30 yo male, BAV (4.2), chest pain and forceful heart beats

[Faithinfuture82]

Hi all.

Three months ago I came down with what appears to be a viral illness of some kind causing a variety of symptoms including drenching night sweats and, eventually, chest pains and a forceful heartbeat. The symptoms seem to come and go and the cause, despite dozens of blood tests and several visits to specialists, is still unknown. One specialist heard a murmur and ordered an echocardiogram which discovered a bicuspid aortic valve dilated to 4.2 and ascending aorta 4.0. Im 30, 6'2 and weigh about 200 pounds

The echo showed no stenosis, "trivial" regurgitation and no sign of endocarditis. My ESR sedimentation rate was 0 and the blood culture I've had done came back negative. Doctors suspect a viral cause. What has me worried the most is that when I start to feel like I'm heading into a sick phase (which usually lasts 3-5 days) I start experiencing very forceful heartbeats for several days on end. By forceful I mean that I can feel my upper body sway slightly from each beat and I can often hear the sound of my heart without plugging my ears. This is a mew phenomenon for me. I've never had any heart complaints prior to this illness which began 3 months ago.

Obviously I'm concerned about what this virus, if it is a virus, is doing to my dilated aorta and valve. I would like to know if anyone has experienced a similar situation. Also, is dilation ever temporary (i.e. due to temporary inflammation) or is it always permanent (I.e., once a 4.2, always a 4.2... or more) ?

Thanks for reading and for maintaining this helpful website

 

[pgammo]

This is how I am currently. I am 25 years old and have those same symptoms, but am mostly asymptomatic. A few doctors recommended surgery, so I will be having an AVR this coming Friday. I hope you get some answers soon, and I am sorry I couldn't help.

 

[Roxx]

This is how I am currently. I am 25 years old and have those same symptoms, but am mostly asymptomatic. A few doctors recommended surgery, so I will be having an AVR this coming Friday. I hope you get some answers soon, and I am sorry I couldn't help.

PETER...I am impressed by your matter of fact attitude about Friday. You seem as nonchalant about it like you were taking out the trash. I am sure everything will go perfect.

 

[valdab]

Oddly enough I suffered a similar occurrence a few weeks before I was diagnosed (aged 52) with BAV. The night sweats were an ongoing thing with menopause and dodgy thyroid but one evening I developed an aching chest and pounding heart. Various blood tests, EKG's and Echos showed nothing (and even my BAV wasn't picked up then) but they did say my Trop T was slightly elevated. At first pericarditis was suggested (then discounted) and eventually amidst much shrugging of shoulders they thought it was a touch of myocarditis.

Subsequently I saw a cardiac consultant who ran some tests, discovered BAV and seemed on the fence about the myocarditis. About a year later I had an attack of shingles on my face. I barely had a rash, but the pain was there alright. I've had a couple of further attacks since and I now wonder if the pain I had in my chest, was in fact, shingles. I did find a link online that said the inflammation from shingles could raise one's Trop T.
Don't suppose it's relevant to you, but I thought I'd share it.

 

[Jazzbeat]

I am 39 and had severe aortic regurgitation. A completely blown aortic valve. Heart was 7.7 centimeters and growing..Never had a symptom. After the surgery I realized I did have alot of fatigue and no endurance. Thank goodness I had the surgery because it changed my perspective on everything and I feel better than I have in 5 yrs. hope the same for you.