Cheney released after brief hospital stay
(AP)
Updated: 2006-01-10 09:12

Medication that Dick Cheney was taking for a foot problem caused fluid retention that in turn caused shortness of breath, resulting in a brief but not serious hospital stay early Monday for the US vice president, his office said.

Cheney was taken to George Washington University Hospital at 3 a.m. EST. About four and a half hours later, he headed for home — walking out of the hospital without the use of a cane and carrying coffee and a newspaper. By mid-afternoon, the vice president was at the White House attending meetings and following his regular schedule, Cheney spokeswoman Lea Anne McBride said.

"He's feeling well," she said.

US Vice President Dick Cheney leaves George Washington University Hospital, Monday Jan. 9, 2006, in Washington.[AP]

The 64-year-old vice president has a long history of mostly heart-related health problems — four heart attacks, though none since he became vice president in 2001; quadruple bypass surgery to clear clogged arteries; two artery-clearing angioplasties; and an operation to implant a pacemaker. But doctors determined from an unchanged EKG, or electrocardiogram, that the shortness of breath was related instead to anti-inflammatory drugs he was taking for a foot problem, McBride said.

Despite repeated requests for information, it took more than six hours after the vice president left the hospital for his office to provide details on the foot ailment, described as a recurring problem that forced him to use a cane on Friday and was the source of Monday's trouble.

Cheney has been diagnosed as having tendinitis that occasionally causes pain in his left heel. But doctors have different opinions about occasional inflammation the vice president also experiences in the joint of the big toe of his left foot, McBride said.

Some doctors suggest it could be gout, though Cheney doesn't suffer from the intense bouts of discomfort that are the hallmark of the painful condition often associated with rich diets. Other doctors say osteoarthritis is the cause, McBride said. A medical statement in 2000 said Cheney had suffered several minor episodes of gout of the foot.

The foot condition was not related to surgery Cheney had last September to repair aneurysms behind both of his knees, said McBride.

Aides would never say which medication the vice president had been taking for the pain.

But a side effect of commonly used anti-inflammatory drugs — both over-the-counter and prescription — is fluid retention, which can cause swelling and shortness of breath and strain the heart muscle.

Cheney was placed on a diuretic at the hospital and recovered, McBride said. Dr. Stuart Seides, the associate cardiology director at Washington Hospital Center, said the vice president should suffer no lasting harm from the episode. He did not treat Cheney.

"His health is good," said President Bush, who was notified of Cheney's hospitalization early Monday morning and spoke with the vice president by phone after his release.

Cheney began a daily exercise program in 2000 and started eating healthier. He quit smoking in 1978 and takes medication to lower his cholesterol.

Bush's press secretary, Scott McClellan, bluntly said that the president was "absolutely" not considering replacing Cheney because of the vice president's health issues.