Advice needed

"Jan Brown" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Following receipt of an appeal for help, I need to ask
about a lady age 76 with heart, breathing problems, chest
pain and who is not managing on 8 paracetamol a day. (I
have already told her to make sure she doesn't take any
more paracetamol type painkillers, and to ask her
pharmacist for guidance). She already takes 2 x 20mg
Lipitor daily and 1 25mg Vioxx at night and she smokes.

Quote - "I'm OK sitting, but getting up is only OK as long
as I walk very slowly, ie snails pace. Also, I have chest
restricting pains and pins and needles and pains in my
arms, and struggling for breath"

She's been to her doctor twice in the last three weeks,
and the chest x-rays taken were clear, except for a new
diagnosis of osteoporosis. (The GP didn't seem too worried
about the osteoporosis and said he would review her
tablets next week)

Would anyone have a vague idea what the problem could
be? I need to reassure her before she sees her doctor
next week.

Could a fractured rib be a possibility? She hasn't had any
falls, but I'm just very worried on her behalf as she's
never asked me for help before.

Thanks Janet

It could be a lot of things including clogged arteries or
congestive heart failure - or something else. She should see
a cardiologist if she has not done so. Obviously smoking is
probably hurting her badly. My guess is that it is also a
fire hazzard. Try the patch if nothing else. She needs to
take better care of herself. Also ask the Dr. about
replacing Vioxx with asprin - which is better for the heart.
And 1 40 MG of Lipitor is about half the price of 2 20s and
does the same thing.

But get her to see a Cardiologist and do what he says.

Bill

Quoted message said:

Jan Brown said:

Following receipt of an appeal for help, I need to ask
about a lady age 76 with heart, breathing problems, chest
pain and who is not managing on 8 paracetamol a day. (I
have already told her to make sure she doesn't take any
more paracetamol type painkillers, and to ask her
pharmacist for guidance). She already takes 2 x 20mg
Lipitor daily and 1 25mg Vioxx at night and she smokes.

Uh-oh.

Quoted message said:

Quote - "I'm OK sitting, but getting up is only OK as long
as I walk very slowly, ie snails pace. Also, I have chest
restricting pains and pins and needles and pains in my
arms, and struggling for breath"

Uh-oh.

Quoted message said:

She's been to her doctor twice in the last three weeks,
and the chest x-rays taken were clear, except for a new
diagnosis of osteoporosis. (The GP didn't seem too worried
about the osteoporosis and said he would review her
tablets next week)

Would anyone have a vague idea what the problem could be?

Could be either her heart or lungs causing her shortness of
breath and chest pains.

Quoted message said:

I need to reassure her before she sees her doctor
next week.

Could a fractured rib be a possibility?

Should have been visible on the chest X-rays.

Quoted message said:

She hasn't had any falls, but I'm just very worried on her
behalf as she's never asked me for help before.

Thanks

You are welcome, Janet.

Servant to the humblest person in the universe,

Andrew

--
Dr. Andrew B. Chung, MD/PhD
Board-Certified Cardiologist
heartmdphd.comheartmdphd.comOpen ↗

**
Who is the humblest person in the universe?
makeashorterlink.commakeashorterlink.comOpen ↗

What is all this about?
makeashorterlink.commakeashorterlink.comOpen ↗

Is this spam?
makeashorterlink.commakeashorterlink.comOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

Would anyone have a vague idea what the problem could
be? I need to reassure her before she sees her doctor
next week.

Could a fractured rib be a possibility? She hasn't had any
falls, but I'm just very worried on her behalf as she's
never asked me for help before.

Thanks Janet

Thank you for this advice, Andrew and Bill. I've just
passed this on to her, and she is going to mention the
possibility of seeing a cardiologist to her GP. Passing
thought - she had been taking an aspirin every day for some
while, but one month ago her GP told her to stop taking
them. Would that alone have caused these symptoms? I guess
that's a question for you Andrew - sorry to bother you, and
thanks again. Janet

Jan Brown said:

Following receipt of an appeal for help, I need to ask
about a lady age 76 with heart, breathing problems, chest
pain and who is not managing on 8 paracetamol a day. (I
have already told her to make sure she doesn't take any
more paracetamol type painkillers, and to ask her
pharmacist for guidance). She already takes 2 x 20mg
Lipitor daily and 1 25mg Vioxx at night and she smokes.

Quote - "I'm OK sitting, but getting up is only OK as long
as I walk very slowly, ie snails pace. Also, I have chest
restricting pains and pins and needles and pains in my
arms, and struggling for breath"

She's been to her doctor twice in the last three weeks, and
the chest x-rays taken were clear, except for a new
diagnosis of osteoporosis. (The GP didn't seem too worried
about the osteoporosis and said he would review her tablets
next week)

Would anyone have a vague idea what the problem could be?
I need to

Quoted message said:

reassure her before she sees her doctor next week.

Could a fractured rib be a possibility? She hasn't had any
falls, but I'm just very worried on her behalf as she's
never asked me for help before.

Thanks Janet

It sounds to me like her heart is the problem as she has
chest pain on exertion. Is she not in the care of a
cardiologist? In the UK I believe she would be in hospital
but the smoking is a problem as I have a suspicion that
people who smoke go to the bottom of the queue when they are
considering more pro-active treatment. Osteoporosis is
potentially very dangerous. I am surprised her doctor has
put off treatment. Hope something is done soon as she sounds
very poorly. Diana

Quoted message said:

Jan Brown said:

Quoted message said:

Would anyone have a vague idea what the problem could
be? I need to reassure her before she sees her doctor
next week.

Could a fractured rib be a possibility? She hasn't had
any falls, but I'm just very worried on her behalf as
she's never asked me for help before.

Thanks Janet

Thank you for this advice, Andrew and Bill.

You are welcome to the information, Janet :-)

Quoted message said:

I've just passed this on to her, and she is going to
mention the possibility of seeing a cardiologist to her
GP.

Good.

Quoted message said:

Passing thought - she had been taking an aspirin every day
for some while, but one month ago her GP told her to stop
taking them. Would that alone have caused these symptoms?

Depends on the underlying cause. If what she is having is
unstable angina (aka acute coronary syndrome or ACS) the
answer quite possibly could be "yes."

Quoted message said:

I guess that's a question for you Andrew - sorry to
bother you,

No bother. This is truly all for Christ's glory :-)

Quoted message said:

and thanks again.

You are again very welcome, Janet.

May God heal your friend in Christ's name.

Servant to the humblest person in the universe,

Andrew

--
Dr. Andrew B. Chung, MD/PhD
Board-Certified Cardiologist
heartmdphd.comheartmdphd.comOpen ↗

**
Who is the humblest person in the universe?
makeashorterlink.commakeashorterlink.comOpen ↗

What is all this about?
makeashorterlink.commakeashorterlink.comOpen ↗

Is this spam?
makeashorterlink.commakeashorterlink.comOpen ↗