Survey on Symptoms, Please Answer

[Mara]

Similarly to Mindy

At a about age 4 family doc heard the murmur (congenital aortic stenosis/insufficiency). Thus began 29 years of yearly cardiology vists until 7/12/2001 when I had surgery.

at date of surgery the aortic stenosis/insufficiency was pronounced as severe to profound. Took 28 years to get that way. many, many years of mild to moderate.


Biggest symptom was fatigue.
Had some PVCs for a few years prior to surgery. More annoying than anything else. a couple episodes of tachycardia.

Now, it's all good.

 

[rcatalano]

At age 22, I had a heart murmur detected during a navy flight physical. I had no symptoms at all. It was determined to be mild aortic insufficiency.

At age 31, after annual visits to a cardiologist, the leak suddenly got worse. They said I had severe insufficiency and my heart was enlarging. I still had no symptoms that I could detect, but had the surgery anyway, after about 4 cardiologists and 2 surgeons all agreed it was time.

 

[alicia]

I took Redux for 2 months in 1997 and stopped taking it since it made me so tired (I did loose 20#) In 1999 I saw an urgent care Dr that diagnosed a heart murmor and sent me to a cardiologist whom did an echo and was shown I had moderate leakage from the mitral valve and put me on various meds. After a year or so I started getting very SOB and extreme fatigue. I saw another cardiologist for a 2nd opinion and he sent me to a cardiac surgeon who told me I needed the MV repaired and asked that I have the use of his robot (Davinci) and I did and recovered well from the surgery. On Oct15,2001 (6 months later) I ended up in the ER with a severe case of congestive heart failure and an echo confirmed that the MV was leaking severly and I would need emergency surgery. My cardiologist jumped in and intervened and would not allow the surgery since my EF was 20% and he thought I may not make it thru the surgery. He later diagnosed me with cardiomyopathy and I had arrethymias and other cardiac problems. He treated me with meds to strengthen my heart so I could have surgery and I did and had the MV replaced this year with great success. I owe my life to that wonderful cardiologist of mine and I always let him know it! Needless to say I sued the manufacturer of Redux for allowing this poison on the market. No more diet pills for me! Since my surgery in Jan I've lost 50#!!!!!!
This is my story. Sorry its soooooooo long..

Alicia