Rheumatic Fever Question

[blessed1416]

Hi all! After my MVR surgery, the surgeon told my family that he detected some evidence that might indicate that I had rheumatic fever at some point in my life. I don't remember ever having any serious illness. My mother and father have passed away, so I can't ask them. My sister is 6 years older than I am and she doesn't remember me ever having rheumatic fever. Of course "way back then" (in the 60s) children were not taken to the doctor unless they were really sick. Compared to how we take our children now days with just a stuffy nose. Could I have had rheumatic fever and it went unnoticed or undiagnosed? My family on my father's side has many heart related problems. All of my father's sisters and brothers died of heart attacks at early ages(6 siblings). Now, my cousins and I have heart disease. There are 12 of us. One died during a minor gyn. operation because her heart was too week, another cousin has a heart transplant, 4 more have had OHS because of blocked arteries. But my valvular problems differ from the rest of my family's because they had problems with their arteries. Echos show that my arteries are fine. I guess I'm searching for answers as to why I have this disease. I also took the diet drug phen/phen, but my surgeon and cardiologist are both convinced that the drug has nothing to do with it. I'm not sure why they deny the connection unless they don't want to get involved in the class action suit. Anyone have any ideas or input as to could I have had rheumatic fever and not know it, or could my valve problems be linked to phen/phen. I would just feel better about all of this if I had an answer to why me? Thanks for letting me vent!! Gail

 

[RCB]

Very possible

Very possible

Hi all! After my MVR surgery, the surgeon told my family that he detected some evidence that might indicate that I had rheumatic fever at some point in my life. I don't remember ever having any serious illness. My mother and father have passed away, so I can't ask them. My sister is 6 years older than I am and she doesn't remember me ever having rheumatic fever. Of course "way back then" (in the 60s) children were not taken to the doctor unless they were really sick. Compared to how we take our children now days with just a stuffy nose. Could I have had rheumatic fever and it went unnoticed or undiagnosed? My family on my father's side has many heart related problems. All of my father's sisters and brothers died of heart attacks at early ages(6 siblings). Now, my cousins and I have heart disease. There are 12 of us. One died during a minor gyn. operation because her heart was too week, another cousin has a heart transplant, 4 more have had OHS because of blocked arteries. But my valvular problems differ from the rest of my family's because they had problems with their arteries. Echos show that my arteries are fine. I guess I'm searching for answers as to why I have this disease. I also took the diet drug phen/phen, but my surgeon and cardiologist are both convinced that the drug has nothing to do with it. I'm not sure why they deny the connection unless they don't want to get involved in the class action suit. Anyone have any ideas or input as to could I have had rheumatic fever and not know it, or could my valve problems be linked to phen/phen. I would just feel better about all of this if I had an answer to why me? Thanks for letting me vent!! Gail

Gail,
I lot of people have very mild RF that went unnoticed, which led to valvular heart disease later in life. There are several good threads on RF
here, a search will turn them up. I 'm not sure what kind a valve problem
you have, but if you are not sure about your doctor's opinion why don't you search the web for many of the class action lawsuits on Pheh/Phen and they may pay for a second opinion for you. Good Luck!

 

[geebee]

I was never diagnosed with rheumatic fever as a child but, after talking to doctors, realized I had symptoms of it when I was about 11. I was always sickly and had many fevers and other issues. When I was around 11, I had a very long bout of severe muscle pain in my legs. I remember my mother rubbing them because they hurt so badly. She told me later that the doctor said the pains were "growing pains". Apparently this was the time my cardio believes I had rheumatic fever. I had a lot of dental work in my early twenties with no antibiotics which caused my mitral valve to calcify. The rest, as they say, is history.
I believe a lot of cases of RF went undiagnosed due to lack of knowledge at the time.