Need Your Input re: Exhaustion as a Symptom
- Thread starter ottagal
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Thanks Al and yes, he is waiting for 'symptoms'. Unfortunately, in my case I can't see a surgeon without the cardiologist's referral. I am hoping this will be the case this time around.
Thanks Roundgirl,
Interesting that the stenosis is causing more fatigue than the regurg. Sorry to hear about the valve failure. I hope you get things sorted out soon. So..another member with fatigue as a symptom. Appreciate the input and take care of yourself too!
DebbyA...sounds like we have similiar gradients! It will be interesting to see what the upcoming appt. brings. My cardio did say 14 months ago that symptoms would likely develop in 6 months-2 years based on the echo results back then. Hmmm....
ponytaila1a
Well-known member
Mine is regurg...I was tired but always attributed it to "getting old" I am 62......when my GYN heard the murmur I was shocked....after the TEE I said said I had not experienced symptoms...it took the cardio PA at Cleveland Clinic to say "you have symptoms" for me to finally realize that the exhaustion was heart related.
Ottawagal,
Tired, shoot that was my first name before my AVR last year. Didn't matter how much rest or sleep I got, I was always tired. I thought it was just cause I was getting old. But no, in actually it was my aortic valve with lots and lots of stenosis. Prior to this I was always told my murmur was in the mitral valve and nothing to worry about, once a year EKG would do just fine. (Ya right!). Anyway, I would say to push that cardiologist for some answers. Better to get this taken care of while you have a choice then end up in the emergency room or worse... Take Care I sure hope that you can get some sound answers real soon.
Tired, shoot that was my first name before my AVR last year. Didn't matter how much rest or sleep I got, I was always tired. I thought it was just cause I was getting old. But no, in actually it was my aortic valve with lots and lots of stenosis. Prior to this I was always told my murmur was in the mitral valve and nothing to worry about, once a year EKG would do just fine. (Ya right!). Anyway, I would say to push that cardiologist for some answers. Better to get this taken care of while you have a choice then end up in the emergency room or worse... Take Care I sure hope that you can get some sound answers real soon.
ottawagal,
i am two weeks away from surgery and have only known of my problem for a month but i can tell you there are days that i will get up in the morning and feel great and start dozing off at 2:30 sitting up on the couch which is not me. then there are other days i can stay up all day and not feel to bad until 10 at night. There has been a few days i have been so exhausted that i have went to bed at 7 at night and slept straight through to the next morning. I also get shortness of breath and was getting severely dizzy when pushing myself too hard until at one point before i started the medication from the cardiologist the light-headed was all day long and then the dizzy spells would come in like a wave and i would have to grab something because whether i was standing or sitting it felt like i would fall over. Once i started on the two blood pressure meds. the dizziness went away and every once in a while i am still light-headed. still get short of breath but i have learned not to walk to fast or push myself. but the fatigue is always there and i can't wait until that gets better because i can't stand being tired all of the time. there are some days i am so tired i don't even get out of pajamas.
i am two weeks away from surgery and have only known of my problem for a month but i can tell you there are days that i will get up in the morning and feel great and start dozing off at 2:30 sitting up on the couch which is not me. then there are other days i can stay up all day and not feel to bad until 10 at night. There has been a few days i have been so exhausted that i have went to bed at 7 at night and slept straight through to the next morning. I also get shortness of breath and was getting severely dizzy when pushing myself too hard until at one point before i started the medication from the cardiologist the light-headed was all day long and then the dizzy spells would come in like a wave and i would have to grab something because whether i was standing or sitting it felt like i would fall over. Once i started on the two blood pressure meds. the dizziness went away and every once in a while i am still light-headed. still get short of breath but i have learned not to walk to fast or push myself. but the fatigue is always there and i can't wait until that gets better because i can't stand being tired all of the time. there are some days i am so tired i don't even get out of pajamas.
Another thing... If your cardio wants to wait for more symptoms, I feel for you. Besides the exhaustion will come dizzy spells, SOB, chest tightness, etc... I wouldn't be waiting around to feel worse just to say "ok... i really feel like crap now, Can you please fix me now". I'd be finding a new Cardio or marching into see a surgeon.
i agree with laura. once the symptoms get worse it is unbearable at times. i found myself in the emergency room twice and that was within the first week of me having an idea there was something wrong. I thank god that i went to the doctor when i did instead of pushing it off. because if i hadn't i would've kept pushing myself and could've been dead by now. and i am thankful that my pcp knows her stuff.
Thank you Escargome, Jax and Laura37 for more validation on symptoms. It is so helpful!!
Laura...you got me thinking...I have had bouts of lightheadedness on and off (not true dizziness where I want to pass out or where the room is spinning). It is difficult to explain, but kind of like a little head rush that lasts for a few minutes that can come on without any warning.
Jax good luck with the upcoming surgery...keep us posted!
I will have to bring that up at my appt. as well!
Laura...you got me thinking...I have had bouts of lightheadedness on and off (not true dizziness where I want to pass out or where the room is spinning). It is difficult to explain, but kind of like a little head rush that lasts for a few minutes that can come on without any warning.
Jax good luck with the upcoming surgery...keep us posted!
I will have to bring that up at my appt. as well!
deano89
Well-known member
jsut echo what others have said the cardio was only interested in two symptoms 1 being shortness of breath and the other was any swelling round the ankles ih ave neither, i have severe mitral regurg and over the past few yearss i have always said no matter how much sleep i have i still feel tired so i beleive that to be the only symptom i have!
redwingsfan
Member
Hey Ottawagal,
Fatigue was my first symptom before angina or shortness of breath. Both my family doctor and my cardiologist agreed that fatigue can be a symptom. Hopefully all of our responses will help convince your cardiologist to consider fatigue as a symptom.
Good luck.
Fatigue was my first symptom before angina or shortness of breath. Both my family doctor and my cardiologist agreed that fatigue can be a symptom. Hopefully all of our responses will help convince your cardiologist to consider fatigue as a symptom.
Good luck.
Thanks for more of the feedback, Deano89 and Redwingsfan.
Dean089..just read that you will have upcoming surgery in te near future. Good luck to you and hope you are feeling better everyday Redwingsfan.
So far, it looks like the consensus is yes to exhaustion/fatigue being a symptom.
Dean089..just read that you will have upcoming surgery in te near future. Good luck to you and hope you are feeling better everyday Redwingsfan.
So far, it looks like the consensus is yes to exhaustion/fatigue being a symptom.
debster913
Well-known member
Hey, there...
I had mitral regurgitation myself and had the same symptoms as you. I'd definitely say that your fatigue is valve-related. I remember those months before my surgery when I had some energy, but not enough to get through the entire day. Even eating made me tired.
I don't know what much else to add that's different from what others have told you, but don't let your cardio make you doubt yourself. We know our bodies.
Best,
That's how they start... Little bouts like that. They will eventually get worse and more frequent. Please don't wait until you are completely miserable.
yes you do not want the light-headedness all day and the dizziness that comes in and makes you feel like you are going to fall over. even though my medication has taken care of it mostly i still can't sit in the car and look at something stationary as i drive by it without it getting to me. If you need to then find a new cardiologist all of these things everyone has said will just continue to get worse until you have something done about it. What is syncope? that's only the second time i heard that word used and i still haven't figured it out. lol
Thanks for the quick replies Michelle and Bina,
Michelle, I hope that you get an answer to your increasing fatigue. My GP ruled out thyroid and iron deficiency. Did you get that checked?
Bina, I always appreciate the input and yes I do want to hear it!!!
I will feel more 'confident' going into the cardio appt. bringing this forward as a potential symptom again if I have 'back up'/proof from a number of members (if you know what I mean
Hi again,
My thyroid was fine a year or so ago but I don't think my iron has ever been checked. I'll ask for both to be done - you might have a point. However, sometimes I do think I'm feeling a lot like I did before my AVR. What bugs me is not only the physical fatigue but also a mental fatigue - I feel like I've lost a lot of brainpower and that's so frustrating.
It really looks to me as if you might be ready for surgery so I hate to see your cardio waiting for symptoms. It gets so frustrating.
Take care and best wishes.
Cheers,
Michelle
pamela
Well-known member
I think I'd phone the cardiologist and ask them to book you for a surgical consult as soon as possible. As a long term sufferer of AS your signs and symptoms come on so gradually that you think everything is normal. If you can't walk up 2 flights of stairs without breathing a little deeply then you are SOB. If you get narrowing of your field of vision, even rarely, you've got blood pressure and flow impairment issues. Soon, your symptoms will start to worsen because ... The worse your symptoms get, the faster they get worse.
Skip the cardio and get moving toward the surgery and pre-op testing. I don't think a surgeon would tell you to wait and neither should your cardio be doing so.
This is my personal opinion and I haven't any medical training to support what I'm saying, I have had severe aortic valve stenosis twice though with both instances presenting a little differently than each other. So, even the same patient won't have all of the cardinal symptoms.
Take Heart and get it fixed now before there's no chance of repair,
Pamela.
Skip the cardio and get moving toward the surgery and pre-op testing. I don't think a surgeon would tell you to wait and neither should your cardio be doing so.
This is my personal opinion and I haven't any medical training to support what I'm saying, I have had severe aortic valve stenosis twice though with both instances presenting a little differently than each other. So, even the same patient won't have all of the cardinal symptoms.
Take Heart and get it fixed now before there's no chance of repair,
Pamela.
Hi Debster913, Laura, Jax and DavesMom and everyone,
Once again, I can't thank you enough and really appreciate you sharing your thoughts and feedback. As others have said, this is a place where everyone 'gets it' and understands these types of questions and concerns.
It is also challenging when even friends and some family members who mean well, will say to me "of course you are exhausted...it's from all that worrying about your heart situation".
Once again, I can't thank you enough and really appreciate you sharing your thoughts and feedback. As others have said, this is a place where everyone 'gets it' and understands these types of questions and concerns.
It is also challenging when even friends and some family members who mean well, will say to me "of course you are exhausted...it's from all that worrying about your heart situation".
