I’m trying to understand something about my uncle’s treatment. He’s like a dad to me and it’s just me a sibling and our Aunt.
He is late 80s with heartfailure (diagnosed maybe 6/7 years ago and was told it was mild), he has mild Alzheimer’s and an enlarged prostate.He also has a pacemaker.
He’s not been doing too well recently. He was catheterised and he’s not taken too well to it.
My query is is about breathlessness that he has experienced for good number of years. Which we assume is to do with the hearfailure. In fact the doctors told us as much.
He has 1.25 of ramipril every day.
He also takes apixaban, Tamsulosin and furosemide. He takes something for Alzheimer’s too but I’m not sure what.
Can the rampiril not be increased to reduce the breathlessness?
Ive got no idea, but I just keep thinking in this day and age, surely there is something they can give him to help. So even if the rampiril doesn’t help it, isn’t there something else that can?
His O2 when monitored (they gave one of those finger machines at home) is always 96, 97, 98, 99. Even when he is short of breath.
He is overweight - he has a big stomach and always (last 25 years), has done. But he doesn’t move a lot because of the breathlessness.
I realise no one lives forever. And when the doctor came in a couple of weeks ago, they shared the Respect form with us to complete. (My uncle does not, under any circumstances, want to go into hospital). I’m not looking for s miracle, just for him to be comfortable.
He still, mostly, gets up, washes or showers with help and comes down stairs. Sometimes he does stay in bed. When down stairs, he mostly sits in a chair. He still chats about stuff on the tv and sometimes reads his newspaper. But he doesn’t go out (recent thing) and naps quite often. (He says he is shattered.) His eating and drinking is up and down.
Is there anything they can give for breathlessness? When we’ve mentioned it to GP, they haven’t suggested anything. More so looking at the whole person, iykwim, rather than treating a symptom. Cheers