Problem or Mental?

[mattjohnbeale]

Hi,

I have a Bicuspid Aortic Valve and I've been having a combination of tightness, sharpness and a punch to the chest? It sort of feels like this all at the same time. I'm struggling to put it into words, it's like my heart is dropping then I exhale but it's mostly dull, only lasts a second in between a breath, is followed by some sharpness and is reoccurring but I only notice it at night. I find myself scratching my chest a lot and quickly exhaling or holding my breath to override the feelings. I'm not experiencing any problems from this and it doesn't cause me real pain, I can just feel it but it does help keep me up at night. I don't know if this is normal, anxiety-related or a concern. I haven't mentioned it in checkups because I don't know how to put it into words that accurately describe it and am not good at talking about myself generally.

I had my yearly checkup a month ago and there was no further concern from the doctor. I just had an MRI a week ago but am still waiting for the results. I really just wanted to know if an MRI is enough to put my mind to rest about this or if I should be raising concerns.

I feel like this is a yearly experience for me every time I have my checkups and MRI and it's a possible bodily reaction to how I feel mentally or subconsciously but it's hard to tell if my brain is just making that up or not.

If an MRI is enough to put my mind at ease it would be interesting for me to see if this problem disappears if the MRI shows no change in my condition which it almost does show no change every year

All the best,

Matt

[Autumn_Leaves]

Your symptoms are real, but they are clearly distressing you. Cardiac MRIs can provide a far clearer picture than an echocardiogram and are generally very reliable for providing information about your heart structure and how well your valves are functioning. If you’re told that there is no immediate concerns then I would take that as good news. The symptoms you are describing might be ectopic beats. They can feel horrible but are rarely a cause for concern. They can make people feel very worried and anxious though, but wait and see what your MRI says first. Maybe you could see about having a 24h ECG later on if these strange beats continue. They are rarely seen as anything of significance and are considered more as a “nuisance”

Anxiety is real condition and deserves to be addressed like any other. You might want to ask your GP about CBT, and also look into learning techniques such as breathing exercises or mindfulness. These techniques will take your body out of the fight or flight state and activate the rest state. These aren’t a cure for anything but it can influence your body chemistry, reducing adrenaline and other stress hormones which can have a negative impact on your health indirectly. This is in addition to calming your mind. None of this means that your heart symptoms aren’t real. It’s possible to have those symptoms AND be anxious.

[Ageingfast]

Dear Matt

I had a bicuspid aortic valve. Just meant it wore out more quickly. Replacement valve aged 72. I never knew it was bicuspid until age 70. Quite active doing cycling, running and millions of tennis matches.

Good luck with your other issues. Keep fit, eat sensibly. The heart op was just wonderful. We all panic about a heart op but it was super. All the best staff work in cardiology.

Sooty

[Yumz199725]

Hi mattjohnbealeI also have bicuspid aortic valve and I had issues with those sensations in my chest got so bad caused light-headedness aswell, literally felt like my heart was dancing around in my chest. I had alot of investigations, countless holter monitors, exercise tests and eventually they found on one of my holter monitors had picked up ventricular Tachycardia so definitely wasn't in my head, cause like you I was beginning to think it was all in my head 💔. Have you talked about these symptoms with your cardiologist or doctor?? Can really mess with your head especially when you don't know what it is or what's causing it. Wish you all the best with your MRI results and hopefully it will shed some light on what's causing your symptoms x

[Zed1063]

Hi Matt

Anxiety is so horrible. I have different feelings and pains and I have been told that it is anxiety rather than my heart. Still scares me but I tell myself it is anxiety and try to forget about it. Mine seems worse of a night or if I am not doing anything! I hope all is well with your MRI but if you are worried still go back to the GP. I went private to see my consultant and he told me he was happy with my heart and try not to be anxious. All the best

[Debtyd]

Aw bless you it's so rubbish eh?I'm sorry you are going through this but trust me,you really aren't alone,I have different heart issues for nrly 4yrs now... I had a 100%blocked lad artery,and I've had 2stents replaced so I have 3 piles of 2stents and a random in my posterior artery somewhere...but if I hadn't pushed enough for standby angiogram I may not even ever have known.i still get the feeling of being punched in the upper stomach and being winded,it's horrible and I've been told that there's no apparent cause for concern...I get wheeziness along with throat tightening ls which I've been told is my form of angina...when I tell them all this I get under doctors writing jargon letters and saying I've not got signs of angina as I don't get chest pains lol but I feel like they must think I invent some of these things...I always say though,that if you are feeling something is or may still be not quite right and you don't have the kind of minset that imagines pain or symptoms,then trust your instinct and push for answers even if you have to find them else where...it took them a year to give me an angiogram and found the issues I have..because I knew I wasn't right...all my ecgs and electro and ct scan came back clear.the mri is the one last Yr that said I had had a mild heart attack...I'm not saying don't trust the med professional at all ever but you need to tell people if you dont feel well xxx Deb xxx

[jerry12953]

It's not necessarily a mental health issue. It's only natural that we focus our attention on areas of the body when they are "problematic". So we notice every little thing that's going on there. In normal circumstances when our attention is focussed elsewhere, we wouldn't notice them.

[road2ruin]

Hi Matt, As above, it sounds a lot like ectopic beats. I had a bicuspid valve, now replaced, and I get them from time to time. They can be a little uncomfortable and stress certainly makes them worse.

Peter

[Rhinos67]

Hi MattI had an undiagnosed bicuspid aortic valve until it got to the severe to critical stage of stenosis at the age of 54.

It was replaced last year with a mechanical valve.

Looking back I now know that I had symptoms for years , but would have never guessed that they were to do with my heart.

I'm actually pretty glad that I didn't know that I had a heart defect as I know that I would have spent years and years being anxious.

Get in touch with your GP, even if your current issues are anxiety based you still need some support and if the GP thinks it is anything else they can refer you.

Also have a think about joining our Facebook group if you aren't already a member - UK Aortic and Heart Defects Pre and Post surgery. Say hi if you do join 😊

Joanne