirin instead. I can tell you that I don't miss Coumadin at all!!! lol Diuretics - These m...

Reflect on why you write about your health for 15-20 minutes without stopping. When I was growing up, I was the girl who had something wrong with her. I knew I couldn't keep up with my sisters and friends, I knew I couldn't participate in gym class or sports, and I knew that something was wrong with my heart. I knew that I went a few times a year to the doctor to make sure my heart was doing ok, but I didn't fully understand the scope of my situation as a child. I had two holes in my heart. I got so tired just trying to make the bed, or doing some of my chores, or running around the neighborhood playing hide and seek. That was the extent of the knowledge of my health situation. When I got into college, I still didn't really get what was wrong with me. By then I think I had only heard once or twice that I had pulmonary hypertension. I still have the handwritten piece of paper that my cardiologist gave me at some point that told me what I had: atrioventricular canal d...

Summer was unofficially welcomed on Memorial Day weekend, and for the most part, the summer-y type weather has shown up with it. Some days have been in the high 80s, but with little to no humidity, and I've been loving every minute of it! I finally have been able to wear my skirts, and tank tops, and walk around with bare feet and pretty painted toenails. Makes me feel happy and free, and yes, I'll say beautiful! Until I look at my legs. And there they are, bruises. They can either be very small and almost unnoticeable, to very large, making me wonder how the heck that happened. There are very few times when I recall bumping into something. And sometimes when I do whack myself, I think, "Well, that'll be a great bruise." Why do they occur so easily? Well, I'm on Coumadin , which is a blood thinner. My blood is usually pretty thick because I have such low oxygen levels, that more red blood cells are created to carry around more oxygen. While that is nice, more ...