🫀Taken Off Diuretics at 69: Why the News Felt So Big
- maryrburrell
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
Why good medical news can still feel scary when you’ve lived through heart failure
Friday, I walked into my cardiology follow-up feeling pretty confident.
I’ve been feeling really good.
Like… good-good.
More energy.
More good days than hard ones.
That stretch where you finally start to exhale and think,
“Okay… maybe we’re steady.”
So I expected a normal appointment.
Maybe a “keep doing what you’re doing.”
Maybe a small adjustment.
But what I heard instead?
I was not ready for it.
The Moment Everything Shifted
My cardiologist took me off my diuretic.
Let me say that again, because I still feel strange typing it:
He took me off the bumetanide diuretic — and I’ve been on diuretics almost all my adult life.
I’m 69 years old.
Bumetanide diuretic medication has been part of my survival routine.
Part of my normal.
Part of how I stayed afloat.
Why This Hit Me So Hard
If you’ve ever lived with fluid issues, swelling, or that scary feeling of your body holding onto what it shouldn’t — you don’t forget.
Diuretics aren’t just a pill.
They’re a security blanket with a prescription label.
So when a doctor says,
“You don’t need this right now,”
your brain doesn’t always hear progress.
Sometimes your brain hears:
• Are we sure?
• What if it comes back?
• What if I miss the warning signs?
Why I Didn’t Expect This
After years — decades — of managing heart disease, you start to believe some things are permanent.
You expect:
• managing
• coping
• adjusting
You don’t expect to hear,
“We can stop something.”
That’s not the script most heart patients are handed.
Why It Was So Shocking
Because it challenged my identity as a patient.
For years, I’ve watched sodium, swelling, weight, symptoms — everything.
Removing one of your “tools” feels like walking out the door without your keys.
Even if the sun is shining.
Even if you feel strong.
Even if the doctor has good reasons.
It’s still shocking.
The Part No One Talks About
Sometimes good news triggers fear.
Fear isn’t logical.
Fear is memory.
Your body remembers the hard seasons.
Your nervous system remembers what it took to survive.
So when something changes — even for the better — your system says:
“Hold on. This is new. New can be dangerous.”
A Quick Clarification (Because It Matters)
Yes, I still take eplerenone.
It’s sometimes labeled a diuretic, but it’s not the kind that aggressively pulls fluid off your body like bumetanide and metalozone did.
It doesn’t send me running to the bathroom.
It doesn’t strip electrolytes.
It doesn’t control swelling the same way.
What it does do is protect my heart.
In simple terms:
I’m no longer on emergency, fluid-dumping diuretics.
What I take now is maintenance and protection.
And that difference matters.
What I’m Doing Now
I’m following the plan.
I’m listening to my body like I always have.
And I’m reminding myself of this:
• This could be a sign of strength
• This could mean my heart is doing better
• This could be progress I didn’t think I’d see at 69
I’m still processing it. Still a little stunned.
But I’m also grateful.
Because being taken off a medication you thought you’d need forever? That’s not only a medical change, that’s a psychological milestone.
And if you’ve ever been there — you know exactly what I mean.
🔗 Share & Connect
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