M
MarciaB
Katie,
I'm a mitral patient also, and have had the same experience with echos and caths giving varied results. 2 1/2 years ago I started feeling suddenly much worse, SOB, chest pain, etc. My old cardio did an echo, the report said moderate regurg, valve 1.3 cm. I changed cardios after the old one told me that maybe it was in my head, not my heart.
New cardio did a cath. NO regurg on the cath. He then ordered another echo this time with treadmill before to look for cardiomypathy. This echo showed moderate to severe regurg. He was stunned and showed it to several other docs in the practice and they concured. He followed me afterward with treadmills and echos. I was given increased doses of Cozaar and then also Norvasc to lower BP and help the valve work better. Echos showed moderate regurg during this time, valve opening stable around 1.2 cm.
Last echo in the summer showed the same but I was losing the ability to do the normal things in my life. We talked about surgery in the winter. In Oct. I called to tell him to move surgery up because of insurance reasons. I continued to feel worse and worse. Finally we did another cath in Nov., this one with me doing hand weights. He started finding almost the same results as two years ago. Then they put me on the weights and the pressures went through the roof. I seems that my valve got really sloppy under pressure, but did OK at rest. Valve area measured 1.87 cm.
I think the first cath was influenced by him starting me on Cozaar the week before, which did make me feel much better. I think if we had done the weights at the first cath, he would have seen the regurg then.
Most cardios don't see that many mitral patients. Sometimes it's just a matter of doing the right test to fiqure out what's going on. You have to go by how you feel and insist that they listen, even with the echos and TEE's, they don't always see what's really happening.
Marcia
MVR Dec. 2003
I'm a mitral patient also, and have had the same experience with echos and caths giving varied results. 2 1/2 years ago I started feeling suddenly much worse, SOB, chest pain, etc. My old cardio did an echo, the report said moderate regurg, valve 1.3 cm. I changed cardios after the old one told me that maybe it was in my head, not my heart.
New cardio did a cath. NO regurg on the cath. He then ordered another echo this time with treadmill before to look for cardiomypathy. This echo showed moderate to severe regurg. He was stunned and showed it to several other docs in the practice and they concured. He followed me afterward with treadmills and echos. I was given increased doses of Cozaar and then also Norvasc to lower BP and help the valve work better. Echos showed moderate regurg during this time, valve opening stable around 1.2 cm.
Last echo in the summer showed the same but I was losing the ability to do the normal things in my life. We talked about surgery in the winter. In Oct. I called to tell him to move surgery up because of insurance reasons. I continued to feel worse and worse. Finally we did another cath in Nov., this one with me doing hand weights. He started finding almost the same results as two years ago. Then they put me on the weights and the pressures went through the roof. I seems that my valve got really sloppy under pressure, but did OK at rest. Valve area measured 1.87 cm.
I think the first cath was influenced by him starting me on Cozaar the week before, which did make me feel much better. I think if we had done the weights at the first cath, he would have seen the regurg then.
Most cardios don't see that many mitral patients. Sometimes it's just a matter of doing the right test to fiqure out what's going on. You have to go by how you feel and insist that they listen, even with the echos and TEE's, they don't always see what's really happening.
Marcia
MVR Dec. 2003
Haven't seen vomiting before, but stomach discomfort and loss of appetite I saw listed somewhere.
