BREATHLESSNESS

[meki]

Thanks for suggesting B12 it is great BUT my GP wanted to check everything and after an echoscan on my heart they have discovered a leaky heart valve so open heart surgery here I come.

[shaws Administrator]

Meki,

I am glad your GP insisted on looking into your heart problem more fully. It is good they have discovered the problem and you will feel so much better when you have your op.

Please let us know how you get on.

Best wishes.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

That highlights that we always need to think that issues might very well be "not thyroid", "not B12", "nothing we know anything about". Which can be very difficult to achieve in a forum like this.

I know I catch myself falling into this trap time after time. Very glad for you that the cause has been identified.

Wishing you all the best with the surgery. Do let us know how it goes, please.

Rod

[meki]

Thanks both. Even GP did not expect the results. I look and feel a fraud. They think birth defect the murmur not picked up previously as chest only listened to when had severe colds etc. Thank God I have one of the GP's who listens to you and wanted to eliminate everything before changing Eltroxin dosage

[PinkNinja in reply to meki]

But he checked anyway, even though he wasn't expecting such results? That is one very good doctor to check this out even though he wasn't expecting this to be the problem. Checking all the possibilities is important when you don't know the answer. I wish more doctors were like yours. A regular Sherlock Holmes of the medical world

[PinkNinja]

Oh dear I'm glad it was picked up though and I hope the op goes well. Hopefully this will help you to feel very much better. Clearly you have a very good doctor!

This is the trouble with thyroid illness; it affects so many things in the body that it is difficult to know if symptoms are related to thyroid at all. Even the doctors say 'it's just because of your thyroid. Don't worry about it. It's nothing' just because it is on your records you have a thyroid disease. I have found this myself. Luckily mine wasn't anywhere near as serious as yours but it was found, on my insistence, that there were other problems.

All the best for the operation.

Carolyn xxx

[meki]

Letter arrive pre assessment 30th October Angioplasty to assess damage 4th November. Fingers crossed everything sorted and replacement valve fitted before Christmas

[Jackie]

Hi A valve does not always need replacement, sometimes meds enough, It is a very common condition. Well done to the doc who spotted it, often missed. breathlessness is the first symptom of heart disease. it is easy to just assume it is other things, which it can of course be but always best to make absolutely sure.

Best wishes,

Jackie

[meki]

Sadly I am absolutely sure. I went in for the echoscan and expecting to be told go back to GP in 2 weeks instead I have a room fill with Doctor 2 nurses and a rep from the british heart foundation discussing heart valve replacement. surprised the shock did not kill me there and then