I'd like to consult any MDs or sufferers of congestive heart failure with edema?

My dilemna began with MASSIVE MI - large MI in inferior wall, as well as in apical, anterior & septal walls. MY ejection fraction is 50%. One year after car struck me, I suddenly swelled with painful pitting edema from waist downwards, abdomen swelled. I began to feel so weak and gasping for breath upon any walking or stair climbing. My creatinine, albumin, liver/kidney functions, TSH, lipids, & basic blood chem panel are all normal. Perfect glucose also. After many weeks of torsemide, lasix, & even Zaroxylyn, diuretic effects are nil. So now some 'Drs urge me to begin daily Digitalis & that this will resolve my edema and overcome the CHF. digitalis slows the heartbeat & gives it a slight boost- but how can this really compensate for massive scarring I now have in a damaged heart??
Can digioxin really restore heart's pumping action to normal or near-normal, like before the MI???? I doubt it, & digoxin is toxic. So have any of you lost ALL of your edema using it & CHF is OK ???

listen to this, around 3 years ago while eating a good meal I became really ill, eye dilating and not being able to bend my fingers, face so red and swollen that people around me thought I was dying, off to the ER which lab was drawn and blood gases taken, then my primary physician comes in and tell me that I have very little potassium and would need to get it thur IV, it took 76 bags over a 4 day period, after all of this on my discharge date, dr tell me that i have an eating disorder,NOT. I found a heart speacilist in which did the heart cath and due to my dr not doing the lab work to watch my level from all the mediciene he had me on for high blood pressure and swelling I now have CHF, I take alot of medication along with digixon and it only help regulate the heart beat, because one side is working harder to compensate for the damaged side. I wish you well, if you feel that your dr is not caring for you right get a second opinion!!!!!!!

http://heartsite.com/html/chf.html

(I'm not a doctor but here's some ideas to ask your doctor about.) If you are over age 65, your digoxin dose may need to be adjusted and you can have occasional bloodwork to monitor your digoxin level. No, dig can't fix the scarring, but it can help the working muscle pump more effectively and improve your EF. I have seen people's ejection fraction improve when taking this med. Also, ask your doctor if a biventricular pacemaker would help you. Biventricular pacemakers improve the symptoms of heart failure in about 50% of people that have been treated with medications but still have severe or moderately severe heart failure symptoms.

well digoxin is gonna increase the contractility of ur heart and might be able get rid of extra volume overload u have now but giving digoxin in pt with post myocardial infarction is controversial because scarrred hear doesnt contract and increase contraction of intervening normal heart muscle can put stress on scarred tissue . also digoxin can improve symptoms but doesnt improve survival. if i were ur doctor i would have recommended you ACE inhibitore.g lisinopril,or angiotensin 2 receptor antagonist e.g losartan and furosemide with spironolactone.salt and fluid restriction ofcourse is a must.