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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
Arrhythmia after Valve Replacement
This forum is for questions and support regarding heart issues such as: Angina, Angioplasty, Arrhythmia, Bypass Surgery, Cardiomyopathy, Coronary Artery Disease, Defibrillator, Heart Attack, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Mitral Valve Prolapse, Pacemaker, PAD, Stenosis, Stress Tests.
Arrhythmia after Valve Replacement
by lisa, Nov 17, 1999 12:00AM
I had a mitral valve replacement (St. Jude's) in June, 1998. The damage was due to Rheumatic Fever in 1976. When I get tired (from lack of sleep, not exertion), my heart beats very irregularly. Some beats are louder than others, and there is not an even tempo. I am on Coumadin and Atenolol (for ongoing tachycardia and moderately high blood pressure), which I take in the morning. Is this normal? Should I be taking the Atenolol later in the day? I still get a-fib occasionally, but this is different.
By the way, I love the click! I am always assured that my valve is working. My murmur was very loud (Grade V-VI/VI) so I could hear it all the time also. I do get strange looks in elevators, where it seems extremely loud.
By the way, I love the click! I am always assured that my valve is working. My murmur was very loud (Grade V-VI/VI) so I could hear it all the time also. I do get strange looks in elevators, where it seems extremely loud.
Doctor's Answer
by CCF CARDIO MD - DLB, Nov 17, 1999 12:00AM
The atenolol is fairly long acting, so taking it in the morning should be OK.I would have guessed that what you describe is afib, but perhaps you are also having PVCs or some other arrhythmia. Since this is new, you should let your doctor know.
I am writing you to let you know about a list that myself and several other Heart Valve Replacement patients have created.
I am a 33 year old male who had aortic valve replacement surgery in April of 1999. I often had questions about stuff like what do other people’s spouses think about their valves clicking, to how do the kids deal with Dad having major surgery. Also issues about what is involved in approaching surgery, going through surgery and recovering from surgery. We also discuss the use of coumadin since most of us have to take it for the rest of our lives.
If you would like to join a mailing list along with folks who have been through this kind of stuff before and are facing it in the future, just go to the following URL and sign up.
http://frontpage.inficad.com/~hanky/heart.htm
You will find much help with this list and we all learn from each other.
Hope you can join us,
Hank Eyring