My father was diagnosed with CHF 2 years ago. Several months later he was diagnosed as diabetic. He takes lasix to get rid the fluid and glipizide which retains fluid. He has been "smothering" for the past few months, gets about an hour of sleep a night and the edema in his feet and legs getting worse and worse. He has been to the ER twice in the past few months and was sent home after a few hours each time, with nothing being done for him. Last time he was told that his condition was manageable at home and just to double his lasix dosage. This is obviously not working as he is getting worse every day. Why won't they drain the fluid at the hospital? Is there any way that his family doctor could order that he be admitted to have the fluid drained? I'm feeling at the end of my wits.

I'm sorry to hear of your father's troubles. Congestive Heart Failure is a serious disease with poor prognosis for many patients.

Removing the fluid with diuretics is only part of the treatment for your father. Giving him more lasix is a short-term treatment that won't have lasting effects.

Your father may need to be on a better diet with fluid restrictions (1 liter/day) and very low salt diet. How many milligrams of salt does he consume each day? Is he keeping track of the sodium. Is his blood sugar well controlled?

Medications are not a replacement for these hard tasks.

A cardiac rehab program may let him feel better, but may not alter his life expectancy.