MVP/Altitude Sickness

  I am a female, age 44, with mitral valve prolapse & have been wondering if the MVP contributes to symptoms of altitude sickness.  Four times in my life I have been the only person to suffer altitude problems among a group of people who have traveled with me from sea level at the same time.  Twice there was strenuous hiking involved, twice not.  All 4 times included the nausea, severe headache, fatigue, clamminess, twice could not keep water down.  Does this have to do with the heart not pumping enough blood per stroke, or what?  
  I'm not talking Himalayas here, just up to 9,000 ft and once in Denver.
  Otherwise, after an echocardiogram 18 years ago there is no therapy going on other than pre-med for dental work, & I do have arrythmias which scare me half to death but which don't concern my family practice M.D.  Should I go for another echocardiogram, or is the standard plan to ignore this until I show up in an ER?
   This looks like a great site --- thanks everyone!!  

[CCF Cardio MD - MTR]

Dear J, thank you for your question.  There is no association between mitral valve prolapse and altitude sickness.  There appears to be a genetic predisposition to having an increased susceptibility to high altitude that has not been well-characterized yet.  For example, athletes who are highly-trained at sea level may develop severe altitude sickness while people who are not in great shape may do fine at high-altitudes.  There are certain interventions that can reduce the severity of altitude sickness including adequate pre-hydration and certain medications, but it sounds like you would be best off avoiding high altitudes if you can.   Arrhythmias are common with MVP and most often consist of benign premature atrial and ventricular contractions.  While these arrhythmias may scare you, they do not indicate that you are at risk for a serious cardiac complication.  I doubt that another echocardiogram would help.  You should continue to receive antibiotic prophylaxis before dental procedures, 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.

[prak365]

A related discussion, MVP and high altitude problem was started.