DEAR DR. GOTT:
I am a 73-year-old male with heart and kidney failure. I am not on dialysis. I take Lasix. I was taking three 80 mg pills every day for quite some time. One day I suddenly could not urinate. The following day, the same thing so I went to the emergency room at my local hospital where I was catheterized. The doctor then told me I did not have a blockage and that he could find nothing wrong with my blood and urine tests. He told me upon release to reduce my Lasix to one and a half pills per day. A few days later, my ankles began to swell, so my kidney doctor put me back on two pills a day.
I am still unsure about what happened. Could taking three Lasix a day have caused this?
DEAR READER:
I do not believe that the Lasix was the cause of your unpleasant experience. More likely, you had bladder dysfunction due to urinary tract muscle contraction.
I assume that your “kidney doctor” is a nephrologist. You should review your problem with him or her. I would hope that the specialist can suggest ways of over coming the spasm if it occurs again.
To give you related information, I am sending you copies of my Health Reports “Bladder and Urinary Tract Infections” and “Kidney Disorders”. Other readers who would like copies should send a self-addressed, stamped number 10 envelope and $2 FOR EACH report to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title(s).
