How pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) may affect you

If you're like most newly diagnosed PAH patients, you may be feeling confused or uncertain. Before we address the next few questions, a reminder: The best way to get answers about managing your PAH is to talk with your healthcare team. Only your doctor and the other members of your healthcare team are familiar with your case history, so only they are qualified to give the best advice for you.

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 severe. As the disease progresses, you may experience increased breathlessness and fatigue, so that even walking short distances can become difficult. Symptoms of PAH can include:

Breathlessness or shortness of breath (dyspnea)
Feeling tired all the time (chronic fatigue)
Dizziness, especially when climbing stairs or upon standing up
Fainting (syncope), often the symptom that gets people to see their doctors
Swollen ankles and legs (edema)
Chest pain, especially during physical activity (angina)

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 therapy in the last decade. There are effective treatments that may improve some symptoms.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Because of the risks associated with Tracleer, this medication may be prescribed only by your doctor 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 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 or cyclosporine-A because they may increase your chance of side effects.

Please see full Prescribing Information, including BOXED WARNING and Medication Guide.