Heart Failure and Enlarged Belly.

I believe one of the symptoms of heart failure, depending on the stage of advancement, is swollen ankles and the collection of fluids in the abdomen. Perhaps, in addition to some new adipose tissue, you are experiencing some of that. Note that the kidneys need a minimum of blood pressure to operate efficiently, below which they cease to maintain blood pressure, filter fluids, and reduce hydration in the body when they need to. So, again, the accumulation of bodily fluids.

I'm not suggesting this IS what you are experiencing, but it's worth inquiring from a professional.

Thank you so much for that information!

Have a really nice day!
Susie

Hi Susie, I have at times questioned my roundish belly also. Ill just share my thoughts which I can't say are confirmed from the medical community but seem to indacated to me at least is something associated with my condition. A brief history of my journey is I was diagnosed with CHF and a enlarged heart in 2008 after a rather bad flu bug that affected my heart and fluid built up around my lungs and heart. This caused my heart to enlarge which brought on CHF and arrythmias. My heart did not fully recover and continued to get worse after about 8 years so at that time it was decided in my case to look into a heart transplant. which I got in 2018. But like @gloaming said I too had fluid retention problems. all the time I had the CHF and I took diuretics that whole time.

Now as for now I still seem to have a rather round belly but only in front. Im 5' 10 and weight about 190. Now I have been as low as 172 but the belly was still their so Im not sure a weight loss would change much. So in my research I found that what is commonly called a beer belly is almost an organ to itself. Its the last area that will give up its fat cells and it seems to have a self-preservation ability. What Im trying to do now is to just eat healthy but work on my cardio exercise more often. This is at least what my research has shown to reduce belly fat. I did enjoy beer a few times a week prior to transplant so the fact its still there my be my own fault. I haven't had and alcohol in 9 years but like i was told its the hardest fat to eliminate.

I also in 2019 had a bout with a virus that also brought on a very round belly. the cdiff affects the good bacteria in the intestines which I believe got better when I was taking probiotics. But for me due to the heart transplant I was only allowed to take them during the cdiff time. They can affect my anti-rejection meds and also the bacteria can cause problems with me due to my reduced ability to fight off viruses and other things like bacteria and like mold. So I still have a belly and i continue to work on it, but I must admit I don't think some radical diet will help any and I just need to keep up with the cardio.

Now that I'm retired and Mi not as active as I was when i was working its more of a Challege, but I try to not let this world of super thin people make my decisions for me as to what healthy is. I remember taking an art class once in High school and if you look a renaissance art they felt that beauty in a woman was someone with large hips. I sometimes wonder if what we think of as healthy is corrupted by what the world thinks. So as a man of faith I sometimes wonder what God thinks is healthy. The Bible doesn't really say. So as for me I won't give up trying but I'm not going to beat myself up over it either. I hope that my help. I remember it was said after my transplant that the best exercise is just plain walking. if you're like me I have to find activities that I enjoy keeping it up. So I like Golf and if I skip the cart and walk the course that helps me stay active. I also like to hike so I do that as often as I can. But try maybe to find an activity you enjoy and is some kind of physical activity may not only help the bloating but also you Heart issue. Have a Blessed Day
Dana

I was recently diagnosed with CHF and my weight is going up even though I am on a very strict diet of very little sodium and below 1000 calories a day. I take 40mgs of Furosemide (lasix) a day. My neuro physical therapist is also a cardio rehab specialist and he told me to walk as much as I can. Unfortunately, I also have low iron and have recently been diagnosed with low thyroid. My doc is still trying to regulate my thyroid, so my stamina is very low. My PT has told me to time my walks and not to overdo it. I find I get out of breath and have weak legs after 2 minutes! He also said to get a floor pedal device so I could watch tv and get some cardio too. My PT said walking is the best exercise for Congestive Heart Failure. Hope this helps.

One other consideration, as if we needed more encouragement to exercise.......weight bearing, with our skeletal system and musculature working against gravity, is what keeps calcium being channeled to our osteocytes...the bone cells. Even if we find exercises as simple as walking to be troubling or a chore, you MUST do some of it each day to keep that bone density. It's very important, especially for women, as we get older.

Hi, I would just like to put a suggestion out there. My husband has been dealing with edema and had taken furosemide for years. After recent heart surgery the edema got worse and he was put on a low sodium, fluid restricted diet but the ankle, leg and tummy swelling got worse. After consulting another cardiologist, he was taken off furosemide and started torsemide. There was improvement almost immediately. Then, his doctor added metolazone for only 2 days a week. It was a real balancing act! However, this combination of medication is working and he lost 30 lbs of water weight (yes, 30) in 6 weeks. My husband has an unusual medical case but maybe a change in medication might help you, too. Good luck!

I take Torsemide and it’s working much better for me than Lasix was.

I guess all our stories are different. Mine is lengthy. Im 88 years old and was extremely active till 3 months ago when I suffered shortness of breath on an easy hike for me. Doc started treatment for COPD. after 3 weeks no improvement so I went to a different doc who upped the dosage for COPD. 3 weeks later different doctor ordered an EKG which showed I had a silent heart attack. Saw Cardiologist on Feb 6. After test put me on drugs which helped for a day. Feb 8 I had a major heart attack.

Had Coronary Angiogram with Catherization which showed 99% blockage on Right artery and 95% blockage on Left side. Back to room where Cardiologist informed us I was in a bad way. Three choices, Open heart which we turned down Catherization to attempt treatment .One blockage was right next to heart entry and another required putting in a tee.They had a team in place so they gave us 45 minutes to say good bye. Chances of survival was not great. I was on a temporary pump to keep me alive for a few days.

Last choice was do nothing and I would die in a few days.
My family, and I reluctantly agreed to the Catherization. 6 hours on the table for the procedure and I was aware of what was happening all the time. I think I was partly sedated. Anyway here I am after roto rooting with three stents and on several drugs . A few of them to make me pee which is a problem because I was incontinent befor. I am walking around a lot but I get very little sleep.

Lady had a question about belly. Ive had it for years and my daughter said I ate too much bread. Couldn't get rid of the belly. Was a heart problem symptom which I never knew. The water drugs seem to be working because I am shedding a few lbs each day Unsure if the belly will disappear. Chances are no because at 88 how much time do I have left. Hope my post makes sense and someone may get help from it. By the way I never had any pain even though my heart was probably bad for years. Only pain was when they were trying to push an Heomothoma back into the Groin Artery.

Blood pressure needs to run in an optimal and restricted range. Over that, you get kidney problems, optical nerve degeneration....it's just not good. If the BP is too low, the kidneys can't do their job to filter your blood and you produce too much ADH (anti-diuretic hormone) which keeps your fluids and electrolytes in the restricted range that THEY'RE supposed to be in. Bottom line, your body is a conglomeration of specialized cells that agree to work together to keep you upright and smiling. Those various cells comprise a 'system', in the true sense of that complicated concept. Systems must be in balance. When one component goes missing, or is running poorly, it affects several other components, and almost always not in a complementary way.
The term for the accumulation of fluids in the abdomen is properly called 'ascites'. Pronounced (sorry) ass -SITE-eez. A sure sign that either the heart, or the kidneys, or regrettably both, are not working well is ascites, although it can also be the endocrine system (all those important hormones that regulate our bodies, including ADH that I mentioned).
Some of you reading may recall, if it ever happened, that your cardiologist had you up on the examination table and asked to listen to your chest, and then had you lie on your back. In my case, he lifted my trouser cuff to bare my ankle and lower leg and poked my tissue there. He was looking for swelling in the lower extremities which is an easy tell-tale for cardiac deficiency, among other problems.
It's no wonder we need to have specialists in all these fields. After getting a medical degree, there are years ahead specializing in what is essentially yet another PhD!

I appreciate that detailed explanation. I recently saw a photo of a friend who has severe ascites. I wasn’t aware they had liver problems, but now realize it could be any number of things causing it.