rvsp of 38 by echo

[t10179uhn]

hi Dr,

I had an echo tonight and my rvsp was 38 and obviously I am worried about pulm hypertension.  Everything else looked normal she said.

My last echo has an rvsp of 25 and that was about 4 years ago.

I am about 50 lbs overweight, 3 months post-partum.  I had chest ct during pregnancy for chest pains that showed no gross PE. My hubby says I snore but I've not had any sleep tests.  Nobody in my family has this disease.  My oxygen sats are 98-99%.  I do get occasionally sob but feel it is more related to my anxiety.  I sometimes get sharp and short lived chest pains, usually when walking but again nothing sustained.  I do find I hold my breath often and seem to use my ab muscles a lot for exhalations and often find my upper abs contracted and have to consciously release them to fully inhale again.  I am 33 years old.

Advice or thoughts?  I am absolutely terrified right now.

[t10179uhn]

thank you for your reply.  Would being overweight in and of itself cause increased PA pressures?  And, I am 3 months post-partum, the pressures wouldn't still be elevated would they?

I have not read on the internet about PH, I am an ICU nurse who has cared for many end-stage PH cases and numerous lung transplant
patients who required their transplant because of PH.  I am terrified of this disease because of what I've seen.

I am trying very hard to relax, trust me.  My mind is unfortunately getting the better of me.

[Jonathan D. Rich, MD]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

Please allow me to alleviate your fears.  You almost for sure do NOT have pulmonary hypertension.  And when I used the term pulmonary hypertension, I mean the disease that you "read about on the internet" and that frightens everybody.

It is NORMAL for pulmonary pressures to go up a bit during pregnancy and the fact that you are overweight and may/may not also have sleep apnea wouldnt surprise me if you do, indeed, have borderline elevated PA pressures.  However, this should not in any way be confused with PH.  You do not have PH.

So my advice to you is to start to get some sleep (ie no more worrying!!) because you are going to need the energy to take care of your baby.  

Good luck.

Dr. Rich