Tracleer and PPH Other Alternative Treatments Unfortunately there is no cure for primary pulmonary hypertension. However, aside from the prescription medications mentioned, there are some treatments that have been found to relieve some of the symptoms of primary pulmonary hypertension and slow the progression of PPH. You may want to ask your doctor about them:
• Oxygen is a drug that can be used at home and can often help relieve some of the symptoms of difficult breathing. It is also known to relax the muscles in the arteries of the lungs, which will lower the pressures in the pulmonary arteries.
• Calcium channel blockers such as nifedipine can relax the muscles in blood vessel walls and thereby help with the function of the right side of the heart. Unfortunately it also tends to decrease the blood pressure in the entire cardiovascular system, which is sometimes not well tolerated.
• Diuretics such as Lasix are used to get rid of excess fluid in the body. These drugs must be used carefully, however, because if a patient gets too dehydrated, the poorly functioning right ventricle will not be able to pump out even a small amount of blood to the lungs and the patient will have severe problems with oxygenation.
• Prostacycline is an investigational drug being used in some centers. It has been shown to dilate the blood vessels of the lungs and decrease the resistance to blood flow. It is one of the more effective drugs available at this time for PPH. Unfortunately it can only be given as a continuous infusion via an intravenous line. For patients that have demonstrated a response to this drug by cardiac catheterization, it can be given at home through a permanent IV placed in a big vein.
• Inhaled nitric oxide is a relatively new drug that has been shown to relax the blood vessels in the lungs without having any effect on the blood vessels of the rest of the body. It is used in the inpatient setting and has recently been approved by the FDA for treatment for pulmonary hypertension. In rare cases it can be used as a home regimen, though it needs to be on continuously and is very bulky and difficult to manage.
• Sildenafil is a new investigational drug used in combination with inhaled Nitric Oxide that further decreases pulmonary artery pressures and allows inhaled Nitric Oxide to be stopped without difficulty. Sildenafil is an oral medication that is used chronically, and ongoing studies are evaluating its efficacy in children with congenital heart disease.
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