Pulmonary Regurgitation - Breathlessness?

[MattZombie]

Hi all,

I had a pulmonary valve replacement when I was 21 in 2013. I am 32 now, as the years have passed, the valve has started to leak. I have been told the leak is now severe.

I am unsure if I am experiencing symptoms as I have major health anxiety (I bet I'm not the only one!), so I can never really tell what's real and what's not. I'm due for another exercise test and echo at the end of the month.

Generally, my heart rate is low and my cardio recovery appears to be good. My only possible symptoms is breathlessness, but not in the way I had imagined. I do not breath heavily after activities where I feel a bit "gassed" (walking quick up a few flights of stairs for example), I feel more like my breathing doesn't catch up, almost like my body wasn't aware we were doing more exercise than regular standing, which in turn gives me a feeling that I would describe as breathless.

However, my heart rate does not increase an alarming amount and I'm not breathing heavy, has anyone else experienced this?

Occasionally I will feel faint for a very brief period (standing up quick, bending over, after a quick change in pace/activity), but it's not major.

Any help, insight or advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your time,

Matt

[Wooodsie]

Hi Matt, are you taking a beta blocker? If so, these often cause a feeling of breathlessness. In my case Bisoprolol.

[MattZombie in reply to Wooodsie]

Hey Wooodsie,

Thanks for the reply, I'm not no, the only thing I take is 75mg Aspirin each day.

[Wooodsie in reply to MattZombie]

I don't think that would make you short of breath Matt. May be worth talking to you GP.

[fishonabike]

breathlessness can be experienced in different ways -for example:

1) i used to have asthma caused by allergies, this left me wheezing and feeling like i could not breath out properly without any physical activity

2) when i had a heart event my breathing felt restricted, as though someone was sitting on my chest

3) later, after i had recovered i started to feel like i could not get enough air in to my lungs during some physical activities - i was later diagnosed with asthma

basically they are all caused by your body realising it is not getting enough oxygen - this can be because there is a problem with:

either your lungs getting the oxygen into the bloodstream

or your heart being able to pump the oxygen carrying blood round your body

or your blood being able to hold on the the oxygen and deliver it to where it is needed

or a combination of these

so this could be why breathlessness is experienced in different ways

the feeling "faint for a very brief period (standing up quick, bending over, after a quick change in pace/activity)" can also be a sign that your brain is short of oxygen/fuel, because it's not getting blood pumped to it effectively

a leaky heart valve means that you body gets less of the oxygen and fuel it needs, just like the reduction in water output from a tap when there is a leak from further back down the pipe

sometime the heart reacts be pumping harder rather than faster - this can lead to problems if it goes on for a long time - in your case you have been told the leak is severe, so i hope there is a plan to deal with that and that it is put into action soon