4 leaky valves and mild stenois

[char2mar]

Hi I am new to this site. My sister posted a message yesterday about us. Congential Valve Disease in Twins. (something along those lines) I replied to her message with a lenthy history of both her and my problems. Basically I have a bicuspid aortic valve with moderately severe aortic regurgitation and mild stenosis. My peak velosity at the aotic valve is 251 cm and the peak gradient across the valve is 27 mmHG, the mean is 13 mmHG. I have stronger than usual venticular contractions. I have mild mitral reguritation and trace regurgitation in both my pulmonary and tricuspid valves. The echo showed that I do not have an enlarged left ventricle or hypertrophy yet. I was refered to a cardiologist who claimed that the chest pain and fatigue I was experiencing was caused by pericarditis and he put me on anti inflammatory drugs. He said he couldn't believe the echo results and before he decides to cut my heart open he wants to do and echo in his office and a stress test. That is to be done in Febuary. I started to experience chest pain in Nov of 2004. I also am experiencing SOB with mild exsertion. Dizzy spells and alot of palpitations. I am extremely fatigued and by the end of my work day my chest feels heavy and tight. I feel like I have bronchitis. It hurts to breath. The pain is in the center of my chest and I feel it right to my back between my shoulder blades. I can't sleep at night because I have a very loud heart beat and I can hear it beating in my ears. Sometimes when I walk up a flite of stairs I can hear my heart pounding away. Since I work in a Medical Lab I an able to perform EKG's on myself. I went from having a fairly normal EKG to having LVH in a months time. Quite often I have Bigiminy arrythimia (supraventricular) and I have had bouts of both tachycardia and bradycardia. Is there anyone out there that has these symptoms and what do you suggest I do? It has taken all my might not to rush off to the emergency ward when I have been having bad bouts of angina. Judging by my echo report and by my symptons could it be possible that I am having an acute case of AR. Should I be seeking medical attention sooner or should I wait until I see the cardiologist in February??????? By the way, I never knew I had a valve problem until I had that echo in early December. How could I go 43 years without a Doctor picking up on it????????

Very confused

 

[Nancy]

My husband has had all of those symptoms at one time or another in his long and extensive cardiac and pulmonary history.

Have you discussed your chest pain with the cardiologist? That's certainly something that's very troubling. You know that chest pain should not be ignored, and you really should go to the ER with any chest pain, especially with known heart problems.

Your shortness of breath and dizzy spells with mild exertion is also troubling. What does the cardioogist have to say about that? I know you have valve problems of varying degrees, but aside from that, has the cardiologist checked you out for fluid retention-congestive heart failure? If that is present, it is possible that you could be made more comfortable while you wait for your tests to be done.

Various arrhythmias are also, unfortunately part and parcel of this whole scenario. My husband has had bouts of tachycardia and bradycardia. He now has a pacemaker which takes care of the bradycardia which was causing him to faint. But prior to getting the pacemaker, his cardiologist checked out things with a portable heart monitor.

It's good that you can check out things yourself with an EKG, but you know that they are very limited in what they can show. You are really in need of a heavy duty cardiac diagnostic workup with all the bells and whistles. It sounds as if the process will get started in Feb.

However, in the mean time, take things easy and if you get any more chest pains or extreme shortness of breath, please, please go to the Emergency Room and let them check you out thoroughly. No one can tell you whether these pains are life-threatening or not, and congestive heart failure can turn nasty rather quickly and some arrhythmias can be life-threatening. Be very careful with your situation. your heart is obviously stressed.

Also, start making a log of your symptoms--what you are feeling on a daily basis and what you are doing, eating, drinking while you are experiencing those symptoms. Make sure to date the pages. Bring this with you to your doctor's appt. Also before going to the appt. consolidate your symptoms to one page and give this to your doctor.

Take good care.

 

[char2mar]

Thanks for the advise.

Thanks for the advise.

Hi Nancy,

Thank you for your advise and I will certainly follow though with it. I am a good advocate for my childrens health but as for my own I usually ignore any symptons and hope that they go away. I do feel that my heart is stressed. The daily chest pain and the extreme fatigue is taking its toll on me. I am going to make a log of my episodes and bring them forth to the cardiologist. At this point I do not have much choice as to who I can see and when. Unlike the USA I can't just shop around for a new Doctor. In my neck of the woods there is a shortage of Doctors and a long waiting list to see a specialist. On Monday I am going to call and see if I can't get my appointment sooner, and perhaps then I will get some much needed answers and solutions. Thanks again for listening to my concerns. I hope all is well with your husbands health and yours too.

Take Care
Char.