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

There are currently 4 oral medications approved by the FDA to treat PAH symptoms. *Tracleer (bosentan): Tracleer is an ERA, which stands for endothelin receptor antagonist. Endothelin causes the blood vessels to narrow. Tracleer blocks endothelin, which is produced in overabundance in PAH patients. This helps to reduce blood pressure in the lungs, and to improve activity level. Tracleer is taken twice a day, 12 hours apart. Tracleer requires monthly bloodwork to check for liver failure. *Letairis (ambrisentan): Letairis is also an ERA, and also works very much in the same way as Tracleer does. It is taken once a day. Letairis does not require bloodwork, although some doctors may still want labs checked occasionally. *Revatio (sildenafil): Revatio is a PDE5 inhibitor. This means that Revatio relaxes the blood vessels of the lungs to increase blood flow, making it easier for the heart to pump. Revatio is taken three times daily. Revatio is commonly know as Viagra! *Adcir...