M
Marc Gunderson
Has anyone got any good ideas or remedies for getting to sleep with a mechanical valve constantly ticking away. I am only 4.5 weeks post OP and struggling with the new noise at bed time.
Help Support Valve Replacement Forums:
JimL
Well-known member
Welcome Marc, to a fabulous website with lots of information.
Your question about valve noise has been addressed in other threads, and so if you search for it, you can find more information than I can remember.
Most have no trouble with the noise, or don't even hear it. Some find it comforting. Some use a fan for background noise (we do).
Your question about valve noise has been addressed in other threads, and so if you search for it, you can find more information than I can remember.
Most have no trouble with the noise, or don't even hear it. Some find it comforting. Some use a fan for background noise (we do).
Tony
Well-known member
Hi Marc,
If I am tired I go to sleep without noticing my valve clicking.
If I lye awake I may turn on the radio to a barely audible level. This seems to mask the clicking.
All the best
If I am tired I go to sleep without noticing my valve clicking.
If I lye awake I may turn on the radio to a barely audible level. This seems to mask the clicking.
All the best
Nancy
Well-known member
My husband has 2 mechanicals and uses a sound machine by Homedics with several "white noise" sounds to choose from. He likes the ocean waves the best.
Sharper Image has one also, you can access their site online. Might be more pricey than the Homedics one. If you Google or Froogle "sound machine" maybe it can bring up what your choices would be.
Sharper Image has one also, you can access their site online. Might be more pricey than the Homedics one. If you Google or Froogle "sound machine" maybe it can bring up what your choices would be.
ALCapshaw2
Well-known member
Hello Marc,
MOST of the time I do NOT hear my St. Jude Mechanical Valve.
Occassionally I hear it if I have a 'pounding' heart beat or if I hold my breath in a quiet room.
Your question prompts me to ask what type (manufacturer) of valve you have. Do you hear it all the time or just bedtime?
If only at bedtime, try different sleeping positions such as left side vs. right side. How loud is your valve?
'AL'
MOST of the time I do NOT hear my St. Jude Mechanical Valve.
Occassionally I hear it if I have a 'pounding' heart beat or if I hold my breath in a quiet room.
Your question prompts me to ask what type (manufacturer) of valve you have. Do you hear it all the time or just bedtime?
If only at bedtime, try different sleeping positions such as left side vs. right side. How loud is your valve?
'AL'
Marc:
Mine seemed to be louder immediately post-op. I seldom hear it now. Have noticed that if I hug a pillow, it muffles the sound.
Mine seemed to be louder immediately post-op. I seldom hear it now. Have noticed that if I hug a pillow, it muffles the sound.
B
Birky
noise
noise
I have a room humidifier which helps tremendously. I can really hear mine when I lay on my left side or in the bathtub. Once in a while it feels like it is ticking out of mouth. If I get an increased heartrate, then it a lot louder. You will get used to it after a time. Welcom to the site,
noise
I have a room humidifier which helps tremendously. I can really hear mine when I lay on my left side or in the bathtub. Once in a while it feels like it is ticking out of mouth. If I get an increased heartrate, then it a lot louder. You will get used to it after a time. Welcom to the site,
Welcome to our site, Marc.
My mitral valve is very quiet but I can hear it sometimes when I lay on my left side. Most of the time it is soothing but on the rare occasions it is bothersome I just put the TV on low and put the sleep timer on the TV and doze off.
My mitral valve is very quiet but I can hear it sometimes when I lay on my left side. Most of the time it is soothing but on the rare occasions it is bothersome I just put the TV on low and put the sleep timer on the TV and doze off.
Marty
Well-known member
To click or not to click
To click or not to click
One of our little "in" jokes around here is- a little clicking is better than none at all! One of the advantages of being old and deaf like me is I can't hear my valve at all.
To click or not to click
One of our little "in" jokes around here is- a little clicking is better than none at all! One of the advantages of being old and deaf like me is I can't hear my valve at all.
I will be 2 years post-op March 25th . Never hear mine..unless I get excited like When I thought my dog was dying at 1:30 a.m. several nights ago..and found out. his tag was hung in carpet. He was really whining. Bonnie
He was really whining. Bonnie
H
heartyone
My wife's St. Jude's Mechanical aortic valve is a noisy little sucker, indeed. I believe they installed an amplifier with it. I can easily hear it from across the kitchen table, above the fridge noise.
A while back I started a thread "White Noise Machine for Valve Clicking," you may find some advice there. I did buy a Brookstone white noise/radio/alarm for her, and it has helped alot on those difficult nights. Those nights are getting further and further apart, and they will for you, too. You are still healing and adjusting. Before long, this clicking will just be an important part of who you are. In the meantime, try a fan at night, or treat yourself to a white noise machine.
A while back I started a thread "White Noise Machine for Valve Clicking," you may find some advice there. I did buy a Brookstone white noise/radio/alarm for her, and it has helped alot on those difficult nights. Those nights are getting further and further apart, and they will for you, too. You are still healing and adjusting. Before long, this clicking will just be an important part of who you are. In the meantime, try a fan at night, or treat yourself to a white noise machine.
R
RickKiem
I have a Carbomedics mechanical Aortic valve and it is REALLY noisy. Just this afternoon I was sitting in the passinger seat of my buddies Kawasaki Mule. We stopped for a few minutes while another friend was working on a piece of equipment. My buddy asked if that was me ticking. Remember we are outside, in the the middle of a hay field and he could hear my valve clicking away. He told me it was giving him the creaps.
Lucky me... On top of the clicking I can hear the blood moving through my graft when I lay down to sleep so I get click whoosh, click whoosh, click whoosh.
It really does bother me when I try to go to sleep. Even Ambian didn't really help so I quit taking that. I have not tried a white noise machine but do think I am going to give that a try.
Rick
Lucky me...
On top of the clicking I can hear the blood moving through my graft when I lay down to sleep so I get click whoosh, click whoosh, click whoosh.It really does bother me when I try to go to sleep. Even Ambian didn't really help so I quit taking that. I have not tried a white noise machine but do think I am going to give that a try.
Rick
J
Joe Parker
I am still adjusting to my new "ticker" but most of the time I don't notice it. I fall asleep when I am tired so that seems to work. Try some exercise late in the afternoon such as a walk and like everyone else is saying try some white noise. Of course you could try a sleeping medication but most are addictive over a long time. Warm milk sometimes works because of the triptofan released when it is heated. Medicationis like Ambien and Resperdol works well however.
My wife says she can hear my valve from across the room. From what I was told as you get used to it you then don't realize its there.
My boys love to hear Daddy tick and click. I can literallly say I am ticked now and mean it.
Wishing you well and a good nights rest.
Joe Parker
Arotic Valve Replacement 01/21/2004
St. Jude 27mm
Mt. Diablo Hospital, Concord, California
Dr. Sommerhaug
My wife says she can hear my valve from across the room. From what I was told as you get used to it you then don't realize its there.
My boys love to hear Daddy tick and click. I can literallly say I am ticked now and mean it.
Wishing you well and a good nights rest.
Joe Parker
Arotic Valve Replacement 01/21/2004
St. Jude 27mm
Mt. Diablo Hospital, Concord, California
Dr. Sommerhaug
J
Joe Parker
Marc
I was wondering how you are adjusting to your heart valve sleeping at night. Mine seems to be loud but I just fall asleep when I am tired. Seems to work for me.
A few times I have tried the white noise thingy but then I stay awake listening to that. So I will just go with the sleep when tired routine.
Joe Parker
Aortic Valve Replacement 01/21/2004
St. Jude Mechanical
27mm
Mt. Diablo Hospital
Concord, California
I was wondering how you are adjusting to your heart valve sleeping at night. Mine seems to be loud but I just fall asleep when I am tired. Seems to work for me.
A few times I have tried the white noise thingy but then I stay awake listening to that. So I will just go with the sleep when tired routine.
Joe Parker
Aortic Valve Replacement 01/21/2004
St. Jude Mechanical
27mm
Mt. Diablo Hospital
Concord, California
G
Gisele
LOL-you'll get used to it.............I had my mechanical valve for over 21 years before they replaced it with a bovine valve and I can't get used to the silence.................is my heart really beating................cuz I can't hear it!
Sigh, I miss the ticking, but not the coumadin.
Good luck......................
Sigh, I miss the ticking, but not the coumadin.
Good luck......................
John & Joann
Well-known member
The old Starr-Edwards ball and cage vales were REALLY loud. You could hear them at least 30 ft. away. Children would always ask about my watch. I wore a lapel clock so that they were not afraid.
Starr-Edwards were made by Carbomedics. Still clicking since 1971! Enjoying the Florida Sun!
Starr-Edwards were made by Carbomedics. Still clicking since 1971! Enjoying the Florida Sun!
Gail in Ca
Well-known member
The clicking drove me nuts for a long time. I was too cheap to get one of those white noise machines ( gives you choices of ocean, etc), but I would recommend others to get one.
I would say it took about 2 yrs for me to get used to the noise.
Sometimes it still bothers me, but it's part of me and so I am not as frustrated by it as I was.
When I need my mitral replaced and must hear TWO different clicks I think I will go mad! Or, maybe I will get a white noise machine and stop being so cheap when it comes to getting something for ME!
Gail
I would say it took about 2 yrs for me to get used to the noise.
Sometimes it still bothers me, but it's part of me and so I am not as frustrated by it as I was.
When I need my mitral replaced and must hear TWO different clicks I think I will go mad! Or, maybe I will get a white noise machine and stop being so cheap when it comes to getting something for ME!
Gail
J
Joe Parker
Gail:
I don't know about you but hearing two separate clicks all the time from two mechanical valves would drive me over the edge. I think it would be approprate in this case to consider a prescription sleeping medication should you get into this situation and nothing else is helping.
Ambien is the latest and works well and you don't wake up with that "hang over" feeling , I know from a little experience with this. Some of my patients I have seen in the hospital also have told me how well it works.
Joe Parker
AVR 02/21/2004
St. Jude Mechanical
Mt. Diablo Hospital
Concord, California
I don't know about you but hearing two separate clicks all the time from two mechanical valves would drive me over the edge. I think it would be approprate in this case to consider a prescription sleeping medication should you get into this situation and nothing else is helping.
Ambien is the latest and works well and you don't wake up with that "hang over" feeling , I know from a little experience with this. Some of my patients I have seen in the hospital also have told me how well it works.
Joe Parker
AVR 02/21/2004
St. Jude Mechanical
Mt. Diablo Hospital
Concord, California
