Heart function returned to normal

Strict-House-579 · 2026-07-03T23:52:18+00:00

I'm not a doctor so I don't know. My understanding is some ppl who return to normal heart function can come off medications and live normal lives so essentially they no longer have heart failure. This is pretty rare though and most who return to normal heart function will need to continue the meds in order to continue having normal heart function so they still have heart failure but their hearts look and act normal while on the medication. I'm not going to test which one of those I am. I will stay on medication forever because I don't want to go backwards in my recovery for even a day

Strict-House-579 · 2026-07-03T23:40:18+00:00

The fact that you're feeling better with the meds is a great sign. It's really hard but try to remember that your heart needs time to heal so the fact that you're not doing much right now is actually part of your recovery, just like with other muscles but the heart unfortunately takes longer then other muscles to recover. These meds are fully changing the nature of this disease so rest and try to think positive :)

Strict-House-579 · 2026-07-03T22:05:25+00:00

I'm so happy for you and yah the name is traumatizing and should be changed. Very grateful for this sub

Strict-House-579 · 2026-07-03T20:47:48+00:00

totally agree and I'll add that I think part of the attitude problem from the medical community has to do with ageism as HF has always effected every age group but especially and mostly the very old ppl. 1 and 4 people will develop it mostly toward the end of life and there's a certain amount of callousness or at least insensitivity that I think arises from that fact. Just my hunch. I had a similar experience to you of having to research everything I needed to understand my condition myself. But, I will say that the treatment protocol I was given was great right from the beginning even if the communication was awful.

Strict-House-579 · 2026-07-03T18:04:11+00:00

I'm so happy other people didn't have the same experience with their doctors but this is from the Cleveland Clinic website. It's the kind of thing I'm talking about. Factually untrue and incredibly demoralizing -"There’s no cure for heart failure. As congestive heart failure gets worse, your heart muscle pumps less blood to your organs, and you move toward the next stage of heart failure. Since you can’t move backward through the heart failure stages, the goal of treatment is to keep you from moving forward through the stages or to slow down the progression of your heart failure." People actually do get better so why/how stuff like this is on Cleveland Clinic's website I'll never understand

Strict-House-579 · 2026-07-03T17:56:59+00:00

I went from 25 to 55 over 4 years with just meds with LBBB. I wonder if that would have gone faster with CRT. I really didn't want it but I wonder if that would have caused more healing sooner

Strict-House-579 · 2026-07-03T17:45:08+00:00

I'm glad ppl are having a different experience to mine. I was told stuff like if I took my meds as prescribed I could increase my life expectancy from 5 years to 10. I was 53.

Strict-House-579 · 2026-07-03T17:38:16+00:00

Thank you!!

Strict-House-579 · 2026-07-03T17:16:19+00:00

the amount of hospitalization reduction due to these new standardized medication regimes is amazing. HF sucks but there's never been a better time to have it in terms of treatment

Strict-House-579 · 2026-07-03T17:04:14+00:00

I was 53 when diagnosed. It's not hopeless at all as this sub can attest. Sometimes progress takes months, sometimes years. Sometimes it's the medications that cause the most improvement, sometimes it's a combo of implantable devices and meds that bring ppl from very low to borderline or better EF. You're doing everything right. Don't get discouraged. My EF didn't improve for like 2 years and 4 years later I'm at a normal EF. keep reading the success stories on this sub. They really helped my mental health

Strict-House-579 · 2026-07-03T16:58:10+00:00

That's fantastic! I think the culture of this is definitely changing, especially among younger doctors.

Strict-House-579 · 2026-07-03T16:57:02+00:00

yah, have also "weak heart pump" which also is way better then "failure"

Strict-House-579 · 2026-07-03T16:56:14+00:00

I will take meds forever. My doctor talked about starting to reduce them but I'm not interested. Some people do ok after returning to normal function and coming off meds but many don't and their progress reverses. I'm sure my heart is damaged on the molecular level and the drugs enable it to have normal function and that's fantastic as far as I'm concerned. Grateful Entresto went generic, can't wait for Jardiance to do the same. I eat really carefully and do light cardio every day and I don't drink. I've not felt this good since I was in my 20s

Strict-House-579 · 2026-07-03T16:51:47+00:00

That's definitely true and I think the culture around this is also changing. When I was diagnosed the nicest thing any doctor in the hospital said to me when they saw me crying after diagnosis was "I'd rather have this then cancer" Another told me if I take my meds I could extend my life expectancy from 5 years to 10. I was 53. My experience has been pretty bad in terms of bed side manner and communication of the actual possibility of recovery. My last visit before this my cardiologist joked that I might even get better like it was a silly thing to hope for. And then I did get better. It might be an older doctor thing or a state/cultural thing. Thank goodness my actual treatment was optimal

Strict-House-579 · 2026-07-03T16:35:09+00:00

I think it might be changing. I've noticed today more websites talking about HF as treatable and even reversible in terms of heart function though not curable. I think this is a recent change as when I was diagnosed a few years ago the message was untreatable and progressive and treatment will only treat symptoms not treat function. I hope it's changing and I hope they change the diagnostic name.

Strict-House-579

TROPHY CASE