{"id":3716,"date":"2023-11-14T02:52:32","date_gmt":"2023-11-13T21:22:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adultserviceau.com.au\/blog\/signs-your-pah-treatment-isnt-working\/"},"modified":"2023-11-14T02:52:32","modified_gmt":"2023-11-13T21:22:32","slug":"signs-your-pah-treatment-isnt-working","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adultserviceau.com.au\/blog\/signs-your-pah-treatment-isnt-working\/","title":{"rendered":"Signs Your PAH Treatment Isn’t Working"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a form of pulmonary hypertension that causes the small arteries of your lungs to thicken and narrow. This can lead to high blood pressure in your lungs.<\/p>\n

While there\u2019s no cure for PAH, there are many treatment options that can help control your symptoms. It\u2019s important to work closely with the doctor to ensure your PAH treatment continues to work.<\/p>\n

\u201cTreatments range from medication all the way up to transplantation,\u201d says Richard N. Channick, MD, a pulmonologist at UCLA. Your treatment plan might include:<\/p>\n

Vasodilators.<\/strong> Blood vessel dilators, called vasodilators, help relax and open your narrowed blood vessels to help blood flow. Your doctor may give you treatment through an intravenous (IV) infusion, under the skin, as a pill, or through inhalation. With inhalation, you\u2019ll breathe in the medication through a machine called a nebulizer.<\/p>\n

Anticoagulant medications. <\/strong>These drugs can help prevent blood clots. The most common form is warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven).<\/p>\n

Diuretics. <\/strong>These are “water pills” that help get rid of extra fluid in your body.<\/p>\n

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Digoxin. <\/strong>This medication can help ease your symptoms, strengthen your heart muscle contractions, and slow down your heart rate.<\/p>\n

Oxygen treatment. <\/strong>With this therapy, you\u2019ll inhale air that has a higher concentration of oxygen than normal air.<\/p>\n

Surgery. <\/strong>In some cases, you may need surgery. There are a few different types, including pulmonary endarterectomy, balloon pulmonary angioplasty, atrial septostomy, and transplant.<\/p>\n

There are other treatments less commonly used for PAH as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have this big list of potential medications that we can choose from. Which medications we choose and how we use them is also a very important topic,\u201d Channick says.<\/p>\n

The main goal of treatment is to ease symptoms and slow the progression of your condition. If your PAH seems to be getting worse, you may need to explore new treatment options.<\/p>\n

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How Can You Tell if Your PAH Treatment Is Effective?<\/h2>\n

\u201cIt doesn’t matter as much how you are at day one; it’s really how you’re responding to therapies that will determine how you’ll do long term,\u201d Channick says. There are a few different ways to measure the success of someone\u2019s PAH treatment:<\/p>\n

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Functional class. <\/strong>Doctors may simply ask how you\u2019re feeling with the current form of treatment. They\u2019ll have you rate your symptoms on a scale, which experts refer to as a functional class.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe functional class ranges from one to four. One being the [person] has no limitations to activity, four means they get symptomatic even at rest or with minimal exertion, and two or three being in between,\u201d Channick says. \u201cTheir functional class can help us determine how they’re going to do and whether they need additional therapy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Exercise capacity. <\/strong>\u201cWe can measure that using what we call the \u20186-minute walk\u2019 test, or how far a patient can walk up and down a hallway in 6 minutes. It’s a pretty strong measure of how a patient is doing,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Other tests. <\/strong>\u201cThen we have things that we measure more directly, such as blood tests, an echocardiogram to look at how the right ventricle is functioning, or in some cases, even doing a repeat heart catheterization,\u201d says Channick.<\/p>\n

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No matter which method your care team uses, it\u2019s important to check in with your doctor to let them know how you\u2019re doing. Every 3 to 4 months is ideal. Don\u2019t wait until you think your condition has gotten worse. It\u2019s easier for them to determine your risk level with regular appointments and tests.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s important that you come in regularly, regardless of the presence or absence of symptoms,\u201d says Channick. \u201cWe have many examples of [people] who felt like they were doing pretty well, but maybe they weren’t doing as well as they thought.\u201d<\/p>\n

Symptoms don\u2019t always tell the whole story, but it\u2019s still important to pay attention to how you\u2019re feeling.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you noticing a decrease in you exercise tolerance? For example, things you could do a month ago, you\u2019re now no longer able to do,\u201d Channick says.<\/p>\n

Weight changes are another potential warning sign.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the problems with PAH that isn\u2019t responding to treatment is fluid retention. It may not always be apparent. People hide fluid in places they can’t even see,\u201d Channick says. \u201cGetting regular weight checks may help us prevent a real problem or even a need for hospitalization.\u201d<\/p>\n

Your treatment may also not be working well if you notice other symptoms, like:<\/p>\n