Was/is your valve disease symptomatic before valve replacement?

[Cooker]

I did not think that I was symptomatic and both my PCP and Cardio said that the time for AVR was before I became symptomatic?..Two year and three months after AVR the difference in how I feel is amazing?.I know that I recently posted about being tired after strenuous yard work but hey, I don?t usually do strenuous anything?.But I feel better, in some ways I feel younger (no details)?But I have made some major changes in lifestyle and diet in the past three years and I am sure that has something to do with it also?

It was hard walking through those doors feeling like I had no symptoms?.I would not trade what I have now and the way I feel with anyone.

 

[Anne K Sippit]

asymptomatic

asymptomatic

I knew I had a "murmur" 4 years ago. My last physical got the ball rolling for MVR. The last three years I finished off my basement (heavy lifiting hauling 130 sheets of wallboard downstairs - moving all the furniture around about three times, putting in the ceiling, hugh hot tub, walls, elect. and plumbing)

Last year I got on a walking regimen and dropped 35 pounds - felt great. I though the little bit of wheezing was because of the overweight thing. Felt great and guilt drove me into have a physical April 08. MVR scheduled for June 08.

 

[hall]

I had a heart mur mur as long as I can remember, so I have had frequent echos. They said the stenosis was worse. I had an appointment w/my GP and I went in to SVT right in the doctors office. He called 911 and the squad came and they took me to the hospital and shocked my heart back in to rhythm. 3 days later I had OHS. I thought the AVR was supposed to fix the tachycardia and that has not happened. That's my story!!

Deb

 

[Kari72]

Both my 14 year old daughter and myself are extremely tired all the time. I also am extremely short of breath most of the time. Dr. says it has nothing to do with my heart, but I know it does! Don't believe them when they say it is just your imagination.
Hope you symptoms improve!

 

[Magic8Ball]

At the time pre-op i would say not.....i was 37 and overweight but active...i was doing my brown belt in taekwondo and have two kids and so was always doing something....never breathless or dizzy.

However, after surgery and looking back i can see that i was..

*Tired...a heavy sleeper and snorer (snoring now gone).
*Lethargic & lacking drive or enthusiasm for anything.
*Grumpy and impatient.
*Argumentative.

Not that i've now turned into a model citizen or anything like that but i'm certainly a more energetic and happy person with a greater level of patience.

 

[upchurch131]

I didn't know I had any problem at all into my 40's. Initially I presented with multiple PVC's on a routine EKG. I saw a cardiologist, took a stress test and they decided it was benign. In fact, during the treadmill, the PVC's went away! I had two spinal surgeries in 1992 and had several echo's. Nothing was ever said about a bad valve. Since these surgeries, I have been less and less active as a result of permanent nerve damage. In my early 40's and during a routine BP check, the pressure was crazy. I was again referred to the cardilogist and a stress echo in 1997. It was at that time the bicuspid valve was discovered. I've been monitored with an echo initially every 6 months which extended to every year after the thing didn't budge. 6 years ago I had an angiogram which showed the arteries were clean as a whistle. Last year, I was in the hospital for a TIA when during an echo, the aortic enlargement increased (the AV pretty much stayed the same). It was done again in October and then in April 2008 which all showed increases. I am at 5.1cm now.

I have noticed since my spine surgery, some decreases in agility, but attributed that to my lost ability to be as active as I once had been. Since my TIA, I have noticed a severe drop in agility. I am winded easily and have now begun to experience light headedness.

 

[Duff Man]

So I went to my cardiologist yesterday and he told me my valve is actually functioning decently. I was really skeptical about that statement because I feel like **** all the time, I can't tolerate exercise anymore etc, etc. He went on to tell me my average gradient across the valve is about 12 mmHg, and the peak gradient is 32 mmHg, which is like no where near what is considered time to replace it. So I look at the "impressions" section of my echo report and it says "probable bicuspid aortic valve with mild aortic stenosis and no aortic regurgitation." It goes on to say I have mild everythingexceptaorticvalve regurgitation. So basically my aortic valve is pretty sweet despite the aneurysm, and I apparently don't have a very good reason to be so out of shape.

Sorry, I'm just venting.

 

[Ana]

So I went to my cardiologist yesterday and he told me my valve is actually functioning decently. I was really skeptical about that statement because I feel like **** all the time, I can't tolerate exercise anymore etc, etc.

SNIP

....So basically my aortic valve is pretty sweet despite the aneurysm, and I apparently don't have a very good reason to be so out of shape.

Sorry, I'm just venting.

Don't worry about venting. You are concerned and that's normal. When you say you feel like ****, what exactly is the issue? Shortness of breath? Lightheadedness? All around low energy? These could all be the result of med side effects...if you are on meds. Have you discussed this with your doc? There are pharmaceutical protocols which are usually followed in these cases and the docs have to adjust meds and amounts to the individual, but can't if they don't know the adverse effects.

 

[Bina]

Aaron, 1 yr before my OHS, my Mean gradient was 19 and my Peak gradient was 34. Cardio said I should go for surgery, my valve area then was 1.1 cm, I was getting dizzy and felt like complete crap, very tired all the time. I was too scared and it took another yr before I got it done. Don't wait too long!

 

[ctyguy]

Im a numbers guy, thats what I can relate to so I took alot of interest in understanding what my numbers meant. Prior to my surgery the gradient across my Aortic valve was topping out at 115 ! Also the valve opening was measured at .9cm Obviously those numbers were bad, bad, bad. The funny thing is I didn't have any real discomfort, only when I exerted myself. I had an echo done at 6 weeks post-op and the gradient was right around 20 which from my understanding is pretty much normal.

Bottom line is everyone is different, I had moderate to severe stenosis and the gradient measurement was nuts but I felt pretty reasonable except when I tried to exert myself. Your issue may be related to your heart, or maybe its due to meds your taking, how your body metabolizes the meds, or maybe something else. Talk to your docs, hopefully they can figure this out for you.

 

[witzkeyman]

I worked out on a usual basis up until about 3 months before the surgery. At that point, I made excuses more often not to work out. I used to walk on average 3 miles a day. Just before surgery, I had a difficult time walking from one end of the parking lot to another without walking straight. I became very dizzy.

 

[mrwjd]

Wow, you are fortunate. You could go years without a problem--you might not, but you could. The longer it is before replacement, the longer total you will be healthy, before and after.

Unless the numbers are bad, it's a good guess that this is not the source of your lack of condition. The reason somebody can't keep up the pace with aortic stenosis is that the valve becomes a bottleneck and he can't move enough blood, therefore enough oxygen. If that isn't happening and you have no regurg--and your dr. says you're okay on these--aortic stenosis isn't the cause of your lack of condition.

Maybe you're just getting old, man.

(Kidding! Don't hit me!)

 

[rocksoldier]

maybe get another opinion? it's YOUR body and YOUR health and if you feel crappy-there's gotta be a reason! i just had my surgery 5-27 and b4 i was soooo tired and got out of breath with the "simplest" things-ie-showering,playing w/a kitty, walking up or even down 6 stairs.....remember-even tho many believe it to be true-docs are not gods! you are a comsumer and deserve the best service! trish

 

[Duff Man]

Aaron, 1 yr before my OHS, my Mean gradient was 19 and my Peak gradient was 34. Cardio said I should go for surgery, my valve area then was 1.1 cm, I was getting dizzy and felt like complete crap, very tired all the time. I was too scared and it took another yr before I got it done. Don't wait too long!

OK awesome, this is making more sense. My AVA or aortic valve area (I assume) is 1.5 cm2. The parenthesis next to my numbers indicate a normal range of 3-5 cm2.

How does the valve area get smaller? I don't get it. How can someone with a gradient of 100 feel great, and a person with a gradient of 20 feel like crap? Not to mention the wild differences between similar valve areas and their gradients. Like, a 1.0ish valve area can have anything from 10-100 mmhg.

 

[Duff Man]

Ya know, after spending some time on these forums and seeing what kind of diseases people are up against, I'm convinced that valve disease is not something isolated. What I mean is people here have valve problems, but they also have problems like asthma, hypertension, cancer... it can't be a coincidence. I'm not trying to be mean, but I don't know another person in real life that has so many health problems unless they're over 65-70.

 

[Debrinha GT]

Getting desperate

Getting desperate

Hi everyone. My symptoms are getting worse and I don`t know what`s what anymore, I mean, I get extremmely breathless when I go to bed and I don`t even try to lie down anymore. Sitting on the couch to watch TV is the same. I haven`t had a decent night`s sleep for a couple of weeks now. My chest feels like there`s something stopping the air from getting in but the doctor told me it is getting in and out ok. I need to have the windows open at all times and when it`s not possible, I turn my wee fan on. It feels horrible and the noise I make as I struggle to breathe sounds like there are 10 cats fighting in there. I also have this annoying dry cough on and off except while I`m asleep. I have to do everything in slow motion or I feel like I`ve run miles nonstop and even talking makes me tired. I`m starting my chemo this Thursday to shrink a tumour in my left lung and only then will they`ll operate on my heart, but until then, it`s far too risky and they won`t even consider it. There`s a whole team of doctors working on my case and they said my deteriorating mitral valve is still doing its job but the heart`s struggling to pump the blood. Anyway, I can`t really remember exactly how I felt before the previous surgeries and now that I alos have lung cancer I`m so scared and confused. Hope someone can shed some light.
Debora

 

[francie12]

Ya know, after spending some time on these forums and seeing what kind of diseases people are up against, I'm convinced that valve disease is not something isolated. What I mean is people here have valve problems, but they also have problems like asthma, hypertension, cancer... it can't be a coincidence. I'm not trying to be mean, but I don't know another person in real life that has so many health problems unless they're over 65-70.

I've had the same thoughts. I really think congenital heart problems often bring other ailments along with them. In my son's case, for instance, his acid reflux and migraines seem to be shared with many people here on this forum. Let's hope more research is being planned. I know they are already making a connection with migraine.

 

[pamela]

I`m starting my chemo this Thursday to shrink a tumour in my left lung and only then will they`ll operate on my heart, but until then, it`s far too risky and they won`t even consider it. There`s a whole team of doctors working on my case and they said my deteriorating mitral valve is still doing its job but the heart`s struggling to pump the blood. Anyway, I can`t really remember exactly how I felt before the previous surgeries and now that I alos have lung cancer I`m so scared and confused. Hope someone can shed some light.
Debora

Hi Deb, I'm sorry to hear about these recent difficulties. I am of the mind that your breathing difficulties come from the tumour occupying space in your lungs and not allowing the O2 exchange to happen as effectively were it not such a large thing. The radiation will hopefully shrink the mass and allow your capillaries and avioli to work in harmony again. Once you can take O2 in and get rid of CO2 more efficiently you'll have the MV surgery.

I'm keeping you high in my good thoughts and my good wishes are all about you getting back to a real high quality standard of living.

Take Heart,
Pamela.

 

[Debrinha GT]

It makes sense

It makes sense

Thanks Pamela. So, do you have any idea as to why I feel better as soon as I stand up and start moving around? Another thing is that I can no longer sit up with my back against anything at al as it feels like something`s being squashed. It`s actually chemo I`ll be getting but not the type that makes your hair fall. Thank you.

 

[Leeroy996]

Just to backup BcuspidBoy's assumption. I am now 2 weeks post op from OHS. My heart was enlarged, valve biscuspid and badly calcified and stenotic. My ascending aorta was out to 4.9 cm.
2 months ago I was attempting to beat the USA Time trial champion in a bike race. I didn't do it but I that's my level.
No symptoms.