Heart Failure Symptoms

[penk]

Hi, I've never posted to this board before and hope someone can help with my question. I have Dilated Cardiomyopathy and received my first ICD in 1988. My last Echo in September showed a 30% EF. I am on various heart meds for my condition.
The last couple weeks were very difficult for me.....I had 3 normal days of activity (cleaning house, laundry, running errands, etc...) and started having severe fatigue, weakness, and hypotension. It took 7 days before I started feeling better. The week before I needed 11 hours sleep and a full day of rest before bouncing back. I saw my EP/cardiologist last Tuesday and he listened to my heart and said he didn't think it was my heart. I'm seeing a heart failure specialist this Wednesday. My question is......could Restoril be causing any of this? I started taking Restoril 30mg last Fall for insomnia. In December, I had bronchitis for a month and have needed asthma inhalers since. Please help. Thank you.

[Lenin]

penk,

I think the temazepam (Restoril) could easily be contributing to your symptoms. Fatigue, weakness, dizziness and depression are among it's common side-effects. Why not try weaning if you find you are dependant on it or even stopping cold turkey for a couple weeks and see if you feel better.
Needing 11 hours of sleep and taking a sleeping pill seem at odds with one another.

Good luck with the cardiologist.

[started04]

Hi penk,

You began Rostoni several months ago, but NOW you are experiencing symptoms of severe fatique, weakness and hypotension. That condition cannot rule out not getting a good supply of blood with actvity and this is causing your present symptoms. Some of the medication now may be contraindicated and your regimen should be adjusted.

In Sept. you had an enlarged heart and an ejection fraction of 30%, and unless there is additional info, in view of your history, it is difficult to believe the doc stated there was no heart problem just by listening to the heartbeat!!

[penk]

Hi Kenkeith, I spent all day yesterday searching and writing to people about this. I received an answer by someone who said he knows of several chfers who take Restoril and it has no effect on their heart condition and that no doctor, no matter how good he is, can rule out anything with just a stethescope. It's interesting that I go from feeling normal and then with activity my energy drops dramatically. It sounds like my heart to me. I was having fainting spells from hypotension late last Summer before starting the Restoril. The insomnia started around the same time. My ef has been slowly declining over the years. In '98 my ef was around 40% and it's been holding around 30% for the last 4-5 years. Hopefully the heart failure specialist I'm seeing tomorrow will be able to shine some light onto it. Thank you for your reply.

[penk]

Hi Lenin, I hope we'll come to a definitive answer to my problem with the new cardiologist tomorrow. I have thought about reducing the Restoril, but the thing that sticks in my mind is that the fatigue comes on after several days of normal activity.
Thank you for answering. I will let everyone know how it goes. Penk