My 73-year-old father underwent a left main coronary intervention in March with the support of an Impella pump. The procedure went well, and his medications were adjusted accordingly. However, since being discharged, he has been experiencing fatigue and weakness, which seems to be confirmed by his low blood pressure, fluctuating around 120 to 83 mmHg. Every day feels unpredictable, and we are wondering whether this is normal, especially since low blood pressure could mean that organs, particularly the heart, may not be adequately supplied.
Both his general practitioner and his cardiologist say that this is normal and caused by the medication, which is intentionally keeping his blood pressure low. An echocardiogram in April showed that everything is within a good range. Still, this persistent weakness does not seem sustainable.
My father has essentially lost his independence, as he does not feel safe leaving the house alone due to his fluctuating blood pressure and fear that something might happen.
We are therefore reaching out for advice and suggestions. Perhaps someone has been in a similar situation? Perhaps someone’s cardiologist adjusted certain medications differently to reduce side effects? Or maybe we are simply expecting too much too soon in terms of recovery, given that my father is no longer 50.
For reference, I have listed his medications along with their dosages. Since we are based in Europe and medication names differ internationally, I have included the corresponding American/Canadian names (active ingredients/brands):
Aldactone 25 mg → Spironolactone
Bisoprolol 2.5 mg → Zebeta
Clopidogrel 75 mg → Plavix
Euthyrox 50 mg → Levothyroxine
Jardiance 25 mg
Lixiana 60 mg → Edoxaban (Savaysa in the US)
Xelevia 100 mg → Sitagliptin (Januvia)
Atorvastatin 40 mg → Lipitor
Torasemide 5 mg → Demadex
Thank you very much in advance for any advice!