Wife now having Chest Pains

[JohnnyV_46]

My wife has had problems for about 6 years now with Rapid Heart rate...I don't know the proper term. She's been seeing a Cardiologist for a little over 6 years. She had a Stress Echo when she first started seeing him. He wanted her to have the Ablatement procedure? We didn't want to take the risk. They also told her She had Mitral Valve prolapse...As long as she takes 25 mg of Toprol Xl she doesn't have any problems with the Fast heart rate. She found out the hard way what happens if she forgets to take it. We've been to the emergency room a couple times where they had to convert? Drugs to reverse it. Now I found out a couple weeks ago that she's been having chest pains when under stress or excersizing. She told the Cardiologist and he wanted her to have another Stress Echo. We went Monday...The nurse from the doctors office called today and said that it really didn't show any changes from the pasts echo. I know from experiencing myself that Chest pains can be signs of arterial blockage. Have any of you Mitral Valvers experienced Chest pains prior to replacement? Of course she's worried to death. The nurse said she would discuss it with the Doctor since her Echo and see what he wants to do next. I Don't know that I'll be able to handle her needing surgery like she did for me. I think that scares me more than any procedure She'll have to go thru.

Thanks
JohnnyV

 

[Karlynn]

Chest pains are among the symptoms of a prolapsed mitral valve. I had some. But I've known people where that was there major symptom.

In my opinion, they need to rule out arterial blockage. A cath could be in order. Not fun - but it will also get a better look at her heart and valves. Chest pain is nothing to mess with and shame on her for not telling you about it sooner.

Not to scare you JV, but there is a reason more women die of fatal first heart attacks than men. One reason is that women can have different symptoms that go unnoticed because they are different than a man's symptoms. One is that for some reason, some women think that women usually don't have heart attacks so they ignore there symptoms and chalk it up to other things. Another reason is that women tend to push off their own needs so as not to worry others.

I'd be all over her like ugly on a frog to find some conclusive answers, if I were you.

 

[MikeHeim]

I had chest pain during heavy exercise prior to my diagnosis for regurgitation. It was pretty dull, and not scary enough to make me stop exercising. In fact, if I kept exercising for a long time, it started to go away. I never had the pains when my valve was just prolapsing. The cath confirmed that there was no artery blockage, so the pain must have had to do with the regurgitation.

 

[barbwil]

JohnnyV, I experienced nagging chest pain for several years, lasting 24 to 48 hours each time, from my mitral valve prolapse. I knew I had the prolapse but noone had ever told me it could cause pain until our cardiologist mentioned it one day. When I had my heart cath. just before the repair my surgeon said my arteries looked a lot better than his!! But of course that is just my experience and your wife needs an assessment of her condition.

 

[debster913]

I had chest pain with my MVP before surgery. I've had it off and on for years (twice bad enough where my mom/husband took me to emergency--2001 and 2005). The notorious day that I had symptoms and ended up in the hospital back in April, I was having chest pains with my shortness of breath. My angio showed no blockage of my arteries, and my cardio was scratching his head trying to figure out why I had chest pain. He doesn't think chest pain is caused by regurgitating valves, but apparently as you've read here, it is possible.

Your wife needs to be assessed. I'd be on her like white on rice to figure out what's going on.

Keep us updated--
Debi (debster913)

 

[JohnnyV_46]

Thanks for all the response! She heard back from the Cardiologist office late this afternoon after I posted. I'm taking her back to see him tomorrow at 5:15.I know something is not right. I wish they could find it with just one of those fancy MRI's. I swear She's much stronger than me. I don't want us to have matching scars. I'm sure that the Doc is going to order more tests..He will after I get done with him anyways...I guess its sort of too bad we don't have the same one. Her guy is supposedly Better than mine. I didn't have the pick at the time. I'll be posting where we're headed next. Much tougher being on the other side of the fence!

Thanks
JohnnyV

 

[Karlynn]

Keep us posted Johnny. I'm sure you'll be able to "step up to the plate" if the time should come, and be there as a support for your wife like she was with you. But we'll think good thoughts and hope that's not going to be necessary.

 

[debster913]

You know what they say...couples who have matching scars stay together...OK, I know that was dumb.

Great to hear the update. Keep the faith and let us know how the appt turns out!

Debi (debster913)

 

[JohnnyV_46]

Well, we went to see the Cardiologist early this evening. My wife didn't tell me until we got there that she was having chest pains, shortness of breath, light headed. The nurses took us right into the office...Checked her BP, EKG, Pulse Ox..all those were normal. Doc came in....checked her over a bit and then sent us straight over to the ER which was right across the parking lot. Oh, She was also feeling pretty nausious. He had them draw blood, chest xray and CT scan. The doc in the ER told Me outside her room that her Doctor was concerned about Aortic Dissection..Well short of doing a Cardiac Cath...everything came back normal..SHe was feeling better after all the tests. The hospital we were at did not have a cardiac care unit. The ER doc called Her Cardiologist with the test results. He gave her the option of going 30 miles by ambulance for overnite observation or going home. She chose coming home. So, for now we wait. The Stress Echo showed nothing abnormal. It did show the mitral valve prolapse which he knew about 6 years ago....