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I would like to know............... will I have to take all these meds for rest of my life? even if my heart gets back up to what it should be?
I hate to tell you all i feel so much better when I miss a day or too!
Exercise Heart failure Lipitor Aspirin Cardiomyopathy Plavix Lasix Angina Memory Aldactone Heart attack Stent Zocor Isosorbide mononitrate Omeprazole
jazzy,
Can you offer more details on what you have been diagnosed with and what meds were prescribed?
I hear how deeply frustrating and scary it is dealing with so much out of control health stuff plus young kids at home. It is really important right now that you take deep breaths every few minutes and keep your heart rate calmer....so that you can think a little more clearly and assist the panic in easing back. It is also crucial that you do your best to not slide into 'catastrophic thinking'. Keep pulling your thoughts back into what is happening right now...just today. Because each day can be quite different for young women of child bearing age.
Yes, you have multiple challenges... 'Calmer' mind is your biggest asset and your finest way to conserve badly needed energy. Heart repair is a slow process and you may need to reassess many areas of your current lifestyle.
Glad you are here. There are other young women with children checking in here who can offer you ideas and coping strategies.
Hang in there jazzy,
Jaynie
Hi Jazzyladee,
I too have young children (two boys aged 8 and 10), and although at 46 I cannot perhaps be considered all that 'young', I too feel that I am 'too young' for a heart attack and stents (as are practically all of us on this site).
Your meds will change as your condition changes, and some of them you will be on for life - because you now need them. It's a big emotional journey to accept that though, and that only happens over time. Believe it or not it is still early days for you, and I promise it really does get easier. For me personally I am still on exactly the same meds as I was prescribed over two years ago when I was released from the hospital, even though I was told at the time that I would be weaned off some of them. However my condition has not changed enough to warrant changing any of my meds - but the difference instead is that now I am now happy to take them and am even grateful for them, because I now know that I need them. Oh but how I hated taking them at first, it took me a long time to accept that this was the new me and my new reality.
I have to admit that it really worries me that you 'miss a day or two'. You have been prescribed medications which you need, or you would not have been prescribed them. If you feel 'better without them', perhaps you could have a good discussion with your Cardio doc about alternatives to the meds you are on, there are often many different options and combinations available which might suit you better but that ultimately do the same job. It's a very real struggle to get used to a new way of being, having to take medications every day when previously we were blissfully free and unaware, but please, please take your meds. Your doctor can give you information on which ones you are likely to remain on, and which may be reduced/increased or even be stopped in time. Let him/her worry about your meds, and you can try to learn to put yourself first (us women, and particularly mothers are no good at that!) and try to concentrate on You.
I wish you all the best in the following months as you come to terms with your diagnosis. Believe me, we all understand, it does Suck, it's Not Fair, and yet it Is. Hug your darling kids, yell when you need to, and cry when you need to - but take your meds.....! Hugs from New Zealand XXOOXX
Whoops, while replying to another post I have realised that my meds did actually change (my mind is NOT as sharp as it used to be that's for sure......!). Plavix was withdrawn after six months, and Omeprazole was added after one year - so same number of meds, but slightly different composition.
Hmmm, perhaps I need a 'memory drug', now THAT would be handy!
XXX
Jazzyladee,
I so understand right now you feel like all you do is take pills. My son felt the same way when he was diagnosed with Cardiomyopathy. He is 16 and scared to death. It took him awhile to accept that this is his new "normal" for now. Doctors are hopeful that he may one day be weaned off some of them, and possibly live a good life without them. I do not see this happening anytime soon. He tolerates his meds well, feels good. His philosophy is why mess with a good thing? He takes them faithfully and reminds me when I forget to give them. Some days he seems like my old son and I forget that he lives this new lifestyle. It does just become part of your routine. His friends all know he takes them, he takes his Lasix and Aldactone at school, etc. Please discuss your fears with your doctor. Maybe he can give you a better indication of the timetable you desire. If I've learned anything the past year from my son it's just take it day by day and enjoy life! Hope this helps you.
Lisa
I have just recently been diagnosed and taking new meds and I felt somewhat like you do. I don't want to be on all these medications but I want to LIVE more. I want to be around for a long time, so if this is what it takes, then I will take them. I hope you can talk with your cardio doctor - maybe you need to try a different one. Give him all your symptoms and how you feel. I hope that you report back that you are on new medicine and feel better now!
Colleen
Hi
My primary care doc said to expect to take the "heart attack cocktail" for life - but that I'll have a long life (i am 44).
Opposite of your experience, I always feel funny (buzz in my head) if I forget to take my morning meds. I figure it's my BP change that does it - w/o meds it would be 128/82, with meds it's 98/60 or something like that. YOU SHOULD TELL your doc - maybe they can put you on something a bit different that doesn't make you feel poorly, or lower your dosage. Early on I was a bit dizzy - my cardio cut my BP med dose in half.
Mouths of babes - my 6 year old questioned why the medicine keeps me alive - since I told him to never touch it because it could kill him or make him very sick.
I know I will never have an undamaged heart - the area that died during the heart attack never returns to normal. Just like my teeth have fillings and I have to wear glasses - my parts are wearing out just a bit and won't get back to perfect.
Everyone has their tough issue, it seems - I'm happy to take the meds, but a lifetime of exercise and healthy eating????!!! yikes! Hope those things come easily for you :-)
It is a bummer to have to take all those meds...how it hurt my pride to have to buy the daily pill boxes for both am and pm. But, I also realize those little jewels are probably saving my life and keeping the blood pumping through my heart, stents, etc. My biggest problem is from the beta blocker, Toprol XL...I take 75 mg a day and probably have to go to 100 mg. It makes me soooo tired...not to mention it does add a few pounds cause it slows down the metabolism. But, I hear it is also great at helping repair heart muscle damage and that my heart doesn't have to work as hard on it. So, I happily take all of those little pills every day...morning and night! I don't even ask when I get to stop!
I hear you! I don't have kids, but I'll be 41 next week and still consider myself "young" :).
Too young for one of those "old person" pill boxes, that's for sure--so I made myself a checklist of all the new meds I'm on and when I take them. Plavix, aspirin, metropolol twice/day, Zocor, multivitamin, thyroid medicine, antidepressant...
My docs have told me to expect to probably take the Plavix and aspirin for the rest of my life. We'll see about the metropolol and Zocor.
It's a lot to take in all at once--it has been for my husband and me, and we're childfree; I imagine it's even more tiring and complicated to absorb all of this when you have kids.
Queen_E's analogy about having to wear glasses is a good one. I wear glasses too (nearsightedness and astigmatism), and while I didn't like them at first when I was a kid, now it's just the way things are. Took some getting used to, definitely.
It helps to come here to vent, too. :)
Nope not necessarily. I know of at least two women on this board that were diagnosed with a kind of cardiomyopathy and have gotten off drugs (Laura aka Ikay and me :D). I believe it depends on how quickly and how long your EF goes up/stays up, how your quality of life improves, your exercise levels, etc and most importantly how your Dr. sees your doing. For my kind of heart failure I had to stay on drugs for one year then I was allowed to start weening off, I'm not sure how it worked for Laura but I do know that she no longer takes heart meds. So my point is that there is hope but it is important to know that it varies from case to case. It's definitely something that you should discuss with your cardiologist though.
((HUGS))
Martha
Wondering if anyone has been prescribed the nito patch vs isosorbide mononitrate (10mg). And do you experience the headaches? I went back on after my last stent procedure, although it is helping with the unstable angina in the early mornings (during rest).
Hi, I under stand what your going through.I was already on 3 blood pressure pills and now added Plavix and Lipitor and a daily 81 mg aspirin. I had a stent put in this Feb.09 Iwas very stressed at first but Im finally realizing that I have to deal with it and I know its very hard and I definately feel for you! I have quit smoking so I hope that will help and also exercising and trying to watch my diet . Im with you though and Im hoping I wont be with these med for ever or itleast cut them down. I hope you have good Ins. also because I know they can be expensive. My local pharmacist worked out 3 mon supply for my generic med which is alot cheaper,so I hope you can do that as well. It really helped me alot! Please take your med and talk to your Dr if you feel bad so they can change them so you can itleast feel okay because that makes you feel worst about taking them. Please take care. Kimberly
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