So I've been having some pretty major problems for the last year that have been getting worse. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia early in the year and so my weakness and shortness of breath were placed in the category with that illness.
Well recently (last month) I've developed terrible lightheaded spells and dizziness, along with a couple fainting spells, weakness, and trouble catching my breath with less exertion than normal. I also get "strange sensations" in my chest I don't even know how to explain. No rapid heartbeat, although occasionally I get some really forceful beats. I'm having a hard time getting around in general and it seemed to have come on rather suddenly.
Well my first EKG came back normal, so doc had me do a Halt monitor for 24 hours...that came back normal as well. So we dropped the subject for a while and were just going to wait it out. Well I collapsed at work and was unable to get back up. Things are getting worse. The doctor ordered a Carotid artery ultrasound, which came back normal and an echocardiogram.
The Echocardiogram showed mild mitral valve prolapse. So I was wondering, even with mild mitral valve prolapse there can be symptoms right? A lot of my symptoms seem to line up perfectly, I have the strange coughs everyday that seem to have no origin, a hard time breathing when laying down and especially after activity (note I usually am pretty active during the day), chest pain, and of course fatigue...which I think is basically worse fatigue on top of the fibro.
This does make sense right? I am hoping my doctor can provide some treatment for me starting this week, but is there much they can do for a mild prolapse even though the symptoms are severe? Or could there be something else exacerbating this even more?
So I've been having some pretty major problems for the last year that have been getting worse. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia early in the year and so my weakness and shortness of breath were placed in the category with that illness.
Well recently (last month) I've developed terrible lightheaded spells and dizziness, along with a couple fainting spells, weakness, and trouble catching my breath with less exertion than normal. I also get "strange sensations" in my chest I don't even know how to explain. No rapid heartbeat, although occasionally I get some really forceful beats. I'm having a hard time getting around in general and it seemed to have come on rather suddenly.
-Liz
It could be that you might have Environment Illness, otherwise known as Chemical Sensitivities.
That means that many things (triggers) in your environment, from the level of pollens and pollutants and Auto Exhausts in the air, to the paint on your walls, to the carpets in your home, to the electric fixtures in your walls, could be effecting your health.
When you are environmentally ill, your body is effected similar to allergies, in as such your body over-produces hormones and cytokines, in defense of what your body perceives as irritants (triggers). This over-production of body chemicals (hormones and cytokines) can cause damage to organs, glands, nerves, bones, heart valves, blood pressure, heart rhythm, muscles, etc., and can cause general malaise, where you lack energy and feel ill most of the time.
The "cure" is the same as with allergies, AVOIDANCE! The more personal irritants that you can discover that are harmful to your health, the more that your health improves.
It's taken me many years to discover my own personal irritants (triggers) and learn to avoid them, and as a result, my health has significantly improved, despite major, life-threatening health problems.
What do I do when I know I am allergic to 50+ things (my last test, literally over 50 allergies...inside, outside, year-round) and have severe chemical sensitivities, pollutions sensitivities, even light and sound sensitivites. How do I avoid all of those? I mean....I can't live in a bubble ;-; I already take two types of allergy medications every day.
My bigger question here tho is can my mitral valve be causing my weakness and collapse spells?
What do I do when I know I am allergic to 50+ things (my last test, literally over 50 allergies...inside, outside, year-round) and have severe chemical sensitivities, pollutions sensitivities, even light and sound sensitivites. How do I avoid all of those?
You've could attempt to avoid any known "major" irritants (triggers) that you know will harm your health and make you feel badly, and make you dizzy, or feeling like you are passing out, or give you breathing problems, or give you malaise, or cause your heart to race, or skip beats, or to thump strongly, or to beat too slowly.
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I mean....I can't live in a bubble ;-;
Immune System problems tend to get worse, not better, as we age. The worse the symptoms and the more dangerous the effects on our health, the more we have to do to protect ourselves from that which could hurt us.
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I already take two types of allergy medications every day.
The allergy meds lessen the severity of allergic reactions, but don't block or inhibit the over-production of the body hormones and cytokines which can cause a lot of health problems.
The meds that block the over-reaction of the Immune System and the NeuroHormonal System are Beta Blockers, Calcium Channel Blockers, Ace Inhibitors, Angiotensin II Blockers, Renin Blockers, etc.
Have you ever taken allergy shots?
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My bigger question here tho is can my mitral valve be causing my weakness and collapse spells?
In my humble non-professional opinion, Mitral Valve problems can add to problems with weakness and lightheadedness, but your main problems are with your allergies and chemical sensitivities.
Best of health and luck to you. Take care.............
I am going to ask that you research Dr. Lynn Frederickson who specialized in MVP and a sometimes accompanying syndrome called Dysautonomia. She has written a book on the subject. It is diagnosed with a Tilt Table exam where they record your BP and EKG while raising and lowering your head on a tilt table. I have a sister and daughter that both have both MVP and Dysautonomia and they were having similar symptoms as you describe. The principal is the same as one suffering from orthostatic hypertension, in that changing position can cause a person to experience dizziness. Only difference is that the BP fluctuates widely in Dysautanomia, which can make one pass out and experience extreme fatigue. Panic attacks, smothering when reclining are also common in this malady. The good thing is that it can be controlled with medication. Hope you feel better soon.
Mild mitral valve prolapse with symptoms 
