Trace tricupsid reguritation please new here

[dhope]

Hi everyone,

I have been reading some posts and have to say there are some wonderful people here, you are so caring.

I just found out yesterday that I have Trace tricupsid reguritation, because I ask my doc something and when she told me what the specialist wrote, she said that it?s a tiny leak in the value. I went to the specialist sometime last year and he never told me. And I had dental work done and never knew. He said I was dealt with a bad apple and the skips and extra beats are in the upper chamber nothing to worry about. My minor stress test came back good he said. I had the ultra sound, echo gram.

Ok one thing is I am going to see him Friday to find out what he means by this, why he didn?t tell me, and how he based this on.

Ok a little history, I am a vegetarian, low blood pressure always, IBS, a little anemia, lactose tolerant, irregular heart beat since I was in elementary school, so I was always scared of my heart going out of whack that I hardly exercise. That made me feel and think about my heart for almost twenty years, which is not fun to go through life like that, I am now working on that one. I take atenolol now but hate it I cut my dose in half my doctor knows.
Recently I think because of possibly going through premenopause I started with anxiety bad, getting somewhat better with that I do herbs infusions with like oatstraw and nettles. I used kava kava to, I like to do what ever possible naturally first if I can.

Since finding out I been crying and I am so scared I am not sure what this means I think maybe it could be worse, maybe its going to get worse, my heart been allot more irregular now, is it a leak, the stress the heart has to work now after all these years is it going to be too much. Sorry for asking so many questions, I know I will be asking him this to. But if anyone knows they might want to share I would appreciate it. Guess I am in patient lol

Thank you

 

[dawnwit15]

Welcome

Welcome

Welcome aboard.
You have every right to be concerned and worried. This is your heart we're talking about. I think you may be worried also since your specialist wasn't up front with you. See what he has to say on Friday, if he isn't straight with you, get another specialist!!! Also ask him if you could see a copy of your records, get copies if you can. Better yet you should never hesitate to get a 2nd or 3rd opinion anyway. See what the consensus thinks you should do. I always follow the rule that I will be satisfied, if two well respected doctors give me the same opionion and if I want to be extra sure I get a 3rd. I figure all 3 of them can't be wrong.
Alot of people here suffer from anxiety. I think we all fear the unknown and become anxious wondering what type of treatment or surgery we may need. Try to do some yoga or deep breathing exercises to calm yourself down. Your symptoms may also be worsening because of the stress you are putting yourself under. Best of luck, we are here for you.
Keep us posted.
dawnwit15

 

[Karlynn]

Welcome!

Getting news like that is scary. But I'll share my recent experience. I have a mechanical mitral valve. Last December I had a routine echocardiogram done and my cardiologist informed me that my aortic valve was now leaking. I asked her to send me the echo report. Much to my horror, when I read the report it also said "trace tricuspid leak" or some such words. I immediately called my cardio and asked her why she didn't tell me I had a leaking tricuspid valve. Her reply was that most people have some small leak from the tricuspid valve - even those without other heart issues. She told me she wasn't concerned about it at all. I have to go in every 3 months now to have the aortic valve monitored.

There are a few people who have had tricuspid valve replacements here. Even fewer where the tricuspid is the only valve replaced.

So my take on your issue is that Yes, you should be concerned. But not overly worried. Make sure you have regular check-ups to monitor any progress, if any, the valve is having in leaking.

Best Wishes

 

[bvdr]

Hi,

Welcome to this forum. I'm sorry you are having problems with your heart. First of all though, any "trace" regurgitation in any valve is not a flag for alarm. It is very, very common.

I don't think the tri-cuspid is a valve that you need pre-medication for dental or other procedures since most people have a little leakage..... so you should be ok there.

One thing that rather jumped off your post to me was the usage of KavaKava and other herbal supplements. After I had my valve surgery my surgeon advised against taking herbal supplements and also to stay away from caffeine.

I'm wondering if some of your herbs may be over-stimulating your heart and causing some of your irregular beats. Ask your cardiologist about this when you see him/her.

I hope you find some relief and find a way to have a happy co-existance with a heart that sometimes mis-behaves.

 

[Johnny Stephens]

While I was still in the hospital, they were using echocardiograms to track my pulmonary hypertension (which has since resolved). The technician told me their measurement depended on the fact that "everyone's tricuspid valve leaks a little bit." Of course, oddball that I am, mine apparently doesn't.

I'm not presenting her claim as a medical fact, just wanted to say that I'm not surprised that it wasn't mentioned to you before.

 

[Nancy]

Hi dhope-

Welcome to the site.

Many people have trace type leaks in various valves. Valve surgery is not done until the valve is very seriously impaired and the patient is very symptomatic.

If your doctor is following you and keeping a good eye on you, I can't imagine any valve replacement in the near future with trace tricuspid regurgitation.

I agree with Betty about the herbals stimulating your heart and giving you the little irregularities. Worry can do that also. Your doctor has checked these irregularities out and has determined that they are the harmless kind of irregular heartbeats. Many people have them, me included from time to time.

You mentioned that you have anemia. Is your doctor treating you for it? It would be good to get that straightened out.

You also mentioned that you hardly exercise due to fear of heart problems. Exercise is good for your heart. You might discuss with your doctor whether starting some sort of exercise would be good for you.

My husband has had very serious heart problems for almost all of his life. He's had 3 valve surgeries, 2 lung surgeries, has a pacemaker and also has many other complicated and serious heart and lung problems. He even has severe tricuspid regurgitation, which is not something that his cardiologist wants to operate on.

In spite of all of this, he exercises almost every day with light weights, and walks on the treadmill for a mile. Being able to exercise has been very good for his heart.

Buck up, kiddo, you're not about to keel over. Just keep your appointments with your doctors and do what they ask you to do, and do ask about the anemia, and the exercise, and eliminate the herbal stimulants and any caffeine.

And, always remember that you have many friends here, and you can come here any time and ask lots of questions. We'll be there for you during this stressful time in your life.

Best wishes.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Welcome to VR.com dhope.

The KEY word in your question is TRACE.

Here is some information that should help put things in perspective. Medical descriptions range over 5 or 6 degrees of severity as follows

None
Trace
Mild
Moderate
Severe
Critical

Anything below Moderate usually is not considered worthy of alarm or even attention. At the 'moderate' level, Doctors will usually want to 'monitor' the situation with regular checkups, usually annually. Moderately Severe or Moderate to Severe will get a little more attention, say every 6 months. At Trace Levels, you are lucky the doctor even mentioned it, but since he did, he owes you an explanation. ASK for one the next time you see him.

Hope this helps to calm your fears.

I agree with everyone who advised against using supplements and especially caffeine. Caffeine is NOTORIOUS for triggering irregular heart beats in susceptible people.

DO ask about an exercise program also. You may get a precautionary Stress Test before being given an exercise program.

'AL'

 

[dhope]

thank you all

thank you all

Wow I want to say thank you all for caring, and I wish you well to. I will post back after Friday to let you know how it went with the specialist. I thank you for trying to make me feel better, I just can?t stop worrying why my heart seemeds so bad, and feeling not great most of the time. Can trace just get worse once you have it?


Believe me I know well what caffeine does I can't have it will make my heart go out of whack and it does a pretty good job of that on its own, although I do eat chocolate once in awhile. Yes I worry allot always been a worrier working on that now. Feeling my heart every beat every minute so stinks. Wondering when it might skip, palpitate, go into a fast racing beat which now I can get it back to normal by bearing down, its hard to do when you scared though. I been a vegetarian for a long time, I read and learn about herbs I know some are safe and some are not. When I try a new herb I take very little of it. I learned about this one oat straw, the ones that helps with healing nerves and this one seemed pretty side effect free here is what I found on it and though maybe someone might like to know about

OATSTRAW - Avena sativa

Oat straw comes from the same plant as your morning breakfast cereal. It grows in abundance and has been cultivated throughout millions of acres. The nourishing benefits of the stems, seeds and flowers do wonders for emotional challenges including stress, exhaustion, depression and a burned out nervous system. This one and nettle seemed to help me not sure what happen to me exactly when I was hit badly with the anxiety last year maybe little of everything and not sleeping well, premenopause I don't know.


Oatstraw is a traditional herbal bath for the treatment of spasms, nervous disorders, joint pain and skin disorders. It is a powerful nerve tonic and is supportive in the treatment of addictions, raw nerve endings and energy deficiency. It nourishes the pancreas, liver and replenishes the adrenal glands. And it reduces cholesterol and improves circulatory functioning.

Oatstraw baths are used to soothe flaky, itchy skin and to fight both physical and nervous fatigue. Soaking your entire body in an oatstraw bath helps to wipe off a stressful day, relieve anxiety, and relax the nervous system.

Oatstraw is useful for women in every stage of life including menstruation, pregnancy and menopause. It is known for its rich vitamin and mineral content including vitamin A and B Complex and it is a natural source of iron, magnesium and calcium (with one cup containing up to 300 mg. of calcium.) It is beneficial against osteoporosis with an ability to regenerate the nervous system which plays an important role in a woman's hormone cycle. It can be used for PMS, thyroid and estrogen deficiency. Also useful for degenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis or recurrent and persistent colds.

Properties include: Nervine and general tonic, anti-depressant, demulcent, diuretic, diaphoretic and carminative.

Dried Herb Usage
Skin Care - Add an infusion to the bath for flaking itchy skin and other skin problems.
Hair and Nails - Drink tea to grow nails stronger and longer. Makes hair healthy and shiny.
Tea - Add four tablespoons of dried oatstraw to one quart of water. Bring it to a boil and let it sit covered for four hours, then strain the herb from the infusion. Drink at room temperature throughout the day or re-heat your infusion as desired. Drink to soothe nerves, great for stress PMS and menopause.

Thanks I will be back

You?re a great caring group

 

[Harpoon]

You know... I think getting into more natural remedies, using herbs and such for their various properties and benefits, is a cool thing....


However, realize that a lot of these same herbs also have side-effects you might not be aware of, or worse yet, can cause more harm than good to other parts of your body.


Ginko biloba does a lot to give extra energy, make you more allert and attentive and may even help imrpove brain function.

However, it's also a POWERFUL stimulant that will make your heart race, as much or more than caffiene.

It also interferes with coumadin so many people here who have artificial valves and are on coumadin therapy avoid food and beverages that contain ginko biloba.


From reading your posts, it sounds to me like you're putting yourself under a lot of stress trying to "eat the right things" to promote your own health and well-being. While trying to do things to improve your health is very commendable, you can over-do it.

Talk to your doctor of course, ask him the same questions you've asked here and see what kinds of responses you get. You may also consider a second or third opinion. Try to find a good cardiologist that has some experience in valve disease. If you've had irregular heart rhythms since elementary school, there's a possibility that it might be related to some kind of congenital heart defect, that is a heart condition that you were born with.

I have one of those, I've lived with a "bad" heart for 30 years and I'm still pounding away, though I did have a few dicey moments a year ago. =)

If you do have a congenital heart defect, the best thing to do is to find a doctor that either specializes in adults with congenital heart defects that you can see, or try to see a pediatric cardiologist. You may need to do some hunting to find these kinds of specialists. There are a number of good resources on-line (sorry, I don't have links for you off hand, though someone else here might...) or you might talk to your primary physician.

My cardiologist is a pediatric cardiologist, almost all of his patients are children under the age of 10. I get some pretty funny looks when I walk into his office for a visit. I don't play wiht the toys in the waiting room though, unless I have my 4 year old son with me. =)


Try to relax some. "Minor" valve regurgitation isn't the end of the world, far from it. It could very well be benign, something that never has to be addressed. My son has a "heart murmor." We found out about it when we took him to the ER for a raging fever and the doctor on call mentioned it.

I panicked and called my cardiologist to set up an appointment for my son. A few days later we had seen his pediatrician and the diagnosis was confirmed, an INNOCENT heart murmor which is apparently quite common among young children. I cancelled his appointment with my cardiologist when we got home. A few months later we were all up to see my cardologist for an appointment I had and we asked him to listen to my son's heart. He explained it all and we went home happy.


Work on cutting back the stress level for yourself. Relax, meditate, read a nice book or soak in the tub for an hour. It sounds like you are getting yourself a little too worked up at this point and might be causing some of the symptoms you're having. Again, talk to your doctors and wee what they have to say, find another cardiologist if you have to or maybe someone that specializes in congenital heart defects.

Piece of mind is good for the soul. =)

 

[Peggy in Alaska]

Tricuspid Valve

Tricuspid Valve

Hi Betty:

Just wanted to set the record straight. The only valve I have a leak in is the tricuspid and I have been told it is very important to have pre-meds before dental work or any abdominal surgery.

So she needs to run that by her doc, but I would be suspicious if the doc said she didn't need pre-meds and you'd have a mad dentist on your hands if he found out he was working on her without pre-meds.

 

[bvdr]

You are right Peggy, that is important to know, thanks.

I know my first cardiologist let me go with atrial fib and mitral stenosis without putting me on coumadin. At that time I wasn't as pro-active in my health care as I am now.

Again, thanks. I bow to your first-hand knowledge!