I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV.

But in the past year, both my husband's grandparents and my one remaining grandparent suffered from this. What the doctors did in all three cases was to prescribe intervenous diuretics in the hospital. At home, they were all prescribed a daily mild diuretic (not nearly as strong as what was used at the crucial point) and a low-sodium diet.

Don't mess with this yourself. It can be lethal quickly. Get whoever is having this problem to the E.R. right away, before the pressure of the fluid in the pericardium causes the heart to stop.
Source(s):
recent experience with family


Permalink | Report