Mitral Valve Prolapse and burning calories? - Heart Disorders Message Board

dancergirl161 · 07-05-2008, 05:58 PM

I am 21 and was diagnosed with Mitral Valve Prolapse last fall, my docters said I've probably had MVP for quite a few years. Due to the MVP I have pretty regularly occuring tachycardia, my resting heart rate is usually between 100 - 120 ( I also have low blood pressure). The fast heart rate doesn't bother me though, I normally can't even tell when my heart is racing unless I actually feel for my pulse. My doctors gave me Toporol, but they said I only needed to take it if the tachycardia became something that bothered me.

My question is about burning calories. I wear a normal exercise heart moniter once or twice a month to keep a log of my heart rate. The moniter also measures calories burned. Now when i'm sitting at school or just slowly walking around ( my heart rate is between 140 - 170 when standing) the moniter says that I haved burned around 300 calories in one hour by basically doing nothing. Now I'm a fairly small person, I'm only 5'2 and about 100lbs and I've always been thin, but is my body actually burning that many calories because of my increased heart rate? Or does the moniter just think that I'm burning calories because of the increased heart rate?

I'm sorry if this sounds confusing, but if anyone has any insight it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Casey

aether4 · 07-05-2008, 08:13 PM

Since the monitor is probably made for people with normal heart rates, I'd imagine it's not getting a completely accurate view of what your body is doing. I have read some speculation that some people with tachycardia may be at risk for hypoglycemia due to their bodies burning through calories faster - though that's more linked to adrenaline as well.

You may want to do some research on MVP syndrome, surely someone else has had the same questions you do at some point. Some obvious options are to carry healthy snacks with you or, if you don't mind them, try some of the nutritional replacement drinks like Ensure. I have to resort to drinking that sometimes as there's times/days I cannot tolerate food, but it's not so bad as it tastes like the milk left after chocolate cereal. lol
I don't know how you can tolerate 140+, at that point I feel horrible. Has your doctor suggested anything to get your blood pressure/volume up? Such as increased salt and fluids?

dancergirl161 · 07-05-2008, 10:43 PM

I usually drink a lot of gatorade and yogurt drinks or smoothies, but I can't handle Ensure, everytime I've tried it has been too rich and it just makes me sick to my stomach. I do try to eat often between meals; fruit, nuts, granola bars. Even though I never really feel hungry, I can tell when my body has gone through all the previous calories and my blood pressure is too low because when I try to stand up my vision goes completely black for at least a full 30 seconds and sometimes I'll feel flushed or nauseous. I don't exactly feel dizzy or fatigued, just sort of shaky, especially my hands and upper legs(weird?). When this happens I try to eat something with sugar in it as quickly as possible.

As for the increased heart rate, I've always thought it was weird that I don't feel like my heart is racing. My dad has atrial fibrillation and my grandmother on my dad's side has supraventricular tachycardia, so heart problems definitely run in the family. Whenever my dads heart rate goes over 100 he feels awful, he has chest pain and is exhausted. The only time I ever feel anything is when it goes over 160 (This is when I take my Toprol) , and even then it just feels like a fast flutter at the hollow of my throat and I feel like I have to keep swallowing to clear something from my throat.

I don't know, some of this could have absolutely nothing to do with my MVP, but it is certainly frustrating when people tell me all I need to do is eat more and gain weight or I need to stop feeling so "nervous" all the time.

Thank you for your reply though, it's always appreciated when someone offers realistic suggestions as opposed to generalized or overly simplistic statements about what I should do.

Thanks, Casey

aether4 · 07-06-2008, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dancergirl161

Even though I never really feel hungry, I can tell when my body has gone through all the previous calories and my blood pressure is too low because when I try to stand up my vision goes completely black for at least a full 30 seconds and sometimes I'll feel flushed or nauseous. I don't exactly feel dizzy or fatigued, just sort of shaky, especially my hands and upper legs(weird?). When this happens I try to eat something with sugar in it as quickly as possible.

This is known as pre-syncope. Due to your low blood pressure/volume and the effects of gravity you're experiencing orthostatic hypotension - your brain is temporarily not getting enough blood and oxygen.
Either your body corrects the flow, you'll fall (like I tend to), or you'll faint (syncope) as a result.
It isn't your weight and it may not even be related to when you've eaten, mine sure isn't. Unfortunately syncope/pre-syncope and hypoglycemia have very similar symptoms - doctors either say to eat or your stressed, etc. And yes, it does sound like it's linked to your MVP.

And I agree, the Ensure is rather rich. I'll get mildly nauseous from it but that only lasts 10-15 minutes as opposed to what food can do, so I tolerate it.