ninjakitty1

I am 19 years old, 5'11", 145 lbs, I exercise regularly, eat a moderate, low salt diet, no caffeine, no soda, take a great multivitamin, and drink lots of water. I am now 19 years old, 5'11", 145 lbs, I exercise regularly, eat a moderate, low salt diet, no caffeine, no soda, take a great multivitamin, and drink lots of water.
I have constant chest pain, ranging in intensity and type. Sometimes it is a pressure, or a weight, or constriction, and other times I get stabbing pains, sometimes when I breathe too deeply, and sometimes just out of the blue. My heartbeat is irregular, but chemically controlled by Atenolol.

I have had trouble with shortness of breath, fatigue and rapid heartbeat for a while, I first noticed it two years ago. At that time I was basically living on energy drinks, soda, and snack crackers, alternated with high carb, high sugar meals at home (yes I know, bad nutrition...). I assumed I was out of shape. So, a couple months later I decreased and eventually quit soda, coffee, and energy drinks because of stomach trouble (in general, you stop drinking what makes you s-i-c-k.) I also improved my diet, and I played Varsity basketball on my school team during my senior year.

My heart trouble continued to increase in severity, and I also developed extreme fatigue, nausea upon eating anything, and joint pain that is undescribable. Walking a short distance at the speed of a toddler (not an exaggeration) made my heartrate spike to 140 bpm. Resting heart rate was never lower than 96 over the course of a semester.
I went to my family doctor, and at first he attributed it to 'stress' from beginning University and some other things. The second time, when I told him about the heart rate, he decided that I had Mitral valve prolapse and prescribed 50mg Atenolol.

My mom didn't want to start me on the drug without more information, but I was so desperate to be able to breathe again and not clutch at my chest when walking to class that I started on it.
At first it was amazing, and I felt a lot better. One day my resting heart rate dropped to 54 bpm (!). The chest pain was gone completely. I didn't feel or hear my heart thumping anymore, and it didn't feel like my heart was trying to come through my ribs either.

Since starting Atenolol 3 months ago I have gained 10 pounds, and the results have decreased. Also, I've developed some side effects from Atenolol.
My heart rate is slower than before, but still irregular and "heavy" and I can hear it in my ears, and feel it in my joints. 68-80 bpm at rest is now normal. Walking uphill, or quickly will still cause it to spike over 100bpm. The chest pain has also returned and is constant again. I have trouble remembering things that I never used to think about (where I parked, what we talked about in the class I just finished, my age, names of friends). I'm cold natured anyway, but I can never get my hands warm, and my feet are frequently numb.
The joint pain has also increased.
I fall asleep, or fight it, daily about 3 hours after taking the Atenolol despite having slept 7+ hours. The nausea has also returned, over the past 2 weeks.
And btw, all this means that I fall asleep in class and irritate professors (it's a small school) that I struggle in pottery, that I can't eat much without getting ill, but I feel famished all the time, and that I'm exhausted. Constantly.

I don't want to attribute too much to the drug (like the panic attacks that I have, they may be from something unrelated), but I am starting to be worried. I have had no follow up visits with the doctor, because of time and money. He is very condescending towards any natural medicines. I have read that MVP is really a nutrient embalance, and is the result of bad nutrition. He prescribed the Atenolol without doing any testing, except the stethescope/physical test, and at the time he said that he didn't HEAR a click or murmur, but that a racing heart in a teenage girl must mean MVP...<_<
The heart pain and bpm are a lot greater in the early morning before I take the Atenolol, but still...I am concerned. Could it be something else? Could it be the drug? Some people say that Atenolol is awful, and that it can actually cause/aggravate joint pain, and that it is addictive.

Can anyone here relate to this?
Does anyone know good information about MVP or medication?
Does anyone have any comments at all?
:-/