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

Currently, there are two inhaled medications for PAH. These are nothing like the asthma meds you may be familiar with! *Ventavis (iloprost): When used, Ventavis causes direct vasodilation of the blood vessels in the lungs, meaning the blood vessels relax and open up to allow more blood flow through the vessels. Ventavis treatments are done around 6-9 times a day, depending on how the PH patient responds and feels. *Tyvaso (treprostinil): Tyvaso works very much like Ventavis, in that it goes directly into the lungs through inhalation, and opens up the blood vessels to allow more blood through the vessels. Tyvaso is done in 4 separate treatments a day, spaced evenly apart.