mvp reguritation ?'s

[nymomof5]

I am a 42 yr old female and have moderate to severe regurgitation and mild prolapse of my mitral valve. I was told I will probably need surgery on my valve down the road one day.

1)I was wondering is it safe to take tylenol and ibuprofen with a bad leaky valve?                                                      

2) Also with such a leaky valve would there be more of a risk to have an operation ( i will need a hip replacement soon)?

3) If my heart palpitates or "skips" a few beats in a row is that worse for a heart that has severe regurgitation then a heart that has no regurgitation. Or are "skipped" beats still "nothing" to worry about in a leaky valved heart?

4) Would in general excersize make an already leaky valve leak more or would it in general be benefical to the overall health of the heart?

5) Is it true that drinking plenty of water actually helps reduce the amount of leakage?

Thank you very much for your time in answering my questions!

Ellen

[CCF-M.D.-MJM]

Hello nymomof5 (New York mom of 5 I assume),

Sorry to hear about your valve.

1) I was wondering is it safe to take Tylenol and ibuprofen with a bad leaky valve?

In general yes.  Use caution with ibuprofen if you are on coumadin.

2) Also with such a leaky valve would there be more of a risk to have an operation (I will need a hip replacement soon)?
It depends on how leaky the valve is.  If the mitral valve leaks severely, then this may cause some problems with post-operative care.  You will need pre-operative risk assessment by a cardiologist prior to the surgery.

3) If my heart palpitates or "skips" a few beats in a row is that worse for a heart that has severe regurgitation then a heart that has no regurgitation. Or are "skipped" beats still "nothing" to worry about in a leaky valved heart?

Skipped beats without passing out or almost passing out are usually nothing to worry about.  If there is any question, a holter monitor or event monitor will help your doctor determine if there is increased risk.  In general though, there is no increased risk.  A holter monitor will show your doctor what the heart rhythm is and he can risk stratify the arrhythmia from there.

4) Would in general exercise make an already leaky valve leak more or would it in general be beneficial to the overall health of the heart?

Exercise is important because healthier people do better with surgery and if your exercise capacity decreases over time, this may indicate the leaking is getting worse and allow for an earlier surgery.  Exercise within a sane limit should not harm you.  Please no ultra marathons......

5) Is it true that drinking plenty of water actually helps reduce the amount of leakage?
I can't say I have ever heard that before.  It will not change the amount of leakage.

Hope this helps and good luck.  Thanks for posting.

[uptowngirl]

Hi,
I was curious to know what kind of meds you are on?  I am in a similar situation and have found a recent acceleration in exercise to be quite helpful (cardio gave me the okay).  I have also been told about staying hydrated can improve MVP.  I believe the way my cardio explained it was that when you stay hydrated that the heart chambers enlarge slightly and the valve "fits" better.  I can't say I really have noticed a difference if I'm hydrated or not, but have heard others say they DO notice.  Maybe it is an individual thing or depends on the amount and severity of the prolapse and MR.

[nymomof5]

i am really not on any meds except zoloft for panic attacks i was having. i am not a big medicine person so i take as little meds as possible. but i have severe arthritis in my hip which hurts me 24/7 and i often need tylenol for the pain although the orthopedic said i should use ibuprofen to help reduce the inflamation (inflammation).  but because of the heart situation i am hesitant about what meds i do take and take them only when i really have to. also because of my hip i am not able to excersize very much.

[dee gee]

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