Hi All,
And thank you in advance for your help....
I used a diet pill for about two years before I knew of the dangers....after stopping it (about two weeks) I developed shortness of breath (in october 2005). Since then I have also developed chest pain, extreme fatigue, and had an "attack" of some kind on Jan 17th....my echo says:

NL LV size and sysfn, DD? Impaired relaxation? (pulm veins-unx). Flow in RA appears to be IVC/SVC inflow but suggest a bubble boundary to c/o PFO.
1) Normal chamber sizes
2) Norman LV function
3) Trace MR and TR
4) Peak RVSP = 24 mmHg (this is the one to check for pulmonary hypertension right?) Should it be 14 mmHg?
5) Doppler suggests diastolic LV noncompliance (means some high BP)

EF = 66%

Can anyone tell me if I might have PPH from the diet pill? I feel like I am getting worse each day with chest pain, extreme fatigue, and terrible shortness of breath- all of these occuring while at rest...I am taking atenolol - my HR was high resting so I started the beta blocker, I also take synthroid with can raise the HR. My BP was high before the beta blocker - which was started right after the echo....

Thanks for any help you can give me on translating this and trying to figure out if I PPH - the symptoms listed on the web seem to fit - but they could fit a lot of things....

Thanks again,
Best wishes,
Kathy

Hi Kathy,

...NL LV indicates a normal left ventricle size; other chamber sizes normal as well.
...LV is pumping efficiently at 66% (50%-70 is normal).
...Slight leakage of the bicuspid and tricuspid valves.
...Peak RVSP is the pulmonary pressure. The 24 measurement is within the normal range.
...Doppler suggests there is some impairment in the heart's filling (relaxation) phase. That would be diastolic noncompliance.

The large vein carries blood from lower extremities (IVC) to the right RA, and (SVC) is the vein that carries blood from upper extremities, head and chest wall to the RA. There is an inference there may be problem from the location described.

Just based on your post information, if there is a problem, it may be due to the heart chamber not filling adequately. Although the heart is pumping out 66% (good EF!) there may be insufficient volume of blood pumped per beat. If the CO is compromised, one would have the symptoms you describe. Eventually, if not treated, the condition will cause fluids to back up into the extremities, heart chamber enlargement and heart failure with a drop of EF below 29%.

There isn't any information in the report that indicates pulmonary hypertension, but with right-side heart irregularities the problem may easily develop, and whether or not there are current pressure issues may require a heart cath.

Hi Kenkeith,
Thank you very much for your reply - It was really informative....I really appreciate it - I feel like I'm getting progessively worse...the echo was done in Nov - I had a stress test last week....I also had an abnormal EKG the last week of Jan....The cardiologist wants to send me back to the PCP - I have been shuffled from doc to doc with no real answers....so I don't know anymore...
Thanks so much for your help - it's much more explanation that the doc gave me...
Best wishes,
Kathy