Pulmonary Hypertension water limit?

Arkhos
Arkhos Posts: 290 Member
edited November 12 in Health and Weight Loss
Just seeing if anyone knows the answer to this, it may be a few weeks before I get in to see a heart doctor. I have mild Pulmonary Hypertension. I say mild because my heart is strong, but I have swelling in my lower legs along with venous sores (ulcers). So I do retain fluid. I am currently drinking about a gallon of water a day per my trainer. I urinate once every hour. I was just looking up what the sodium restrictions may be, and found a few sites mentioning a fluid limit of 1-2 liters per day. I don't remember being told that before. Apparently, excess water can increase my retention and cause weight gain? Anybody know if this is true? If you have PHT, has a doctor told you to restrict your water intake?

I've been stalled or losing weight very slowly for 9 months, and I'm wondering if this may be part of the problem?

Replies

  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
    Bump. You never mentioned this... Could be an issue. Definitely book in with that doctor!

    Zara. :-)
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    Oh my I didnt know that! This explains a lot of the issues and possibly the weight stall! Yes most recommendations I give my patients that have severe PHT is no more than 2000ml a day. Often times some doctors will write for only 1000ml.

    A gallon is about 2000ml or 2L, so try not to go over that until you get into see the cardiologist. Another note make sure it is 2L of fluid so if you are drinking a diet soda, coffee, tea, that also counts to you total fluid count. Maintain the sodium restriction 2000mg a day.
  • kariannmbc
    kariannmbc Posts: 144
    Actually, a gallon of water is about 3.7 liters of water, or 64oz which is 4 quarts.
  • LucyJPHER
    LucyJPHER Posts: 1
    I do have PAH (or pulmonary arterial hypertension) and yes my doctor has restricted my fluid intake. Every one of us is different and our limits may also be different. The point is to keep that fluid away from your heart and lungs. It seems to start in the ankles and works its way up. Do talk to your doctor to make sure you are not retaining too much fluid.
    And remember anything that turns to luquid is considered fluid. i.e. ice cubes, jello, ice cream, coffee, tea, juice etc.
    Make a list of questions to bring to your doctor (I make two, one for me to write the answers on and the other to hand to the doctor as I leave-not befoe). Top one being how much fluid should I be having per day. He/She may also suggest you watch your sodium intake which of course helps retain that fluid. Start reading those food labels.
    Lucy
  • collanaA
    collanaA Posts: 1
    Hello.
    When you have pulmonary hypertension should be taken special medication for it, because it is very grave, restrict the exercise, reduce salt intake and not exceeding 2 liters a day of water ingestion, including juice, soda, tea, chocolate, soups. If you you have fluid retention your doctor must prescribe diuretics, but first be sure your doctor knows how to treat pulmonary hypertension.
    If you drink plenty of fluids, the heart has to work harder to pump, and it is already doing for pulmonary hypertension. Failure to follow the recommendations pulmonary hypertension continues its process fast deterioration, and even a glass of water, is excess to the heart when you can get heart failure.
  • Arkhos
    Arkhos Posts: 290 Member
    Just wanted to follow up for future reference.

    I confirmed with a Cardiologist that with Pulmonary Hypertension I should be restricting my water (fluid) intake to about 2 liters. Since I was drinking over a gallon I was told to just slowly reduce it - not to just drop to 2 liters of fluid right off. I do have a strong heart so I am simply eliminating the gallon of water and drinking normal tea, coffee, water etc. in about a 2-3 liter limit - but not including fluids from foods like jello, ice cream, etc.

    Note, that this has nothing to do with High Blood Pressure and is not checked using a cuff/monitor.

    How and Why:
    There are various causes but mine is obesity. The arteries that carry blood between the heart and lungs narrows. As the paths thicken or narrow the heart has to pump harder and increases the blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries. The strained right ventricle of the heart has trouble pumping the sodium/fluids out of the body which leads to retention of fluid in the lower legs (edema), increased shortness of breath, fatigue, and sometimes chest discomfort (luckily I don't have the heart discomfort).

    So basically drinking more water puts more pressure on the heart and since your body is retaining water already you are just adding more fluid for the body to retain - mostly in your legs.

    So limit water/fluid to 2 liters or so
    Reduce Sodium to 1500mg/day     (this is the recommendation for everyone regardless of heart conditions per the American Heart Association)

    Symptoms:
    Early on, you may think you're simply "out of shape" because general fatigue and tiredness are often the first symptoms. It is more noticeable if you experience breathing difficulty, dizziness or even fainting spells that some patients report. As the condition progresses, you may begin to notice swelling in the ankles or legs, bluish discoloration of the lips and skin, and chest pains. These later symptoms indicate your body is not circulating enough oxygen-filled blood from your lungs which is a definite health problem that needs treatment.

    Check with a doctor for recommendations / diagnosis specific to you.
  • northcoastbeauty
    northcoastbeauty Posts: 34 Member
    My physician has directed me to limit fluid intake to 6-8 glasses. 48-64 ounces. That includes soups, jello, popsicles etc. I use sugar free popsicles or crushed ice during my work outs and count them toward the limit.

    The artery between the right side of the heart and the lungs. The blood is oxygenated in the lungs and flows to the left side of the heart. From there it is pumped to the brain and throughout the body.

    With the pulmonary artery reduced, the left side of the heart beats faster, harder to get the blood through. The workload on the right side of the heart weakens the heart muscle. Decreasing fluid intake reduces blood volume. That reduces the workload on your heart. Increasing fluid intake above the prescribed amount hastens heart failure.

    You may notice your blood sugar readings increase When you reduce your fluid intake. The hemoglobin is more concentrated due to the decreased blood volume.

    This is a progressive and currently incurable disease.

    Healthy individuals above 51 years of age has a recommended sodium intake of 1500mg a day.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    edited March 2018
    My husband is a dialysis nurse so fluid intake is a huge issue for the kidney patients. The doctors say that the absolute key to fluid retention is to minimize sodium. Sodium makes a person want to drink and they CANNOT avoid drinking too much. It's a physiological function. That causes the fluid build up. So you must control your sodium intake to control fluid retention. Basically if you're retaining too much fluid you need LESS SODIUM than you're currently eating. Any specific numbers should come from your doctor and dietician but my husband says it's so hard for most people to track, they usually just say "Less" . You can track what you're currently consuming for sodium and water then reduce it by 20% and evaluate the effect.
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