I guess no one has an answer...

[Adrienne]

I also have hypothyroidism and have taken Synthroid for years and years. I may be dreaming this, but it seems to me that a long time ago I read something about the fact that many women who have a MVP also have hypothyroidism. I could be wrong about this, though.

 

[maka]

Karen, thank you for your reassuring words and for listing the symptoms that made you see your cardio. I remember mine always telling me before I had my OHS that if I ever got short of breath to go to the hospital. My problem has always been...how do you define short of breath? Is it like ?gasping for air?, or just difficult breathing?
I have my follow up check up with my cardio early in December.

Adrienne, I was diagnosed with thyroid deficiency over 25 years ago but I never related to MVP. As at the time I was going through chemo treatments I thought that its was as result of the treatments as I had been diagnosed with MV prolapse when I was a teenager
I found your comments interesting

 

[cam4est]

Maka, actually my shortness of breath took 2 different forms. The first time, it felt like I was our of breath after climbing stairs, etc. You know that feeling after you exercise and you are breathing faster than your normal rate and it takes a minute for your body to relax. The second time, I kept taking these short intakes of breath(really annoying!) as if I could not get enough oxygen. anyway, it is just breathing is more difficult than your norm. Hope this helps. I am glad you are to see your cardio next month. It will help you identify what might be going on for you. Karen

 

[maka]

Thanks Karen...That helped.

 

[Christina L]

Maka -

Maka -

I desaturate at night meaning that my oxygen saturation in my blood falls below 90%. I spent half the night at 89% - we live at 7700 feet elevation, which could be a factor. It is kind of scary to say the least - heart? thyroid? elevation? sleep apnea? I like to think it is my thyroid (which also is causing my sleep apnea). As for difficulty in drawing a deep breath and yawning a lot - CLASSIC for thyroid. Has nothing to do with a person's heart. You can find all this info on the internet and it is in a book on thyroid that I have read - saying that even after a person receives thyroid replacement, the feeling like not getting a deep breath still persists.

I do think that (for whatever reason) people with MVP have a higher rate of thyroid problems. However, I found out my older sister, who is two years older than me, has hypothyroidism. I now look back and think my Mom had it also - but she was never formally diagnosed. Neither my sister or Mom has/had heart problems that I know of.

Maka - do you wake up very, very tired or wake up with headaches in the morning and dry mouth. Could be sleep apnea, but as you said, tiredness also is a classic symptom of hypothyroidism. No wonder doctors have such a hard time making a diagnosis with symptoms - so many symptoms are interchangeable with so many diseases!

Christina L

 

[maka]

Christina
I found you comments about desaturating most interesting. Never heard about it. How can a person find out whether the oxygen saturation falls under 90%? And what?s normal?
You are right about same symptoms meaning different things. Let?s hope none are anything to be worried about and just part of being alive

 

[liza]

I had mitral valve repair a year and a half ago and it's starting to fail. It was slightly stenotic after surgery and it's gotten worse. Symptoms were tachycardia, shortness of breath and chest pain. I found this out via echo this past Thursday. I'm back on my beta blockers and the cardiologists are adopting a wait-and-see approach. I hope this doesn't happen to you!

Liza

 

[maka]

Liza
Sorry to hear about your condition. I hope there is something to be done without your having to go through another OHS. I'll be praying for you. Keep me posted.