Daily Ponderings

The first ever reported case of Pulmonary Hypertension was recorded 121 years ago. 37 years ago, still not much was known about the disease. Today, we have 9 FDA-approved medications to help improve symptoms experienced by the disease. There is still no cure. YET.

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

I talked about Remodulin yesterday as being an IV medication to treat PAH symptoms. Remodulin can also be administered subcutaneously, meaning, under the skin. Subq Remodulin works in the same way as IV and inhaled Remodulin, by relaxing the blood vessels to allow more blood to flow and carry oxygen around, which then allows the heart to pump easier. Subq Remodulin requires site changes every so often, and are usually put into the abdominal region. Subq Remodulin can be quite painful for most users.

The very first type of treatment available for PAH was Flolan (epoprostenol). Flolan has been considered the Gold Standard in PAH treatments for a very long time. It's an IV med that goes straight into the heart via catheter. It dilates the blood vessels and allows the right heart to work more efficiently in pumping the blood. Flolan has a very short half-life, which means the medication only lasts a few minutes in the bloodstream. A pump connected to the line helps to administer the med, and the dosage is adjusted according to the patient's  body weight in kilograms. Flolan must be kept cold, and ice packs are used all the time while using the med. Another type of IV medication is Remodulin (treprostinil). It also helps to relax the blood vessels to allow for better circulation of the blood in the body. Remodulin is requires a catheter and a pump to administer the med, but it has a longer half-life than Flolan. It also does not require ice packs for usage. Room temperature...