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Dear Mary,
I'm 42 years old and I was told for several years that I had no need to worry about my "heart murmur" (MVP), that I need only to be sure to take antibiotics when having any surgery or dental work done - that it was not serious - until recently. I was always told by doctors after listening to my heart that I had an exceptionally "loud" one. At the beginning of this year I started experiencing fatigue, lightheadedness, memory loss, depressesion, loss of weight and I also noticed that I could not breath very well. I went to my doctor and he assured me that we would find out what the problem was and one of the tests was an echocardiogram - which I observed while the test was being given. I noticed that my mitral valve was not closing properly - if at all - it appeared to be a kite tail flailing in the wind. A few weeks later I was informed that my heart had also enlarged due to the stress of this deformity (I was told that it was hereditary and my sister, mother and grandfather had MVP) and that I should have surgery. That they would have normally - in the past - waited, but that my heart was already enlarged and it would only get worse. I was also told that I was a good candidate for Mitral Valve Repair, which is a fairly new proceedure. After surgery I found that they also repaired my Tricuspid Valve, and they did a heart reduction - which is also fairly new. Additionally, I was given what is called a cosmedic cut - horizontally under my breats (across my entire chest) so that the scar would not be so prominent. It's been three months - I can breath better and I no longer have MVP! I'd be happy to discuss further if you want.
In Reply to: MITRAL VALVE PROLAPSE posted by JENEL on August 05, 1999 at 16:38:08:
Hi, Jenel.
This is NOT the MVP that is the current FAD diagnosis. This is a serious condition that is either congenital or due to Rheumatic Heart Disease.
I hope no one confuses your condition with the benign MVP that has no symptoms OR complications.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: MITRAL VALVE PROLAPSE (NOT) posted by Walt Stoll on August 07, 1999 at 15:02:41:
I was just reading your comments to Jenel about MVP and how it has no symptoms.
After being diagnosed with MVP about 10 years ago in my late teens, I have experienced fluttering of my heart, arrthymias that were diagnosed as PCP's or PVP's, one or the other, but the Cardiologist said that they were benign skipped beats. I have never felt dizzy or faint throughout these years, but my doctors tell me I definitely have MVP.
You say that MVP has no symptoms and is in fact a fad diagnosis. Does this mean that MVP would not be detected on an echocardiogram? In other words, if the MD's diagnose you with MVP, and you say that it is a fad, then the echocardiogram should be normal. Showing no prolapse, right?
In Reply to: Re: MITRAL VALVE PROLAPSE (NOT) posted by Joan on August 08, 1999 at 05:52:58:
No, Joanne, I did not mean that.
If you went down the street and selected people at random, a high % of them (symptoms or not) would show (by echocardiogram) the same incompetence of the mitral valve as is now being touted as MVP. It is not significant and causes no symptoms.
By dealing with the real causes of those symptoms (in those who have them) the symptoms go away while the echocardiogram has not changed.
All of this has been discussed ad nauseum on this BB for years. Why not take the the time to read everything in the link below and make up your own mind. If you choose to get rid of your symptoms, you can. Your echocardiogram will not change but you will no longer have the symptoms. It is up to you.
Changing paradigms is among the most difficult things for people to do----especially when a trusted institution (the conventional medical paradigm) has told you something you want to believe. " 'Tis the bonds of which we are unaware that are the most binding of them all."
Walt
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