For those with a mechanical valve

[Mileena46]

Do any of you notice that your valve is louder at times? I can go for weeks and not notice my valve and then suddenly I am having trouble blocking it out in order to sleep again.

When it is at the louder times, I also notice it seems to be "thumping" harder. I don't think this has anything to do with anxiety, because it can happen at my most calm times. Even when my beats were at their worst before surgery, I could sleep and wake up to a "quieter" beat. Now, it seems my valve is at the peak of its loudness first thing in the morning. When I wake up it seems much louder than when I went to sleep. Am I alone in this? I am beginning to worry about it.

Mileena

 

[Dennis S]

I wouldn't worry. It could be the position of your body, or even the level of surrounding noise.

 

[Jkm7]

That was a huge fear of mine and a major factor in my choosing tissue. I am someone who knew I could not deal with the ticking. I think the ticking was more a negative to me than coumadin but that is just me.

 

[nngbwh]

My Mech valve tick tick tick !!!!!!!. Rather tick than hear no tick..
I rather tick than get another OHS using a tissue.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Do you have a Stethoscope?

If not, I highly recommend that you purchase one. A simple inexpensive model is all you need to listen to your heartbeat. If it is randomly irregular you are probably in Atrial Fibrilation. The primary risk with AF is clot formation. The usual treatment is to be put on AntiCoagulation but since you have a Mechanical Valve you are already on anticoagulation and are covered.

If it is 'regularly irregular', you may be having Premature Atrial Contractions (PAC's) or Premature Ventricular Contractions (PVC's). Only an EKG can tell them apart. PAC's and PVC's are generally considered to be benign (you can tell by the Yawn on your Doctor's face) albeit, 'uncomfortable' at times.

There are several types of Beta Blockers which can be used to control those types of arrhythmias.

And yes, sometimes patients just have "forceful" heartbeats. This is most common in the first months/year following surgery as the heart 'reconditions' from having to push against a stenotic valve. This condition typically goes away "in time" but that can be longer than we like.

Bottom Line: If it bothers you and you are concerned, see your Doctor (PCP or Cardio).

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Sunshine susan]

Hi! I've had mine since 1999 and have experienced the same thing off and on. It doesn't bother me any more though. I think it may have something to do with fatigue also. Someone mentioned position and that could well be also. I don't think it is anything to worry about. As I read above, Iwould rather hear it than not!

 

[Philip B]

Acoustics

Acoustics

Body acoustics vary from individual to individual. I've even noticed that mine vary fairly frequently. Sometimes the click of my valve is really noticable and at others it's not. After almost three years, it doesn't bug me too much. During the first year after my AVR surgery, the click was the first thing I noticed in the morning when I woke up.

-Philip

 

[Luana]

Do any of you notice that your valve is louder at times? I can go for weeks and not notice my valve and then suddenly I am having trouble blocking it out in order to sleep again.

When it is at the louder times, I also notice it seems to be "thumping" harder. I don't think this has anything to do with anxiety, because it can happen at my most calm times. Even when my beats were at their worst before surgery, I could sleep and wake up to a "quieter" beat. Now, it seems my valve is at the peak of its loudness first thing in the morning. When I wake up it seems much louder than when I went to sleep. Am I alone in this? I am beginning to worry about it.

Mileena

I tend to hear mine more in the morning when I wake up if it's been more than 12 hours since I took my last beta blocker.

I sleep on my left side and the mechanical valve I have now is much quieter than my original aortic valve; it was very noisy. Now when I get in bed the new valve is so much quieter it seems like my heart is in another room.
Luana

 

[zipper2]

Can get noisey for me and my last appt my cardio was very aware
of both my mechanicals ticking,he kept saying to my hubby,do you
hear her valves,can you hear them.Lots of comments from friends to
I lost my tick in my 17 year old valve due to so much scar tissue
and when i had my mitral surgery a year ago they cleaned the tissue
etc of the arotic and used wd40 lol joking about wd40 lubricant.
But both are very loud and the now 18 year old arotic is much,much
louder since cleaned up.I do have a stetoscope my doc gave me for use
of quieter days cus it freaks me out if i dont hear it or have quieter times
where ive not noticed ticking of the arotic and i lost any ticking of it for
6 months till my mitral surgery.......That isnt a good noise when you dont
hear your valve and i always could,something i willnot forget very scarey
experience for me.They wake me at night from sleep,but i dont mind
after all these years i look forward to the ticking.

 

[Mileena46]

Hehe, I started to ask you Deb if there was any way to use the WD-40 without opening me up!

Al,

I am not in A-fib. I can tell you any time my heart beats out of rhythm or oddly (could do this even before the replacement) and I am in a very steady rhythm.....remember I am the gal who won't give up my amiodarone for this reason!

I also know about the position changing. Somtimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I have also noticed that if I have just eaten or in my case...over-eaten it is more pronounced.

So, I guess what Deb was saying is it's better for it to be loud and stay loud than to be loud and then suddenly you don't hear it. There are times at night when I go to bed that it is very quiet, but I have noted those times and believe that is when my INR is up higher than the range....lets say 4.0 or a little more.

It has stayed loud for the last several days and its still a while before my next doctor visit..(for INR), Feb 12. I was a little concerned.


Mileena

 

[katiewintle]

I can sometimes have a loud ticker, but I dont tend to let it bother me really as I know its doing its job right.

I tend to sleep on my left hand side and it is quiter than if I was to lie on my back.

I also notice if it is louder than usual my blood tends to be thicker. I had an instance of this late last year. I went for a INR check one week and it was 3.0 which was good for me, 2 weeks later I noticed my ticker was quite loud (even my hubby could hear it sitting next to me while driving the car). Next appointment it had gone down to 1.8, so I had to go for a Heprin injection and go for an INR check every couple of days. Since that episode my ticker has just been its normal sound.

Katie
xx

 

[Ross]

Mine is louder at times, especially when I get pee'd off. As far as sleeping with it, I don't hear it at all and I use a 20" box fan at night for noise.

 

[wxman]

I have had my valve for almost 7-years...and I also hear the valve clicking from time to time at night. It just kind of comes and goes...most of the time I don't notice it or hear it at all. Don't really think it is anything to be concerned about.

 

[jax]

Mileena:

i have noticed a difference in my ticking. I can sit in a quiet place and not here anything most times. But when i am at work i can hear it when i tilt my head to the right. I wasn't able to hear it at work for i want to say maybe the first 3 or 4 months after i went back to work and I am really quite surprised that i can hear it now over the noise of all the machines running. But i do have to say that it doesn't bother me at all to hear the ticking. Atleast I know that it is working. What bothered me was the irregular heartbeats. Because I could feel every single one of them. The cardio finally put me on extended release metoprolol for a-fib and while i don't get them as often i still get them but they aren't as strong and the stop rather quickly now.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Mileena:

i have noticed a difference in my ticking. I can sit in a quiet place and not here anything most times. But when i am at work i can hear it when i tilt my head to the right. I wasn't able to hear it at work for i want to say maybe the first 3 or 4 months after i went back to work and I am really quite surprised that i can hear it now over the noise of all the machines running. But i do have to say that it doesn't bother me at all to hear the ticking. Atleast I know that it is working. What bothered me was the irregular heartbeats. Because I could feel every single one of them. The cardio finally put me on extended release metoprolol for a-fib and while i don't get them as often i still get them but they aren't as strong and the stop rather quickly now.

Jax -

You might want to ask your Cardiologist about putting you on SOTALOL (generic form of BetaPace) which is a Beta Blocker supposedly targets A-Fib. Several of our members have reported good control with this medication. The most common side-effect is some slight dizzyness in the first few weeks as you body adjusts. The manufacturer recommends being hospitalized for a few days when you first start using this drug because of the possibility of one of the dangerous arrhythmias being triggered before you become 'theraputic'.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[KAJ]

I hear my valve most of the time. Some nights are louder than others but I have not detected a pattern. I know of some people who have chronic health issues other than heart related. Compared to what they deal with, I will take a ticking valve any day.

Karl

 

[Philip B]

Thicker Blood?

Thicker Blood?

I can sometimes have a loud ticker, but I dont tend to let it bother me really as I know its doing its job right.

I tend to sleep on my left hand side and it is quiter than if I was to lie on my back.

I also notice if it is louder than usual my blood tends to be thicker. I had an instance of this late last year. I went for a INR check one week and it was 3.0 which was good for me, 2 weeks later I noticed my ticker was quite loud (even my hubby could hear it sitting next to me while driving the car). Next appointment it had gone down to 1.8, so I had to go for a Heprin injection and go for an INR check every couple of days. Since that episode my ticker has just been its normal sound.

Katie
xx

Thicker blood??????

-Philip

 

[Cooker]

What you are experiencing is pretty much status quo with me too ... I just get use to it ...

 

[Mark Wagner]

I noticed the first year the difference in rythem and sound. I really wonder if part of that was due to the fact my breast bone was healing back together and tissue and muscle had to heal over. ?? Hard to say, but I notice it very little now.

 

[wcasey5]

At first, almost 2 years ago, my valve was just a tick that I heard in the back of my neck. Now the sound "moves" from my neck to my chest to my throat. I notice that I get periods of more forcefull beats, ike I can feel them much more pronounced than normal. I don't know if it is real or if I am just noticing it. I have gone to my cardio experiencing the ow tick and the forceful beat and he can't hear the difference and it doesn't show up on my ekg.

If I cup my hand over my throat, I can really hear my valve loudly. I don't know if I ike that or not, so I don't do it often. I also get freaked out if I can't hear my valve. My cardio assured me that my heart will not just stop beating, I'm sure there would be a lot of drama to go along with it, but still, It's my tick!