Rhythmic

[Rhythmic]

Recently diagnosed with aortic regurgitation (leaking aortic valve), I am interested in the experience of others with this. Diagnosed following a stay in hospital with chest pain and high blood pressure as having possible early heart failure, this was confirmed by a heart specialist 3 months later, Dec 2023. At just over 80, I'm wondering if I should face a valve replacement as suggested by my GP, i.e. be put on the waiting list now as it could take months or more to have an op. Meanwhile, the cardio specialist has started me on a new drug - dapagliflozin (Forxiga) which is normally used for diabetic problems, but can also ease heart failure symptoms - is anyone else using that? It's described on the Nice site as slowing down the damage to the heart and also keeping more patients out of hospital. My swollen ankles and breathlessness are much better, but my pulse is erratic and often seems to nearly stop, or else race. I also still get chest pain. A second thought in my mind is that should I, at 80, just see what happens with no intervention - I don't want to clog up waiting lists of much younger people needing medical treatment.

[wilsond]

My thoughts are,if your specialist has suggested a replacement valve,he or she are quite confident that it is 'worth it' both in terms of economics and your health,that the chances of a sucessful outcome for you are good. When you say that perhaps just let nature take its courseand not waste NHS time and money ( I think that's what I read here) in the most practical term,you may very well find you end up being more of a drain on resources as HF progresses! It is definitely worth strongly considering the replacement on my opinion.

Best wishes ❤️

[Rhythmic in reply to wilsond]

Thank you wilsond, good advice! It all seems so confusing when first diagnosed. Difficult to see things in proportion.

[wilsond in reply to Rhythmic]

Certainly it is ! You are very welcome. Best wishes x

[Deejay62]

Hi, I started Dapa over a year ago added to my other heart failure cocktail of meds 7. I find it’s quite good for me and it has helped to reduce fluid from my body. I take bisoprolol for my fast heart rate.

[Rhythmic in reply to Deejay62]

Useful, thanks Deejay 62

[Rhythmic in reply to Deejay62]

Useful, thanks Deejay 62

[Mitchum]

One piece of advice. Your life, unselfish as you may be, is as important as a "younger person's" life! If you need a valve re-placement and are suitable then get one ASAP!

[Rhythmic in reply to Mitchum]

Yes, that's what my son said. I just quake at the thought of how they do it, either open heart surgery or via catheter through arteries (if you're lucky).

[Mitchum in reply to Rhythmic]

Just let them get on with it. It is not as painful as you would imagine and after a few weeks of recovery you will be ecstatic that you had it done. Good luck and don't hesitate to contact me if you want to know anything of my experiences if it helps.

[Rhythmic in reply to Mitchum]

Thanks Mitchum.

[Survivor1952]

I'm 71, similar diagnosis experience to you BUT I was admitted as I'd had a heart attack in the week before diagnosis, I had no idea as it was a silent attack (no symptoms). As a result I had 2xPCI before they found my regurgitating valve, that led to AVR and 1xCABG just over three weeks later. I feel great now, it's as if I've had the clock turned back 10-15 years!

The only issue I have (8 months post op) is that I can tire easily but I have to learn to manage that.

My advice is go for it, you are not being selfish, you are actually reducing, in the longer term, the load you put on the NHS and you are also taking a source of stress away from your family and/or friends.

[Rhythmic in reply to Survivor1952]

Good advice, thank you Survivor. So many kind people like you on this site offering comforting words. Glad I found it. Best wishes to you for continued good heart health.