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Guest
Hi! My name is Angela and I was diagnosed with "mild to moderate" AS when I was in elementary school. I am now 35 and have just started experiencing some symptoms that are scary to me (racing heart at times, fatigue, brief episodes of light-headedness and mild angina). I have several questions, though, so please answer one or any of them! I truly appreciate EVERYTHING I hear from others' experiences.
1. My valve is measuring at 1.59 (via a TEE) right now, so not in the severe category. However, the pressure gradient is at 44, which is apparently considered severe. I went for a stress test after the TEE and it measured at 56 (pre-exercise and with not the greatest equipment). My cardiologist said I am in a gray area for surgery, but I visited with the surgeon and he said it is time considering the symptoms I’m experiencing. My question is: is it relatively normal to have the valve replacement based more or less on pressure gradient alone? I’m more than ready given the way I feel, but I just wanted to hear perspectives from others.
2. Have any of you experienced an inability to sleep despite major fatigue. I feel like I’ve been hit by a train some days and others are relatively fine. But what’s strange is that even though I feel like I could collapse from the tired feeling, I just can’t sleep until night rolls around and only for about 8 hours, if that. Has anyone else experienced this? In general, I don’t think I’m experiencing a terrible amount of anxiety or anything else that would cause it, but it seems strange.
3. At what point should I go to the ER for chest pain? I occasionally feel a twinge now and then, and it even extends into my shoulder or sometimes into my arm. It’s very mild and I know that’s a symptom of AS. When do I get concerned enough to visit the ER (considering I plan to have surgery within the next month or so)?
4. Which leads to my next question. I have chronic sinus infections (as in, monthly) despite a balloon surgery last year. My cardiologist said I should get any surgeries for this done before the AVR because I shouldn’t be having any surgeries afterward. Is that true? No more surgeries for life unless it’s life-threatening? I’m going to have the 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] sinus surgery first just because the surgeon says it should be done so that we don’t risk infection during the heart surgery, but this worries me a bit because I’ve already had one sinus surgery that wasn’t particularly effective. What if I need another at some point?
5. Lastly. . . medication. The cardiologist put me on metoprolol for my racing heart. But I’ve read on some sites that it’s contraindicated for those with AS because it can actually contribute to heart failure in this case due to the fact it also lowers blood pressure. I already have relatively low blood pressure and the metoprolol causes light-headedness. He changed the medication, but I decided never to start it – made me too nervous as it increased the light-headedness symptom. Thoughts on this?
TIA for ALL your experiences!!!!
1. My valve is measuring at 1.59 (via a TEE) right now, so not in the severe category. However, the pressure gradient is at 44, which is apparently considered severe. I went for a stress test after the TEE and it measured at 56 (pre-exercise and with not the greatest equipment). My cardiologist said I am in a gray area for surgery, but I visited with the surgeon and he said it is time considering the symptoms I’m experiencing. My question is: is it relatively normal to have the valve replacement based more or less on pressure gradient alone? I’m more than ready given the way I feel, but I just wanted to hear perspectives from others.
2. Have any of you experienced an inability to sleep despite major fatigue. I feel like I’ve been hit by a train some days and others are relatively fine. But what’s strange is that even though I feel like I could collapse from the tired feeling, I just can’t sleep until night rolls around and only for about 8 hours, if that. Has anyone else experienced this? In general, I don’t think I’m experiencing a terrible amount of anxiety or anything else that would cause it, but it seems strange.
3. At what point should I go to the ER for chest pain? I occasionally feel a twinge now and then, and it even extends into my shoulder or sometimes into my arm. It’s very mild and I know that’s a symptom of AS. When do I get concerned enough to visit the ER (considering I plan to have surgery within the next month or so)?
4. Which leads to my next question. I have chronic sinus infections (as in, monthly) despite a balloon surgery last year. My cardiologist said I should get any surgeries for this done before the AVR because I shouldn’t be having any surgeries afterward. Is that true? No more surgeries for life unless it’s life-threatening? I’m going to have the 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] sinus surgery first just because the surgeon says it should be done so that we don’t risk infection during the heart surgery, but this worries me a bit because I’ve already had one sinus surgery that wasn’t particularly effective. What if I need another at some point?
5. Lastly. . . medication. The cardiologist put me on metoprolol for my racing heart. But I’ve read on some sites that it’s contraindicated for those with AS because it can actually contribute to heart failure in this case due to the fact it also lowers blood pressure. I already have relatively low blood pressure and the metoprolol causes light-headedness. He changed the medication, but I decided never to start it – made me too nervous as it increased the light-headedness symptom. Thoughts on this?
TIA for ALL your experiences!!!!
