Pregnant and very scared

[pregnantandscared]

I am so scared.  I am 26years old. Female.  5 years ago I went to have a holter study done for some misc. palpitations i was having.  It came back that i had a rate related bbb but didn't say right or left.  Yesterday, I went to ask the same cardiologist about it.  He said that is was a rate related left bundle branch block.  They did a resting ecg yesterday and found at rest a complete Left bundle branch block.  He seemed quite concerned and me being 8 mos pregnant i am scared to death.He said he had never seen anyone my age with this.  They ordered an echo with came back normal.  Now I don't know what to think.  Everything I read scares me to death and I don't know if i'll be around for my kids and if my heart is unhealthy now or if this will lead to heart disease or sudden death in the future or what implications this will have on my life.  Will this cause damage to my heart?  How could I have got this? Could it go away or be there because of the pregnancy?  Please help me.  I can't eat or sleep.  Have you seen this in any healthy young adults and how uncommon is this?
Thank you.

[celowe]

Here is an excerpt from an eMedicine web sight, in case you have not read it.

LBBB alone may rarely progress to complete heart block and sudden death, but morbidity and mortality rates are more dependent on associated systemic or cardiovascular disease than on the LBBB itself. Patients with LBBB, left axis deviation, and first-degree heart block or LBBB associated with near syncope or syncope require close follow-up and/or electrophysiologic study.

The complete article link:

http://www.emedicine.com/ped/topic2501.htm

Hopefully, the Medhelp docs will provide you with same reassurance and you can enjoy the birth of your child.

[momof6]

I am praying for you! Keep us posted.

~momof6

[omega67]

dear preg and scared,  I have had PVCs for along time now and I cant count how many times I have thought I was going to expire.  It scares you alot sometimes but I am still here today.  You have to remember that the lord is the one who really is in control.  I will pray for you.  Takecare and God bless.  P.S.  If you believe in the lord read 2nd timothy 1:7 it is awesome !!

[Karonnie]

Just wondering do you have an knowledge (or someone else in your family - or extended family) of you having Rheumatic Fever ever?  Fever with joint pain (this doesn't need to be swollen) even if it was for a few days or a week or also there's a neurological effect - you may have had Obsessive compulsive, or flailing arms and legs or general restlessness and or muscle fatigue, slurred speech - there's a whole array of difficulties you can present with (believe me i've got them!)

Asymptomatic (one that doesn't show symptoms so you dont' really know you have it at the time) carditis is very common as Rhuematic carditis - unless it's Acute or is a recurrance. I'm sure you'll read of a lot of adults on this site that have only just in their late 20s - 40 found out that they had Rheumatic Fever as a child or maybe young adult when the occurance is most great.

There is laboratory evidence of the mitral valve (the one most often affected) in cases - in fact it's not that rare - I think I read somewhere around the vicinity of 15% of cases repairing itself from damage (the aorta never repairs itself apparently) so that the evidence actually is "resolved" and no valvular damage is evident on later echos but that you can often still get presentation of symptoms at times, or often a murmur.

Pregnancy is a great one for bringing on a puseudo carditis (I got it - they put me on a ventilator because they thought it was ashma!! God did I feel like I was going to have a heart attack!!) - what you get with the actual Rheumatic Fever. This does not mean you have the disease though. Mine also seems to worsen these days due to homones as well.  I believe I read it is because of the increase in estrogen and usually happens in the 2nd trimester more commonly. Does anyone else feel this?

I suggest you research this a little within your family and on the internet (amazing what mums can remember!) - but don't as everyone else is suggesting get too wound up about it as you are probably also suffering high blood pressure?  Just curious are you also suffering from edema?

If it seems feasible to you, maybe make this suggestion (tactfully they hate it when you work it out and they can't) to your cardiologist, or even consider seeing another.  Unfortunately not many cardiologist are knowledgable about Rheumatic Fever these days.  Believe me I know - it's been a long and arduous journery for me to prove mine even though I suffer the rarity of Chorea which was also noted very obviously in the ER.

I had a heart monitor on me throughout my whole birth (this was before my heart progressed - I had mild damage then).  Yes it's uncomfortable lying flat on your back not able to move more than an inch especially as I desperately wanted to have my contractions in the hospitals spa but it's worth it for peace of mind, this may be something you could ask for the ins and outs about and what it might mean for you?

Best of luck!!

[jennifer79]

Wow, I can only imagine what you are going thru! I am 33 weeks pregnant and I have pvc's. They feel like flutters in my chest that only last a second or two. I have wondered if they could hurt my baby but from what ive read so far they can not.Good luck to you!

[upbeat63]

I love what you just said, "tomorrow will take care of itself"

It has helped me tremendously today. Thank you.

[childrenrtreasures]

Not eating or sleeping will cause more problems at this point than the LBBB. Extreme anxiety alone isn't healthy.

I have a friend who's heart was working at 25% in her first trimester. Her drs encouraged her to abort at 20 weeks when her heart function dropped to 15%. They told her that she and her baby could die if she chose to carry the baby to term.

She switched drs and now has a beautiful 7 month old daughter. Her condition was cardiomyopathy...she still has it and her heart function is still low but she's expected to fully recover.

I hope you're able to get some sleep and nourishment...do it for your baby...he/she needs you right now; tomorrow will take care of itself.

Love and Prayers, Kelly

[cristabelle]

So Sorry to hear of your dilema.
I'm not an MD, however, it is good news that your echocardiogram was normal.  I would meditate on that piece of information.  Another encouraging thought is that you are near the end of your pregnancy.  Medicine and technology have progressed a long way, and I'm sure you will recieve good care.  I have known a couple friends and other acquaintances who have had healthy children and have had conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and one with Hodgekins.  These women were closely monitored and followed very close by their specialists, and did very well. I hope the same for you.
Do you know if you are carrying a boy or girl?  Have any other children?
Take care, hope and pray you can get some rest and good food.

cristabelle

[PikaPika88]

I'm a mother of 2.  15 years old, I was diagnosed with RBBB and PAT.  I went thro' a complete heart block at 36 years old.  3 weeks I had a very messy irregular pulse.  No doc diagnosed anything wrong.  I walked to the GP surgery and complaint again then she did an ECG.  After that she faxed to my cardio.  My cardio called me at home to admit because it shaw a "complete heart block" on the ECG.  I did not faint at all.  Just felt a bite dizziness and SOB.

You take care.  Hope you have a safe and wonderful labor time.  Enjoy a new life.  Keep us posting.

Pika.

[fearfactor]

Wow, I hope everything turns out OK.  I can imagine how worried you must be.  I'm pregnant too and am just dealing with the run of the mill palpitations.  I will be praying for you and thinking good thoughts for you!

[tickertock]

Hope yours fears are soon put to rest. These findings can be very stressful , try and relax, the important thing  is that your doctor is trying to rule out other causes for your LBBB.

I am not a doctor but I understand that LBBB generally raises more concern than RBBB, if all your testing comes back negative then hopefully you'll feel better. Good luck with L&D and with everything.

[Cleveland Clinic]

scared,

You have enough to worry about for now. While a left bundle branch can be a marker for structural heart disease and coronary artery disease -- the former is excluded by your echo and the latter essentially by your demographics. Thus, it most likely is an inocent finding.

My advice would be to focus on the pregancy. Your physicians are aware of the finding and will be monitoring for any changes.

Will this cause damage to my heart?

No.

How could I have got this?

Some people have a left bundle. Sometimes due to abnormalities in the heart, but sometimes not. See above.

Could it go away or be there because of the pregnancy?

Its hard to say, but probably not. I would just continue your routine care.

good luck