Got that feeling...

[ruthie]

Anyone have words of wisdom for me?

I have a throatic aneurysm measuring 4.6. I'm bicuspid, on 5 meds. One to keep the heart beating slower, lipitor, and 3 to keep me calm. I get out of breath climbing one set of stairs or picking up a box. Satruday had one of those episodes where I felt scared. My heart was hurting, aching, felt like my right arm was going numb from pain. I took extra beta blocker, extra clonazapam and it went away after two hours.

Problem: I've been through this a dozen times. I go to ER only to be told I'm fine. It's stress. If I'm taking 3 medicines to keep me calm (clonazapam, cymbalta and budeprion), how can this be? I should be a carefree drugged up girl.

I'm 44 years old. I'm a tall, thinner woman. I have a teenager (son) and a 3rd grader and a husband (who never believes anything is serious). So, given all this information, do I go back to the cardio? Skip the cardio and go straight to surgeon?

I'm tired of being told it's stress. I know it is something and I'm not losing my mind. I'm afraid to walk or do any sort of stressful exercise. My life is stressful enough with the husband and kids who think I'm a wacko and always tired.

I'm truly afraid that husband is going to leave me for a better model, take my kids because I'm on drugs and I'm going to be left helpless. Cardiologist said that if I had surgery now, it would be "elective" since I'm not to the 5.0 stage.

Sleepless in Austin....and possibly losing my mind...

 

[drivetopless]

Ruthie,
Can you start interviewing a couple of surgeons for their opinion? Depending on how fast your aneurysm is growing it seems it woudl be okay to start looking for a surgeon and getting their input. Also, the meds could be making you feel tired/out of breath.

How narrow is your BAV? Do you also have aortic stenosis? Do you have a history of blocked arteries or other heart issues in your family? During your last episode, did excercise trigger it? Your symptoms sound more related to the heart to me than an issue with the aneurysm. I do know anxiety can definitely give you chest pains (I experienced that), but we also know that heart disease is the number one killer of women. MAKE your doctors take you seriously if you think something is wrong.

 

[Duffey]

I think it's appropriate to schedule an appointment with a surgeon to get his/her input. You can make the appointment yourself without going through the cardiologist.

 

[DebbyA]

Ruthie,

It could be 'something' and stress. If you're taking three meds to calm you and feel like this, it looks to me like they're not working. Can you talk to your primary physician about getting some help with the stress response? Maybe see a counselor for a few times? Also, if you could be reassured that walking or some exercise is safe, it would probably help.

This is a book I've recommended, and here is a very good summary: http://en.wikipedia.org /wiki/How_Doctors_Think#Suggestions_for_patients Be sure to look at the "Suggestions for patients" section. The basic premise is that if you're not getting answers, you need to shake your doctors out of the mental path they've been in--in your case the "it's stress" solution.

I do agree that stress can cause some of those symptoms. We were undergoing a horrible remodeling experience right up to my surgery. Some nights I felt so awful I took an aspirin and a sleeping pill and said to myself "hope I wake up in the morning"--but also had several emergency room visits.

You have my complete sympathy. I hope you can get some help soon.

 

[CATDOG]

Ruthie,
Sounds like you're not getting much support emotionally, and that's not going to help where you are at physically. I'm glad you posted. You'll find a lot of people here who understand from experience. I'm at the point where I wish I'd taken the next step (lining up a surgeon) and gotten referrals at my last visit, but now I'm stuck in a holding pattern until my next visit--mostly stuck by fear of embarrassment of calling back. So I vote for getting a referral to a surgeon or two. If nothing else, you will know in advance who you are comfortable working with, and you will be on somebody's patient list already if things start to change faster. Sometimes a few more answers and a little action can help more to aleve stress than pills. All the calm-you-down meds should have come with a good counselor. Maybe some of the meds are interacting and not working well together for you either. Could they be contributing to the stress chemically? Everybody is a little different, and maybe a slight change there might help too.