Random question

[kingsnorth]

I’m wondering what symptoms you lovely lot had to warrant you seeing a cardiologist in the first place ie shortness of breath etc. I was diagnosed with regurgitation many years ago with no follow up or no medication. I have lupus so usually have some kind of inflammation in my body somewhere. I find that when l bend over l get a pain high up in my chest, not a sharp pain just a pain or weird feeling. I recently had a 24 hour bp monitor which was fine.

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

I am looking forward to seeing the responses to your question!

My father, his brother and their father all died prematurely from heart attacks. As I approached the dangerous age I decided to discuss this with my GP as I also had the additional risk factors of Type I diabetes and PAD (peripheral arterial disease). I am also 99% certain my grandfather had undiagnosed Type II diabetes. He was fairly dismissive as according to him my BP and cholesterol were fine. Fast forward a few years. On a cold and frosty morning I was walking uphill, got chest pains and became quite breathless. I continued after a rest and decided it was probably due to a chest infection that was dragging on after a request for antibiotics. When it reoccurred some weeks later I decided it was probably angina. Indeed it was and in June 2018 I had a quadruple bypass!

[kingsnorth in reply to MichaelJH]

Thanks for your reply Michael. My gp is also dismissive I’m 70 shortly and expect to get aches and pains. I’m not too bad when it’s hot but when l get cold my chest sometimes aches as mentioned in my previous post l have lupus so do get random aches and pains but this new one is weird. I’m not sure how angina would feel like. I hope you are now doing well.

[MichaelJH Heart Star in reply to kingsnorth]

Cold weather (below 5C) really affected me. My symptoms were breathlessness with pain and pressure in the central chest area but others get pain in other areas of the chest, arm, neck and jaw.

At the moment all my focus is on recovering from my BKA (below knee amputation) at the end of July. Recovery is proving far harder than recovering from a bypass!

[NathanBlau]

A heart attack

[Nuttyshirlz]

Hi I was getting out of breath while walking. I already have arthritis I thought it was side affects of one of the pills. So went to my GP I also wanted to talk to her about my heart. Many in family had heart problems on both my parents sides but we were told many years at freeman hospital when with my dad that big chance. Me or brothers could also have problems my dad had first heart attack at 21 had a bypass at 45 and died at 51 with a heart attack and he died home alone while my mum at at shops. I started having problems at 51.

[080311]

Hi, found walking up hill I was getting breathless put it down to needing to lose some weight! Weight turned out to be water retention! Heart wasn’t able to pump hard enough to get the water out!

Went to see GP thinking she would give me a few tablets she sent for an ambulance and ended up in hospital for 7 weeks while they got rid of the fluid and then transferred to the heart hospital for new valve and bypass.

Pauline

[Supernanu]

Aged 68 I had no health problems. Cholesterol, BP, sugar, weight all fine. Been tired for several years but then started to get breathless and some chest pain. Family nagged me to see GP. Convinced she would say lose weight and exercise more. Nine months later I had open heart surgery and aortic valve replaced!

[Speakeazi]

Why wouldn’t you at least get a consult with a cardiologist? GPs can be fab but they can also miss/dismiss things.

[kingsnorth in reply to Speakeazi]

Do you know if l can see a cardiologist directly or do l need a referral from gp

[Dollcollector in reply to kingsnorth]

Your doctor will refer you if he/she thinks you have heart problems. I had a fast pulse rate, an uncomfortable tight feeling in my chest. I was trembling after preparing dinner and couldn't sit and eat it. I had to go to bed. When l saw my doctor she sent me straight to A&E.

[Speakeazi in reply to kingsnorth]

You can self refer if you choose to go privately. Some find having an initial consultation helpful , but of course any tests will be carried out privately.

[Everyoung]

Hi I have sarcoidosis similar to lupus with inflammation. I have moderate mitral regurgitation caused by mitral prolapse. It was mild regurgitation for many years but in the last 6 years became moderate. I do have an echo annually just to keep an eye on it but the cardiologist is not concerned. My sarcoidosis can cause chest pain because I have it in my lungs. Can lupus affect your lungs?

[kingsnorth]

Lupus can affect every organ in your body 😢 what is prolapse. I think l will see a cardiologist to see if my regurgitation has got worse. I was reading that a floppy valve can cause pain or be uncomfortable

[Meatless in reply to kingsnorth]

Hi there I was recently diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse which has caused severe regurgitation. Basically my symptoms were shortness of breath and a general uncomfortable awareness of my heartbeat with palpitations. I also have a permanent pain in my left lung area which is worse when I lie down. Cardiologist described my prolapse as a floppy/ buckled valve which doesn’t sit right therefore lets some blood flow back. My heart function is normal though at present so I am awaiting a decision on next steps. Best wishes.

[kingsnorth in reply to Meatless]

Thanks Meatless l would say mine was uncomfortable awareness l couldn’t think of a word or phrase to describe it. Sometimes worse than others

[Meatless in reply to kingsnorth]

I try hard to keep a lid on the anxiety caused by over thinking my situation as I find that really aggravates my symtoms significantly.... try to settle, we have fantastic specialists who can help us Physically through a whole range of different heart issues as well as this great forum which can deal brilliantly with the psychological aspects we face...

[gilreid1]

Flashing blue lights for me

[kingsnorth in reply to gilreid1]

Are you saying l should call an ambulance ??

[gilreid1]

No you asked how decided to see a cardiologist. I was rushed to A&E in an ambulance (blue flashing lights) HA stent fitted triple bypass eight weeks later

[Hidden]

I was having a lot of liver problems , high blood pressure and then inflammation in my gut which took me into A&E after a scan they found a myxoma in my right atrium.😉

[kingsnorth in reply to Hidden]

Ahh hope you are ok now x

[Hidden in reply to kingsnorth]

I feel good thanks, wishing you well. 👍

[Fredders]

I’m slightly different, I had a chest infection when I was 16 and my GP detected a heart murmur so he referred me to a cardiologist. I then had yearly check ups until I moved and the hospital forget to refer me to my new local hospital. Had a few years with no check ups and then had the same scenario of a chest infection and GP sent me to see new cardiologist. Yearly check ups resumed until my aortic valve deteriorated enough to need replacing (regurgitation).

Since you say you were diagnosed with regurgitation I would ask your GP to refer you to a cardiologist. I am very surprised they haven’t been monitoring you anyway.

Wendy

[kingsnorth in reply to Fredders]

Thank you l will speak to my gp to see if he will refer me on. Did you have any symptoms from your aortic valve before it was replaced

[Fredders in reply to kingsnorth]

Nothing after initial diagnosis but my cardiologist didn’t expect me to have any problem unless or until it deteriorated. Over the tears it lowly got worse but it wasn’t until my mid 40s that I started to get some breathlessness. I eventually had my first AVR at 52, but even then I didn’t really have any symptoms apart from occasional breathlessness. However as by then I had severe regurgitation and distended aortic root, my cardiologist decided he would rather do the op then whilst I was still reasonably fit and well.

I would definitely push your GP for a referral.

Wendy

[kingsnorth in reply to Fredders]

Yes l will thanks my regurgitation has got worse and more frequent and can hurt when it happens at times

[Fredders in reply to kingsnorth]

Keep us posted.

[kingsnorth in reply to Fredders]

I will do

[Cruger]

I am a 60 year old overweight taxi driver who previously in 2014 had a stent put in due to getting out of puff sweaty and clammy from push starting a car.

7 weeks ago I was putting up a shed in my back garden and again felt out of puff, sweaty, clammy and again ended up in hospital thinking I would only need another stent. Went for the angiogram and it took ages. When it was over I asked the surgeon how many stents he put in, and he said "None". I was to have a quadruple heart bypass asap. I am 5 weeks post op, lost nearly 2 stones and apart from trouble sleeping in bed and a sore leg from the vein harvesting I feel good. Having said that I have started to get a numb burning sensation (Meralgia Paresthetica ?) in my right upper thigh which will need investigating.

[kingsnorth in reply to Cruger]

I’m glad you feel good and long may it last. I didn’t know there was so many things that could go wrong with a heart. Stents seem quite common l think

[Thanksnhs]

Hi I basically ignored all signs that could have meant something serious was wrong, I put it down to old age I was 58! I was feeling awful and I went to my gp thinking I needed antibiotics for sinusitis, got there collapsed, ambulance called never got home for two weeks, dilated cardiomyopathy, congenital, since I left it untreated I now had severe heart failure, my dad died at 62 yet I still ignored all symptoms, wind the clock on three years I am now 11 weeks post transplant, and doing well at the moment, please go and get any symptoms investigated it may be nothing which is great but on the other hand please don't be like me,they have now checked my sons and brother fortunately I haven't passed it on take care char