Hi all. My name is Keylolo, Im 27, married 8 yrs with 2 kids 7 and 1 1/2.

When I was younger 11, 12 I would often awaken with a very rapid heartbeat. It beat so fast I would not be able to go to sleep lying down, it always went away when I would sit up. It always left me gasping for air. For years my grandmother would take me to the hospital to try and find out wat was wrong with me. I was placed on a heart monitor, but nothing was found.

Years passed and when I was a senior in highschool I went in for a check up. The GP noticed I had a heart murmur and sent me to the University of Pennsylvania for a echocardiogram. The results he said showed I had something called Mitral Valve Prolapse where basically my valve wasnt closing like it should and blood was backflowing causing the murmur they heard.

He told me it was very common and nothing to worry about, and that was it. I literally never even gave it another thought for MANY years.

Fast forward to 2 months ago. I need to have two teeth pulled, which I did. About a week after I was watching my children when all of a suden I felt very weak, even though I was breathing normally I felt like I wasnt getting enough air. My hands were shaking, it started to get kinda dark and I knew I was gonna faint, I quickly splashed water on my face, drank some and sat down. Slowly it went away. That happened twice within 2 weeks. I thought maybe I was prego again but turns out I wasnt. I had no more spells after that until yesterday.

I woke up just feeling genereally not well. My stomach was hurting, I would get these bouts of nausea that would suddenly hit me then leave. I was getting hot flashes. I was SOOO weak and tired. Just walking to the bathroom felt like I had run a marathon and I just felt like no matter how well I was breathing, I wasnt getting enough air. My heart wasnt racing, but it was skipping beats all day. I tried to ignore it and continue with me day. At one point I gt some slight pain in my right arm that ran down to the tips of my fingers. I have gotten this before and usually just shake my arm, open and close my fist and it went away. I couldnt get to sleep at all the night before, I only slept for a hr and just figuered I was run down, but I felt so sick, so weak, so tired.

I feel alot better today but I googled my symptoms and got heart failure. at 27?? Then I read people with valve disorders can develop heart failure overtime. I was told it was common and nothing to worry about. Could I be wrong. We dont have much money right now with the holidays so I call myself trying to wait and see if it will blow over again since I am probably over-reacting as I tend to do, LOL!

Any input or insight from you guys would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Im sorry to hear about your problems. That sounds so scary. Did you take the antibiotics before you had your teeth pulled? Thats pretty important.
MVP needs to be checked every year or so especially if there is leakage (Backflow). It can get worse. When was the last time you had it checked?

I agree w/ Jenn e. Your doctor should have told you that you need to take an antibiotic before any dental procedures. The reason for this is that you can carry bacteria into your blood stream which can go right to the heart.

Im sorry to hear about your problems. That sounds so scary. Did you take the antibiotics before you had your teeth pulled? Thats pretty important.
MVP needs to be checked every year or so especially if there is leakage (Backflow). It can get worse. When was the last time you had it checked?

It hasnt been checked since I was 18. I didnt know it even needed to be checked. The GP I talked to in 96' told me not to worry about it, it was common and thats it. Nothing about follow up or anything, and I even forgot the name of it till someone mentioned to me this year.

I took antibiotics after my teeth were pulled not before. I got a minor infection after the tooth was pulled but nothing big, just some minor swelling that went right away.

Would pulling my teeth effect my heart?

I agree w/ Jenn e. Your doctor should have told you that you need to take an antibiotic before any dental procedures. The reason for this is that you can carry bacteria into your blood stream which can go right to the heart.

My goodness I never knew that, he never told me anything like that, no instruction at all, he just kinda blew it off maybe because I was so young back then. Ive had many dental procedures over the years and never once took anitbiotics BEFORE getting it done. I never knew.

I woke up just feeling genereally not well. My stomach was hurting, I would get these bouts of nausea that would suddenly hit me then leave. I was getting hot flashes. I was SOOO weak and tired. Just walking to the bathroom felt like I had run a marathon and I just felt like no matter how well I was breathing, I wasnt getting enough air. My heart wasnt racing, but it was skipping beats all day. I tried to ignore it and continue with me day. At one point I gt some slight pain in my right arm that ran down to the tips of my fingers. I have gotten this before and usually just shake my arm, open and close my fist and it went away. I couldnt get to sleep at all the night before, I only slept for a hr and just figuered I was run down, but I felt so sick, so weak, so tired.

I've had serious heart disease for over twenty years, including heart failure. Fortunately my "progressive" heart disease has gotten a lot better. Even so, I'll get similar symptoms as yours when my heart isn't pumping good enough. My heart normally skips beats, races, pauses, palpitates or beats forcefully, and I still feel OK. It is when it is doing all of that misfiring, AND at the same time, my heart is not pumping well, that I feel symptoms such as yours, along with symptoms of oversweating and disorientation. When that happens I stop what I am doing and completely rest and relax, and take a nitro under my tongue, and after a while I feel much better and stronger.

I feel alot better today but I googled my symptoms and got heart failure. at 27?? Then I read people with valve disorders can develop heart failure overtime.

Heart failure means the same thing as a weakened heart. Someone with heart failure can have a slightly weakened heart, a moderately weakened heart, a severely weakened heart, or many shades in between.

Your symptoms mean, to me, that at times, something is irritating the electrical system and timing of your heart, causing your heart to function weakly. That can happen at any age, for a number of reasons. It doesn't mean that your heart is weakening, or going into heart failure, but it is serious enough for you to find out what is irritating your heart and avoid the things that are causing your worrisome symptoms.

At the same time, to be safe, you should go to a cardiologist to have your heart checked out and to give yourself some peace of mind.

QUOTE: I feel alot better today but I googled my symptoms and got heart failure. at 27?? Then I read people with valve disorders can develop heart failure overtime. I was told it was common and nothing to worry about. Could I be wrong. We dont have much money right now with the holidays so I call myself trying to wait and see if it will blow over again since I am probably over-reacting as I tend to do, LOL!

Whether or not your MV prolapse is serious enough to be of concern depends on the cardiac's output. Heart failure will develop when blood that should be pumped into circulation goes back into the atrium. Over time and system compensation and then decompensation there will be HF due to a valve problem. Ischemia to the papillary muscles or the attached cords are elongated will cause MV prolapse.

Heart failure can be a cause of a valve problem. I have heart failure and severe/moderate valve regurgitation. With heart failure, there usually (among other compenstion developments) is an enlargement of the left ventrical of the heart. The enlargement can skew the opening of the MV and cause regurgitation.

It is a mystery and the docs can not be sure whether the valve caused HF or the HF caused the valve problem.
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The AMA states someone in the moderate-risk category (in the list is mitral valve prolapse with valvar regurgitation and/or thickened leaflets) and high-risk category should take a prophylaxis for these patients to prevent Bacterial Endocarditis. Patients with dental procedure include prophylactic cleaning of the teeth or implants where bleeding is expected.

I rec'd in the mail a wallet sized card that is prescribed by my doctor indicating my condition and that I need protection. Included was information by the AMA. Your condition may be something less than moderate risk and doesn't require any protection.

My cardiologist told me that it is no longer recommended that people with MVP take antibiotics before dental work.

To me is sounds more likely that you're having blood pressure problems, or perhaps blood sugar problems or something. There are just so many things that can cause your symptoms that it's hard to say. And you are very young and that makes it seem even less likely that you have heart failure. If you don't feel better, try to go to the ER and get examined.

Thanks for the advice everyone. Im going to make a poointment today and see what the doc says! Thanks for the help!

I agree with the others -- it could be anything, and involve your heart, or not. Your symptoms also sound somewhat like panic attack as well.

I've got a so-called "benign arrythmia" shared by millions and things really act up when I'm stressed, had little sleep, worried, etc. It doesn't take much to start up the symptoms. Add to that some generalized anxiety and it all seems worse.

Best to gain peace of mind by making that appointment with the doc. Can't hurt to follow up after years of not having the MVP situation checked out. It IS very common, though, as are many rhythm problems, so not to worry. Above all, don't worry yourself sick!

your prob sounds like a a BP or Sugar problem to me, II have the same things sometimes when i dont eat enough. I have thousands and thousands of pvc's a day and my cardio said they were nothing to be worried about, which is good except when my anxioity kicks in after reading this board >_< hf can happen at a young age, but unlikly, i would highly suggest that you watch what you eat and how much stress you take in.