Questions posted in the Heart Forum have been answered by doctors from The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

Question Title: Swelling and Lanoxin level

Forum: The Heart Forum
Topic: Mitral Valve


I am a 38 year old female with a long history of Mitral Valve Prolapse, but only about 3 years ago did the doctors tell me I had atrial flutter.
I have been on Lanoxin ever since. All of a sudden my hands are swelling, but my doctor says just eat less salt. I don't cook with salt and I rarely add salt to my food, so I don't believe this is a problem. I am on my feet for long periods of time, working in a health care profession. Is swelling generally associated with MVP. I don't have any rales in my chest, but I do appear to get more dyspneic on exertion than usually. Thanks.


Dear Janet, thank you for your question. Swelling of the hands is not related to MVP or lanoxin. However, the only way to determine if this is caused by the lanoxin, is to stop taking the medication. You should speak with your physician before doing this, however.

I hope you find this information useful. Information provided in the heart forum is for general purposes only. Only your physician can provide specific diagnoses and therapies. Please feel free to write back with additional questions. Good luck!

If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart
Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.

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