Bicuspid Aortic Valve diagnosis

Self | An American in Turkiye

[An American in Turkiye]

I turn 45 in November and was just diagnosed with a Bicuspid Aortic Valve. I have no symptoms whatsoever. My doc heard a murmur last month and I had an echocardiogram yesterday. Nurse called me today with the news.

I do have pretty high cholesterol, and my blood pressure is usually around 135/80.

Any Freepers or their loved ones have this? Any comments are appreciated as I'm continuing my research on the subject.

[Strac6]

Any leakage or regurgitation show on the Echo?

Any arythmia?

Going to do a 24 - 72 hour Halter Monitor?

Have relative by marriage cardiologist in Mersin if you need a referral

[Airwinger]

Had emergency double bypass at age 55, Due to some issues did not see that murmur (stenosis) had worsened enough to do valve replacement at same time. Did good
Fast forward to 2015-16, monitoring of Aortic Stenosis showed need for Aortic valve replacement. I qualified for a new procedure
(TAVR) or transcatheter aortic valve implantation.
Taken back to surgery on Friday about 9;30, back in room at 12, sitting
up in chair at 4, and Discharged Sunday at 1, pretty slick

[wardaddy]

It’s a regurgitation or prolapse of the mitral which is the only two leafed valve in a normal heart

Unless you’re symptomatic leave it alone

I was born with a bad heart.....a shitstorm heart but I don’t quit

What you have is essentially benign unless the prolapse gets more pronounced and you’ll be symptomatic

Tired and pallid from maybe arterial and venous blood mixing

Maybe some atrial flutter with the HIS conduction bundle getting confused

But if you feel nothing I’d quit worrying about it

[An American in Turkiye]

Wow! Thank you for the detailed info! I’ll definitely keep in touch; you’ve had quite the first hand experience with this!

[An American in Turkiye]

Thanks for the info!

[mdmathis6]

135/80? Not very high though pharm companies are pushing 120/60. 140/90 was the old “max” high that many docs still use(ignoring the imploring voices of big pharma to treat BP;s until the BP’s fall to the level of a limp spaghetti noodle!)

[wardaddy]

See I told you....we have the real deal here saying just what I said

I’ve dealt with a crap heart since my late teens but lacking the tools they now have nobody knew and thought I was hypo

Only when they sawed me open first time at 46 in 2004 did Will Coltharpe realize my LAD was completely intramyocardial and four intraseptal bridges and totally non functional but augmented by loads of tiny Gods arteries compensating but which given their small gauge were ischemic and failing

Left mammarial graft worked for a while but they should have gone below D2 so 11 months later I elected to redo with right mammarial and bridge further down the LAD

In addition I too had mitral valve prolapse....it was nothing

I had PVCs and various AV block all my life which progressed

Now I have full blown trifasicular block which means without a pacemaker my pauses between my upper and lower chambers are morbid....like 26 beats a minute last syncope I had.....that is can’t raise your head off the floor as world of vision gets pinhole small....not good

Scares your family and the dog....only cure is a pacing pacemaker

Additionally I have a galloping arrythmia which of course given my luck is excercise induced at times.... Only the best arrythmias for me...lol

I take sometimes 400 mg of regular toprol or lopressor.....same drug

And I can still make Whoopie with that much betadrenagenic blocker coursing through and in that case I am extremely lucky

Bottom line.....id pay large to have your heart....enjoy it

If you’re worried about it....ask for some Xanax or klonopin.....you ain’t gonna die anytime soon

Good luck

And really I’m only maybe a 7-8 on the bad scale maybe even better cause my pumping coefficient is mid 40s which is not horrible....I just wish my lungs would open up better with less scar tissue

Every time you get cracked open you could lose a little lung function ....it scars the available expansion room if that makes any sense

And don’t forget blue meat from that good old contrast stress test....a lifetime of a crap ticker you are gonna carry some dead heart meat

You know in poor nations they use to go in and cut it off the ventricle to stave off congestive heart failure

Wild huh?

I really want you to quit worrying

I think 2-5% of the general population have your malady....which btw is frequently quack diagnosed....used to be common in tall skinny models

If it needs attention you’ll know it

[mdmathis6]

You could’ve had your broccoli, what you couldn’t do is to suddenly change the amounts of the greens you did eat! It’s the sudden level changes of Vitamin k in your diet that causes the issue! If you were used to eating a given amount of green veggies a week, the docs would have adjusted the amount of coumadin to compensate.

Of course that is a moot point for your situation currently but it might not be for others!

[raybbr]

You should probably see a doctor for that.

{:^@

[Vermont Lt]

It is amazing they can do a valve replacement without cracking the chest.

I am in awe of the stuff we can do now.

[ctdonath2]

I had it, now have a replacement mechanical valve. I tick like a clock.

Happy to discuss anything about it.

[PAR35]

I agree with you. But if someone is already on medication, I’d aim for 120/70.

[Arlis]

Knew all this - wasn’t relevant to my post and I was trying to be brief.

First few years my cardio said no stenosis (narrowing of valve opening) was occurring and I may live a full life w/o replacing the valve. That changed quite suddenly in year 4. I became short of breath exercising.

BTW, my avg. BP is now 117/75, resting HR 53, am on LIpitor but cholesterol way below 100 (genetic tendency for being high - mother had cholesterol in the mid-300’s all her life and high BP - but lived to 96!)

My doc put me on 2g of Niacin/day in 2000; it did lower both cholesterol & triglycerides but supposedly many studies show niacin still doesn’t have the same good results as statins. Many, including me, get over the flushing - spread 250mg tabs over the day. I found the non-flushing niacin to not work.

I’m anti-statins, but my cardio has me convinced I need it. I believe plaque build-up in arteries is primarily from inflammation and the primary cause of t he inflammation is sugar. I rarely have sweets, but occasionally did when younger.

The reason I recovered so quickly was multiple reasons, primarily God’s grace. I never had heart issues and had a very strong runner’s heart. In CICU I heard the cries groans & complaints of those around me and determined to get out of there ASAP and followed nurses instructions explicitly regardless of how it hurt. Cardio surgeon was one of the best in Virginia - I told me I was going to be his best recovery ever (he said I was) and I could walk as far as I wanted as long as I didn’t get short of breath.

I never did, and in 6 weeks was walking 9 miles/day......couldn’t do anything else, why not? I live in country, heavy hardwood forests, and it’s 1/2 mile walk through heavy woods to my mailbox. I have 3 mile & 6 mile loops I’d been running for 25 years, and loved walking them.

Exercise and diet are key to recovery.

Since my surgery, I’ve watched many others never leave the hospital and die there. I have good friends who have serious damage to nerves, leg pain (where bypass veins come from), and complications. I was blessed to have none. This is outside my control and God’s grace for which I am daily thankful.

[GailA]

My last primary who made to many medical errors and is now FIRED had me try 5 different statins, to lower a modest 35 pt over 100 count, HDL is 65 or higher, couldn’t tolerate the side effects. Welchol 3 pills in and I had gout pain, 5 pills couldn’t walk for the pain. Older statins have less cramping issues than Crestor or Lipitor, which are the main line choices because of slick ad campaigns. Not that they work better than a generic Provastatin that has less side effects. Crestor’s max dose is 40 MG.

This was suggested from an alternative to meds
for digestive health, but see many other things it works on. Not tried it as I don’t know where to get it. My big issue would be it’s like a spicy pepper. I don’t tolerate them, OA drugs ruined my GI track.

Ajowan Oil

http://ayurvedicoils.com/tag/health-benefits-of-ajowan-oil

[Arlis]

Thanks, Doc - sure didn’t know that, was not told that - just told broccoli was out.

But the main thing is no way I’ll go on Coumadin unless I’m dying.....my father was on it for the last 15 years of his life (died at 93 in his sleep) due to afib...........

[waynesa98]

my brother nearly died with that. Here’s the deal If your aorta is normal and your otherwise in good shape watchful waiting is the way to go. If you go into AFib it could be very difficult to convert. Be very conscious of your health. My brother wound up with pneumonia that caused afib that caused sepsis that forced open heart surgery to fix his aorta and replace the valve. He’s now on blood thinners for ever and will need the valve replaced every 8-10 years. On the cholesterol issue add more veggies and colors of veggies to your diet.

[Chode]

prayer up