new member a few questions

[shannon]

i was reading some very interesting posts when i wanted to comment but wasnt a member. after i registered, i couldnt find my way back to where i was reading. oh well maybe i havent poked around enough yet. from what i have read so far....i may be a bit out of place here i have had no surgery or anything close....i just found out i have mild mitral and tricuspid regurgitation. they want to check it in a yr. but here are my issues....i have been symptomatic for a yr or two....feeling like im going over a hill really fast or down atop a roller coaster, then almost like i could pass out...i guess thats the flipflop of the heart or valve or whatever...fatigue, shortness of breath with little exertion, the worst one is just going from a sitting to a standing position my heart rate increases from 60 to 100 in that time. its so aggrivating. this wasnt even my comment i wanted to make...i read alot here about leaky heart valves and the problems they caused but i only read one comment on how the person got the leaky heart valve...hers was rheumatic fever....and i read another one who had sever MVP whose echo stated she had vegatation on her valve....well i was diagnosed with Lupus a few years ago...but it was supposed to be mild as all my titers and tests levels were the lowest they could be to be positive. SLE can cause vegetation onthe valves and leaky heart valves as the valves are made out of connective tissue. so im wondering about if u guys had other diagnoses as to what caused ur valve problems..im also wondering if mine is related to the lupus...although i havent had any lupus symptoms in a while, also havent seen a doctor in almost two yrs about it. any thoughts? sorry so long....
shannon

 

[geebee]

Hi Shannon and welcome. Glad you decided to become a member.
My MV problems (stenosis, prolapse, etc.) were caused by a double-whammy. It is felt that I had undiagnosed rheumatic fever as a child based on my desciption of symptoms. I also had major dental work in my early twenties without antibiotics. Again, based on symptoms from illnesses I had during that time, it is felt I had undiagnosed endocarditis. The first time a murmur was heard was by my gyno at 23. My real valve problems were diagnosed when I was 25 and I had my first surgery at 28. The valve was so bad it was not repairable.
My symptoms were pretty much identical to the ones you are experiencing. I had a great cardio from the time I was 26 and he referred me to a surgeon when I told him my symptoms were no longer acceptable. Therefore I was the one who determined when I wanted surgery which is not the norm (although it should be more of a factor).
I don't know much about lupus - maybe others will be along to help on its effect on valves.
If your cardio does not want to refer you to a surgeon and you feel you are ready to consider surgery, you should be able to go on your own. If your insurance only pays for referrals, get in your cardio's face and insist on one. This is your life and your should be pulling the strings.
Good luck.

 

[shannon]

thanks gina

thanks gina

thanks for the reply! im sorry, i think i did read ur probable cause, did u have scarlet fever first...come to think of it i had scarlet fever when i was about six or seven yrs old, i remember because my mom got really scared and i also remember the doctor coming to our house with a little black bag to give me a shot in the backside. (last of his kind i guess) when i found out that rheumatic fever is often a cause that thought had crossed my mind...so ur dental work is what caused the endocarditis? i havent seen a cardio yet my appt is april 13. the murmur and echo was from my internist. my confusion is if my leaks arent that bad then why am i symptomatic? i guess he will be able to answer that. thanks again
shannon

 

[hensylee]

Welcome, Shannon, to VR. OUr members are knowledgable and helpful.

You 'lost your 'place' after you joined. To perhaps find it, you can click on 'search' above and type in the words you were reading and it might show up. Type any other words you question and there will be referrals to threads to read.

Keep on educating yourself.

Blessins.....