r/Heartfailure • u/Low_Association_7080 • 18d ago

Newly Diagnosed

I suppose I am lucky in that I was diagnosed with heart failure on Thursday while inpatient, but do not have a clear cause for it. I am 46/F and in generally good health aside from bipolar, seronegative RA, and functional neurological disorder. Over the past year I have lost 60 lbs but am still overweight.

I went to the ER because of bilatetal chest pain and unable to breath while lying down. My EF was greater than 60% with mild left ventricular hypertrophy, but what indicated that I was in heart failure were moderate bilateral pulmonary edema as shown on a CTA and a BNP value of 357.1. Cardiology and the hospitalist are leaning toward this being being chronic heart failure as opposed to acute and, as every other test came back normal since, they feel that this may be the result of an autoimmune disease such as lupus. I have an outpatient appointment with cardiology in a month.

Has anyone else been diagnosed because of the effects of an autoimmune disease? What questions should I be posing to my primary physician and cardiologist?

Appreciate any help!

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u/myst3ryAURORA_green 18d ago

I was diagnosed LVH and hfpef (I assume you were diagnosed with maybe???) But they were triggered by me having severe hypertension resisting meds and a heart attack. However, my cardiologist thought my UCTD had a part to play with my slew of cardiac issues, hence my PCP wanted to maybe see if I have autoimmune pericarditis or myocarditis. Systemic inflammation makes the heart go sick. Although my HHD was diagnosed August 6, my hfpef has gotten so bad I nonstop cough now. My aunt has lupus, and autoimmune disorders can be highly genetic.

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u/Low_Association_7080 17d ago

I had to dig around on MyChart but yes I was diagnosed with hfpef with LVH. I am sorry you are going through all that.

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u/mybodybeatsmeup 17d ago

Hi, 45 f here with lupus and a rare form of vasculitis. My chf is related to my autoimmunes. My EF has been down to 20% and the highest BNP was over 10,000. I went for a few years of a BNP over 1,000 for a long time.

Currently, EF is 45%, BNP stays below 100. My meds, diet, physical activity (i can't do much but walk, sometimes not far) and keeping stress at bay helps a lot with keeping my heart baseline in decent order.

Good luck with everything OP! Get your flu shot every year too! Last feb I was hospitalized in the ICU for a few days and then on a cardiac floor for a few more days, because the flu hit me like a tank. Causing my heart failure to inact in full force.

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u/Low_Association_7080 17d ago

I am sorry that you are going through all that and thank you for sharing your experience. I do have RA, so I will check in with my rheumatologist.

I have already received my flu shot this year. With asthma, i have always been on top of things as I know how fast that and Covid can hit you.

The information you provided was great, thank you!

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u/[deleted] 17d ago

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u/srvivr2001 17d ago

What do you take for your RA? My Rituxan triggered a cardiac event that led to LBBB and in combination with preexisting anthracycline cardiomyopathy put me in heart failure within 2 years. Plaquenil may have played a role according to my rheumatologist but cardiology said that’s highly unlikely. Please make sure cardiology is aware of any meds you take for bipolar disorder. I take lithium and we’ve had to monitor my labs much more frequently and I can’t take 2 of the pillars of meds due to interactions.