Figuring out symptoms

[Ashley]

Hi Everyone,
I have an echo scheduled for next Monday, and an appt. with my cardio. I am trying to figure out whether or not I am experiencing any symptoms yet (as I know that will be there #1 question). Currently I am walking about 45 mins a day on a treadmill, at about 3 mph with a level 3 incline (not sure what that means). My heartrate is between 110 and 120. This does not make me feel tired. However, when I walk up a flight of stairs, my heart feels like it is working very hard - and it makes me tired. Not to the point where I'd have to rest, but I am aware of the strain. Do you think this is symptomatic of the aortic valve stenosis, or a result of my not doing any real cardio training for the last year. I don't think I used to get tired walking up stairs - but I wasn't thinking about it, so it's hard to know. I also from time to time experience a very strange pain in my back - usually on my left side near my shoulder blade. Not sure if that is some kind of pinched nerve or what is going on, but I haven't read anything about that being a symptom. This doesn't happen during exertion, but rather usually when I am sitting or in bed lying down (it has woken me up in the night before). Other than that, I think I feel symptom free. I had a treadmill stress test last July (2005) which came back normal.
Do you think these are symptoms? Any thoughts?
Thanks so much for any advice.
Ashley

 

[strawberry]

Hi Ahsley

I'll be curious to see responses to this because I always wondered about "shortness of breath upon exercise." Aren't you supposed to get short of breath when you exercise? Isn't that what aerobic means? Or does SOB mean you're so winded you can't speak or recover for a while? Cause I can do an elliptical for 30 minutes but then just getting ready for work, up and down stairs, rushing around, I get more winded than I think I should. I think I read somewhere that some of it had to do with the fact that when you walk or jog, you're using and conditioning large muscles made for work and the conditioning lessens the SOB. I hope someone can clear this up for both of us!!

 

[Georgia]

Think real closely about what made you short of breath a couple of years ago; could you run up stairs then? Carry something heavy? The sneaky part about valve failure is that it's so slow and stealthy! I cut down on activities gradually, ascribing my increasing intolerance to activities to age and weight. You shouldn't be out of breath going up one flight of stairs, and your heart shouldn't pound.

The following was posted by our PappaHappyStar on another thread:

"The difference between climbing stairs and walking ( even quite briskly ) is the difference in power output ( energy used in equivalent time intervals ) -- both sliding friction and the gravitational force ( weight ) increase proportionally with mass but the constant of proportionality is ( say ) about an order of magnitude ( factor of 10 ) different so you would have to walk around 10 times faster than you climb in order to expend the same amount of energy in equal time.

If you climb 3 meters in 10 seconds by stair you would be going at 3 meters per second walking ~ 10 km/hr ( 10 min per mile ) which is a trot."

Explains why you have trouble climbing stairs but are OK walking, particularly on a treadmill.

I went to the doc when I couldn't walk from the parking lot to the office without stopping to catch my breath - 3 times (the lot was just across the street from the office). Don't need to hit ME over the head! HAHAHA

Have any problems with your eyes (dark spots, migraine auras)? Cramps in your back? There are a lot of weird, seemingly unconnected things that afflict valvers.

Good luck.

 

[Ashley]

Think real closely about what made you short of breath a couple of years ago; could you run up stairs then? Carry something heavy? The sneaky part about valve failure is that it's so slow and stealthy! I cut down on activities gradually, ascribing my increasing intolerance to activities to age and weight. You shouldn't be out of breath going up one flight of stairs, and your heart shouldn't pound.

I went to the doc when I couldn't walk from the parking lot to the office without stopping to catch my breath - 3 times (the lot was just across the street from the office). Don't need to hit ME over the head! HAHAHA

Have any problems with your eyes (dark spots, migraine auras)? Cramps in your back? There are a lot of weird, seemingly unconnected things that afflict valvers.

Good luck.

Hi Georgia,
Thanks for your response. I think that a few years ago - I could walk up a flight of stairs without feeling it. More than being out of breath, I feel a strain/sensation in my chest. My breathing seems okay. Interesting that you should mention the auras -- I have had those since highschool, so probably 10 years or so. They used to give me migraines, but now I just get them without the headaches. Do you think this is connected to my valve?? I get them at least once a month. Both the fuzzy bright lights in lines, as well as grey spots that will affect my sight. I also get insane cramps in my back - so badly that they will make me sweat. I have also had these for at least 10 years, and have gotten used to them so that although they are extremely painful, I know they will pass with time (usually last between 5 - 20 mins) although I had one that lasted almost an hour. Might this also be related?
Thanks,
Ashley

 

[Guest]

My dear friend Georgia nailed it when she wrote: "The sneaky part about valve failure is that it's so slow and stealthy!"

While I wasn't facing "valve failure", per se, the strength of my valve had weakened due to calcification and other issues by roughly mid-2002. By my 6-month checkup in November 2002, it was obvious to my cardiologist (NOT me) that something needed to be done. A stress test and other tests in December showed the valve needed to be replaced.

My cardiologist and the doctor who ran the stress test kept asking: "What symptoms are you having?" "Aren't you having any symptoms?"

My response to both of them was "No...none", which of course, astounded them. With the death of my grandmother in late October 2002 and a trend of me not being able to sleep much (a trend that sadly has risen again this week due to going back to work ... to a job I despise), I had written off my tiredness to "stress" and issues that went along with it.

Turns out ... the tiredness was really the valve saying, 'Hey dufus ... you need to get me replaced'. I DID feel better after my January 2003 surgery, until I had complications (irregular/too fast rhythms).

To this day, it is hard to distinguish "symptoms" from plain old "tiredness"/"stress".....



Cort, "Mr MC" / "Mr Road Trip", 32swm/pig valve/pacemaker
MC:family.IL.guide.future = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/
chdQB = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/quilt.html
"I can?t take anymore" ... 3rd Eye Blind ... 'How's It Going To Be'

 

[JohnnyV_46]

I don't know how long my valve was really slowing me down. After my surgery, I feel better than I have in at least 10 years so I guess I can say at least 10 years. For those knowing they have BAV and that they could have surgery when they wanted, don't wait! Go and get er' done ASAP!.
Sorry to hear your in a Job you Despise Cort. I worked one of those for 25 years. I'm going on 3 years self-employed. I own a Carpet Cleaning/ Janitorial company and I've been loving it.I understand the need to go back tho if its because of Insurance. If it weren't for my wife having good insurance on us, we'd be screwed.

 

[MikeHeim]

Sob

Sob

I don't know if other people are talking about shortness of breath the same way I do. As a very active youngster (two years ago), I would do vigorous exercise and be out of breath (heavy breathing, not being able to catch up). When I began having SOB from my mitral regurgitation, it was a totally different animal. Suddenly, a block or two after I would begin jogging, I would begin wheezing and not be able to take deep breaths. Very scary for someone who was a former marathon runner.

Not sure if this helps, but doing what I can...

 

[Gemma]

Ashley,

I'd tell your cardio about all the things you've just mentioned - the back pain, the weird sensation when you climb stairs, the auras - let him/her decide if they're heart-related. Better than not mentioning it because you're not sure if it's relevant.

My boyfriend Jim had like a stabbing pain in the left side of his chest when he was in bed for some time (he now tells me years but at the time only admitted he'd been getting it for a few months) before his BAV was diagnosed, and that was really his only symptom. The surgeon and his registrar were both pretty amazed he didn't have any other "classic" symptoms (in particular SOB).

It's good that you're doing all that walking, but sounds like anything involving more exertion is maybe affecting your heart. Good that you're getting it checked out. Like Johnny said, it sometimes isn't until you're fixed up that you realise you were in a bad way in the first place!

 

[Teresa UK]

It took me a long time to recognise my shortness of breath as a cause for concern. It was only when I realised I couldn't talk normally (needing to take a deep breath after a few words) straight after walking upstairs at home; when I found walking a slight incline caused me to stop & catch my breath after about 30 steps; when I realised I could no longer comfortably walk at more than a stroll (although I can still stroll slowly for hours with no ill effects); and I could no longer both walk and carry a couple of bags of shopping at the same time. By discomfort, I mean a deep achey pressure feel in my chest and neck, along with a bit of breathlessness - not wheezing, but needing to take a few deep breaths before continuing. But, this was not a sudden change - it happened slowly, slowly, probably over a couple of years or more and I had put it down to weight gain/age/stress/lack of exercise. I've never had great stamina, but about 18 months ago I was able (for instance) to do a steady jog on a slightly inclined treadmill for half an hour, feeling slightly pink faced and breathing fairly quickly, but having no cause for concern. In fact I first went to the doctors after noticing that no matter how many times a week I exercised, I was making no progress at all and eventually I felt almost as though I was getting weaker instead of stronger - which it turns out was true! A year on from that, I now feel this discomfort simply when lying down flat on my back or left hand side, when I bend down, when I walk at more than a slow pace or up the slightest incline. In fact, I feel uncomfortable a lot of the time now and feel like a little old lady at the age of 46. Somehow this just crept on me without me realising. I just hope the new valve makes me feel a lot, lot better! Oh - by the way - I've had those "auras" for years and always thought they were just a migraine-y thing...... And little stabbing pains a bit like a pinched nerve in my ribcage sometimes at the side or across my front or back.
Teresa

 

[twinmaker]

Ashley, I feel that symptoms really do sneak up on you and you don't even realize what is going on. I was diagnosed with mitral stenosis when I was 21. For several months before I was diagnosed I started having trouble riding my bike and was getting really winded. I blamed it on being out of shape although I hadn't gained any weight and had continued to exercise like I always had. I guess as humans we just want to justify everything that could be a problem with a simple solution. Then I got to the point where I was getting short of breath going up one flight of stairs and the biggy was when I couldn't even make a bed without stopping to rest. But I still didn't run to the doctor. In fact, the reason I was diagnosed when I was, was because I went to a new dentist who insisted that I get a murmur that I had had for most of my life checked before he would clean my teeth. My other dentist knew about the murmur but my family doctor had said it was "functional" or harmless. Anyway, the new dentist scared me enough that I went to a cardiologist and Bam!!!...open heart surgery five months later! After the surgery, I felt like a new person. I couldn't believe the difference. Glad you're keeping track of everthing so you can tell the doctor. Keep us informed about your upcoming appointment and what the doctor says. LINDA

 

[rbl1999]

Hi, Ashley, I had AVR in July and did not realize how bad my valve was. My cardiologist knew as soon as I told him that I was having trouble climbing a flight of stairs.. I also was still walking about 3-4 miles but found that I was slowing my pace down. I feel so good now, still a bit in recovery mode, but am doing an hour on the treadmill with some incline and also doing step aeorbics. I could not do that before my surgery, I agree with everyone else, the symptoms kind of sneak up on you... Rose

 

[Georgia]

The cramps in your back could be atypical angina. Mine disappeared entirely after valve surgery. Be sure you write a list of all these things to present to your cardiologist; you'll forget about some of them if you don't list them.

Many many of us have visual problems - so many it just has to be related to valve trouble. Mine mostly disappeared after surgery - I just have them very seldom now. But others here continue to have them after surgery.

Please let us know what your cardio says after your appointment.

 

[Guest]

Johnny,

I appreciate your words....thank you. I've been considering opening up my own business, but without health insurance...well, that wouldn't be good.

Hmph...another reason marriage would be good...lol .

 

[DavesMom]

Hi all,

I'm normally a lurker but this is a very interesting thread. I had AVR in 1999 and had no symptoms prior to my surgery except a bit of fatigue. In fact, I spent the summer of '99 walking all over London for hours a day without any problem. Then less than two months later I learned that my valve was severely stenotic and needed to be replaced. Not only that, I had developed a lovely aneurysm, which was news to me. It is very scary to think of how bad your heart can be without you realizing it.

I do have a question about fatigue. Prior to my AVR I was heavily into aerobics, but since the surgery my exercise routine has consisted of a daily walk lasting between an hour and an hour and half. I don't "power walk," but I don't just plod along either. I never get out of breath and always cool down.

However, I've noticed recently that instead of leaving me invigorated, this walk now almost always leaves me fatigued and in need of a nap! I drink a ton of water throughout the day so I don't think it could be dehydration. My worst sin is that I overdo the carbs, but blood glucose tests have always been normal.

It just doesn't make sense, especially since I've been walking for so many years. BP is fine and last year's echo was good. (I have my next one in about a month.) My primary care doctor took a quick listen to my heart a few weeks ago and said said it sounded good.

Yet the paranoid part of me still wonders if this fatigue could be heart related. I guess AVR is just bound to leave you a bit of a hypochondriac. : ) Any thoughts would be appreciated.

And OH YES, I can certainly relate to staying in a job you're not particularly fond of because you need the insurance!!!! Ugh...

Hope everyone is doing well.

Cheers!

 

[cocoalab]

Yea Cort I can just hear you " and what kind of insurance do you have?" LOL! Or yeah she's a little strange but does she have a great insurance plan. LOL!

Sorry you feel so stuck in your job. I am glad you at least have one and insurance. Things may get better.

Johnny,

I appreciate your words....thank you. I've been considering opening up my own business, but without health insurance...well, that wouldn't be good.

Hmph...another reason marriage would be good...lol .

 

[Guest]

Cocoalab,

LOL! No, I wouldn't be that forward. Heck, it's hard enough just to get the nerve to talk to a gal . He he he.

And, you're right ... on the positive side, I do have a job with insurance. I just hate the feeling of "settling" ... but, with the help of my best friend's Dad, some research is being done ... so, we'll see .


DavesMom,

Not sure where you are in IL ... but, wouldn't it be nice to make a list of "companies to work for"....he he he.

Hmmm...ya know....that may not be a bad idea after all....hmmmm.....

 

[jrocco]

Davesmom

Davesmom

I too get tired pretty quick. I have had two echos and my bp is also good, normaly 118/70. Yet sometimes I get so tired I have to lie down. I had a mitral valve repaired last January 2005.

I finally went out and purchased a treadmill to get back in shape. Hope that helps.