Mitral Vlave Prolaspe

For over 20 years I have been told I have MVP, I have a very fast heart rate and sometimes feel dizzy,have left arm pain and shortness of breath. I have been told by ER doctors that I hwas having a heart attack, had stress test, heart cath etc. I have no blockage in my heart but was hospitalized for MCI, given nitro, even had to wear a patch while in the hospital. I wake at night with my heart pounding and each morning it takes about 15minutes to get my heart to slow down. My regular doctor says I didn't have a heart attack it was jsut the MVP! I was told I had damage to the heart muscle, still my doctor says there is nothing wrong with your heart. I feel weak at times and my heart beats so irregular I feel faint, I have the left arm pain alot, along with shortness of breath, I do smoke which I know is a no no but when I try to stop my heart goes crazy. Is there a test that can be done to tell me what is wrong with my heart and can MVP be a serious condition. It has caused my life to change, I can't dance anymore or any activity that speeds up the heart. I don't have high blood pressure so when they put me on med's to slow down my heart my blood pressure drops so low I have to stop the med's. I can't get two different to agree on anything ahbhout my heart but have been in the hospital several times becaue of it. I feel they ignore me blaming it all of MVP and its causing them to overlook somthing else that could be wrong. I have did the holter monitor,stress, heart cath,ultra sound, blood work..whats left to do? I feel myself getting weaker! I do have lots of anxiety and think they blame that for some of my symtoms (symptoms), I'm also bi-polar, non-insulin dependant diabetic,overweight, 43years old. My dad and mom's hearts are good at age 70!!

[Michael J. McWilliams, M.D.]

Many things get blamed on MVP.  There is a syndrome of MVP that is associated with non blockage related chest pain.

The one unifying things that people are telling you is that there is nothing wrong with your heart besides MVP.  That is a good thing and the one piece of information that you need to hold on to.  If you think something is wrong with your heart, every time you have chest pain you are going to think that something is wrong with your heart.  If you have a normal cath, clean coronaries arteries, a normal EKG and normal echo other than MVP, your heart is fine.

Many of they symptoms you describe sound more like anxiety related issues than heart related issues.  People that wake up with fast heart rates or wake up with fast heart rates are often having some variant of a panic attack.

If you heart rate increases excessively with minimal activity, you might also have inappropriate sinus tachycardia.  This is a syndrome that is also associated with non cardiac chest pain and fast heart rates.

I understand your frustration.  I have seen many patients like yourself and it seems the best first step is to reassure them that they aren't dying of a heart condition -- this may or may not apply to you, but most people that I see with similar symptoms have convinced them self that they have an undiagnosed heart condition that all the doctors are missing and they are at risk for sudden death.  Only you know if this applies to you but I find that is a common belief.  If this is your fear, ask your doctor directly so they can reassure you.

I hope this helps.  good luck.