Swelling in my hands and feet, what kind of specialist do I need?

Question

I have had a battery of test due to a few episodes with chest and jaw pain. I found out my heart is functioning well, but it is rigid. Rigid, because of extreme stress is what I was told. I am obese, and my cholesterol Other than this everything is fairly normal. Now I find my hands and feet are swelling, the left side being the worst. I have mentioned this to my doctors and they don’t seem to feel any need for alarm. But I am miserable with this and am on so many drugs because I have fibermialgea, that I am afraid to self medicate. I think a diuretic would help. But am afraid of mixing meds What kind of a Doctor do I seek for help.

Answer 1

Tell your doctor how your stressed about this, does he know. There are medications for this and the other problems you have but, you have to let your doctor know.

Answer 2

You would first need to consult your own doctor and then you will be referred to a cardiologist. If you are paying for your medical expenses, you would probably cut out your own doctor and go straight to the cardiologist. It is relatively rare that the heart muscle becomes rigid due to other diseases. (Known as restrictive cardiomyopathy) Let me discuss this diagnosis of rigid heart, leaving aside the fibromyalgia, and go a step further. The rigid heart leads to heart failure because the blood has difficulty entering the heart. The heart pumps with normal strength, but when less blood enters the heart, less blood exits per beat. The rigid heart cannot live up to an increased demand, water palpitates in the legs and the liver, and fatigue sets in. The treatment is slightly different than with the weak heart. If the diagnosis is confirmed, an ultrasound scan of the heart should be carried out, which will provide information regarding the heart valves and if he heart is weak or rigid. The damage after an embolism can be localised and the pumping capacity of the heart can be determined with great accuracy. Furthermore it can be necessary with x-rays of the blood vessels of the heart, to determine the extent and severity of possible contractions. Treatment of chronic heart failure is most often done with various medications, serving the purpose of removing the symptoms and prolonging life. In certain cases, the disease can be alleviated through heart surgery. Palpitation and shortness of breath is treated with diuretic medicine and potassium supplements. Arrhythmia is treated with dioxin, which stabilises the rhythm and improves the pumping ability of the heart. In case of chest pain, nitro-glycerine is tried, and in case of arteriosclerosis aspirin is administered. The life prolonging medicine makes the heart work more economic by changing the shape, size and rigidity of the heart towards the normal, thus improving the pumping capacity of the heart and in the long run prevent or postpone a worsening of the disease. Three types of medicine should be included in the ideal treatment: ACE-inhibitors, beta blocks and Spironolactone (a special form of diuretic medicine). It is necessary to make lifestyle changes by minimising risk factors such as smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and stress. If one is overweight, one should lose the weight. A couple of glasses of wine a day are not harmful, whereas a large consumption of alcohol will make the disease progress. Daily exercise strengthens the heart. Note that fatigue can be caused by the lack of potassium due to the diuretic medicine. This is why the body’s salt reserves and the kidney functions must be checked regularly. Daily weight control is important. If the weight increases, it could be caused by retention of fluids in the body and it may be necessary to increase the diuretic medicine. If the weight increases considerably within a few days, it is a sign that the medicine is not working. To return to your question, if your problem is basically caused by stress, you would be advised to identify the cause and eliminate it - or it may well eliminate you.
In all cases when more detailed medical information is required you would be advised to contact your doctor or cardiologist.
I add a link dealing with the various types and causes etc, of cardiomyopathy.

http://www.americanheart.org/
presenter.jhtml?identifier=4468


Hope this helps
matador 89

Answer 3

You don't need a specialist. If your heart is fine than this is most likey a side effect of a medication you are taking. I bet your taking steriods (exp. Prednisone) and they are most likely causing the problem but DON'T stop taking your meds. See your doctor or a new doctor again...

Answer 4

your regular family doctor can give you a water pill to control these problems. Consult him/her about this matter and ask about taking one at least every other day.

Answer 5

General practitioner and a dietician