Leaky Heart Valve/Hands and Feet go to sleep while sleeping

[vdeish]

In November 09 I was told that I have a leaky heart valve.  I am now on blood pressure medicine.  My question is at night while I am sleeping I will wake up and my feet and hands are asleep.  Did not use to have this untill I had the leaky heart valve.  Is there a connection between the heart valve and this condition?  Also every once in a while I will have mild pain in my chest which will last most of the day, but then goes away. They next day I am very tired.  Is this normal with a leaky heart valve.  My heart doctor never tells me anything.  When he first told me I had a leaky heart valve I way checking out of the doctors office and he said you have a leaky heart valve, here is a precription for blood pressure medicine.  Did not explain anything.  I was really upset.  The first blood pressure medicine made me so sick and it had to be changed. I am really thinking about change doctors.  Everyone tells me he is a good doctor, just has so many patients.

[RadioAstronomyObserver]

Not meaning to steel the thread, but since this is related....  I had a feeling my heart wasn't pumping right at night.  When I find my pulse in my wrist it's very light/week.  The reason for going after the pulse is because my hands go numb.   Some times In the morning, instead of feeling sleepy but waking, I'm very groggy.  Times like this my cuff say's 90/60, and a week ago(?) It read the lowest of 80/35.  But once I move around it raises to normal levels ~103/65.  I'll do the same and mention it to my cardiologist and PCP.

[Smiley2000]

Hi there,

I think you need to either go back to your current Cardio, or go and see another one and this time ask questions:

1.  which valve is leaking?
2.  Is it stenotic/barlow's syndrome/regurgitation?
3.  What grade is it leaking?  0-5 (5 being severe).
4.  What is your current BP and heart rate?

I had my mitral valve fixed Mar 2008.  By that time I was in heart failure, heart enlargement and grade 5 regurgitation.  My hands use to go numb at night and my average BP was 80/60.  I passed out a lot.  But I also had palpitations, gained a lot of weight (hindside it was fluids) and was short of breath.

Your Cardio need to give you more details, it is YOUR body and YOUR right as a patient to ask questions and to know!

Hope you get to the right Cardio and get those questions answered.

[skydnsr]

I'm wondering if your blood pressure could be going too low during sleep.  If that is happening, then maybe you are not getting adequate circulation in your hands and feet when your blood pressure drops, which would lead to the symptoms.  You could take your blood pressure the next time or two that it happens.  If you could have someone else check your blood pressure for you before you sit up, that would give you the most accurate idea of what your blood pressure was when the problem occurred.  If you don't have anyone to help you, maybe you can get one of the automatic wrist monitors and keep it in bed with you, so you can take your blood pressure without having to sit up.  Once you sit up and move around, your blood pressure is going to elevate.

I'm sorry your doctor is not explaining things to you.  Sometimes you have no choice but to change doctors, if that is what you have to do to make sure you get good treatment.    

Good luck in dealing with this.  I hope you feel better soon.