56 y/o female with diastolic heart failure, just

[mistysmum]

diagnosed.? I have just begun Lasix/Frusemide 40 mg to treat. I already take a number of other heart/BP drugs, Nicorandil, Noten, Imdur, Diltiazem, Tritace. Have had CABG in 2005, which failed to revascularise my heart effectively. Can some of you educated post grads give me some guidelines for exercise? Also what to expect in the future? I walk twice a week for 30 mins, but can't walk quickly enough to lose weight, because of symptoms of angina/breathlessness. I weigh 76 kgs and am 5'3" tall. I am Australian.

[Mel89]

i dont know if this would hep but my mother and i ahve a sevre heart condition....the cardiologist doenst know whats causeing it, what its about or anything. its really scary. but we cannot excersise due to our heartrate will get way to quick and we will ahv a heart attack. we do pilates cause it doenst really race the heart and its great for you. the cardiologist recommended it to us.

[another_guy_named_steve]

I've been in heart failure for five (almost six) years, and walking has been the best exercise for me. There is really no way to do it wrong. The trick, I believe, may not be to walk fast, but to walk steady. Walk as fast as you can, as slow as you need to, but DON'T STOP. Keep going until you have to stop. When you do have to stop, stop for a short as a time as possible, and then start walking again. It will take a little time to build up. The first day I walked, they told me to walk for 15 minutes, and I couldn't do it. Now I can walk 4 miles! Take your fluid pills as prescribed. You've been put on the heart failure diet? If not, there are only two guidelines: No more than 2000 milliliters of fluid a day, and no more of 2000 milligrams of sodium per day. The sodium is the hard part. You're going to have to start checking the cans and packages when you buy groceries, and for a while it will take much longer to decide what you will eat than it will to prepare and eat it. But it becomes like second nature to you. Someone will offer you food and it will "click" in your head about how much sodium is in that item, and you'll decide if you can have some or just pass the plate to the next person. The quickest way to help yourself is to move the salt shaker to the other end of the table. And tell your family that under NO circumstances are they to pass it to you. Keep the cook away from the salt shaker, also. Cook the food as it is, if people want some salt, they can salt their own portions! As soon as you wake up in the morning, go to the bathroom and urinate. Then weigh yourself.(No clothes, or as little as possible) Write down the date and your weight, and check it EVERY day. If you ever gain more than 3 pounds in a 24 hour period, call your doctor and report it. Heart failure can be controlled, if you decide right from the beginning you are going to take care of yourself. I wish you the best of luck!