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Follow-up

If you have congestive heart failure, you will need frequent, regular medical attention to adjust your medications and watch for side effects. Schedule regular visits with your health care provider as he or she recommends because congestive heart failure is a serious medical condition that requires constant monitoring. Educate yourself as much as possible about this life-threatening condition.

• Establish a daily routine for taking medication properly and on schedule.
  
  
• Weigh in daily. Every morning, record the weight in a diary, and take it to the health care provider every visit. An accurate bathroom scale is helpful in monitoring weight gain or loss from day to day. This will help to see fluid retention.
  
  
• Keep a list of all medications, with the exact name and dose, and know why each one is taken. Bring them to each follow-up visit so the doctor can double check to make sure you are on the correct medication and dose.
  
  
• Reminder boxes for medications are helpful.
  
  
• Be sure to keep all these medications away from small children who may accidentally swallow them. Many of the drugs prescribed for congestive heart failure are more dangerous in overdose than other medications.