Well, when my cardiologist got the results of my echo and saw the elevated pulmonary artery pressure ( 68 mm/Hg, their upper range of normal is 36 mm/Hg), he said the first thing to do was to try the furosemide for several months. I've had scans, x-rays over the years and there's no evidence of any lung disease and I'm thinking the cardiologist may be thinking it could be due to possible left heart disease ( mild to middlin at this point). I have had some ankle and leg edema, some unexplained bloating in the middle which has, I think, been helped by the furosemide. I saw my PCP after that couple months was up, had this discussion with her and she declared, in no uncertain terms, that I needed to continue the furosemide and she renewed the prescription. I saw the cardiologist several months later, and he agreed with continuing the furosemide and he ordered the followup echo and said we could go from there depending on the results. I guess this sounds kind of cavalier on the part of the doctors, but their decisions have been based on the fact that I'm for the most part, asymptomatic, am not hypoxic and am having no troubles breathing. From what I'm reading it sounds as though at least some of the medications that dilate pulmonary arteries are given to relieve the symptoms PH patients suffer?

I was also reading more about PAH and PH, and see that diuretics can be used to help with the edema, lowering fluid levels and making the work on the heart and lungs easier in people with PAH or PH. I know they are hoping that my upcoming echo will show lower pulmonary artery pressures as a result of the diuretic. If the pressures are still elevated, we will go from there.

Thing is, from what I am reading they don't recommend the medications that dilate the pulmonary arteries until they have 1) confirmed a diagnosis and determined the type of PH a person may have, and 2) these medications are not recommended for people with left-sided heart disease. As I see it, we don't know where I am, or indeed if I really have PAH, and I'm not feeling bad, so it's a bit soon for the meds commonly used to treat this condition. But the furosemide has helped some of what I was experiencing. That's my take on it, anyway.