If you're like most newly diagnosed pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients, you may be
overwhelmed. Feelings of shock or uncertainty are common. At the same
time, you probably have questions about PAH.
It is important that you understand your disease and how to live with it.
You may need to adapt in a number of ways by making lifestyle changes and adjustments.
The best way to get answers about managing PAH is to talk with your healthcare team. Your healthcare
team is most familiar with your medical case history, and
they are most qualified to give you the best advice.
What can I expect to feel if I have PAH?
PAH symptoms are caused by both a lack of oxygen due to narrowed blood vessels in the lungs and
increased stress on the heart. These symptoms may not be obvious at first, but over time they can
become more limiting.
Symptoms of PAH may include
1*:
- Breathlessness or shortness of breath (dyspnea),
the most common symptom
- Chronic fatigue (feeling tired all the time)
- Dizziness, especially when climbing stairs or when standing up
- Fainting (syncope)
- Swollen ankles and legs (edema)
- Chest pain, especially during physical activity (angina)
Without treatment, patients may experience increased breathlessness, so that even walking
short distances may become difficult.
2
What else can I expect?
While no physician has a crystal ball that can accurately predict how your disease will progress in the
long run, a great deal has changed for the better in PAH treatment in the last decade. There are
effective treatments that may improve some of the symptoms of PAH.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Because of the risks associated with Tracleer, this medication may be prescribed by your doctor only
through the Tracleer Access Program.
Liver damage: Tracleer can cause serious liver damage, including in rare cases liver
failure and, in situations with regular liver testing, unexplained liver cirrhosis. So you must have a
blood test to check your liver function before you start Tracleer and each month after that. Call your
doctor right away if you have any of these symptoms of liver problems: nausea, vomiting, fever, unusual
tiredness, abdominal (stomach area) pain, or yellowing of the skin or the whites of your eyes (jaundice).
Serious birth defects: Tracleer is very likely to cause serious birth defects. It is
important not to be or to become pregnant while taking Tracleer or one month after stopping treatment
and to have a pregnancy test before you start the drug and each month thereafter. It is very important
for you to use reliable forms of birth control while taking Tracleer. Hormonal contraceptives should
not be used alone because they may not be effective in patients taking Tracleer.
Do not take Tracleer with glyburide because it may increase your chance of liver injury. Do
not take Tracleer with cyclosporine-A because it may increase your chance of side effects.
Please see
Additional Safety Information.
Please see full
Prescribing Information, including
BOXED WARNING and
Medication Guide.
REFERENCE:
- Barst, RJ, McGoon M, Torbicki A, et al. Diagnosis and differential assessment of pulmonary arterial hypertension. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2004;43(Suppl S):40S–47S.
- McLaughlin VV. ACCF/AHA 2009 expert consensus document on pulmonary hypertension. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2009;53:1573-619.
