Congestive Heart Failure

[lucky626]

I had 1 1/2 years ago an aortic valve replaced with a tissue valve, a repair to the mitral valve, part of the aorta replaced due to an aneuryism and a hole in the heart repaired.  In 11/2008 I was hospitalized for, I thought, pneumonia but was heart failure.  My EF was at 20 at the time.  So I have been on all the heart failure medicines and see my cardiologist regularly as well as the heart failure clinic.  I have been told I have chronic combined systolic and diastolic heart failure.  My heart surgeon said my heart muscle was stiff when he operated on me.  The other type of heart failure my cardiologist thought may have happened because of a virus.

Recently I have finally been starting to feel better.  I am walking on the treadmill again for approximately 1 mile about 3 to 4 times a week and my fatique at the end of the day doesn't seem quite as bad - I actually have more energy.

What I am wondering is if my heart failure due to the virus can go away.  My last echo showed my ef had improved to 40 (that was about 3 months ago).  Will I ever be able to stop some of the medicines as the blood pressure medicines make me feel more tired?  I know my heart muscle will always remain stiff but I am hoping the other type will go away completely.

The only thing I have just recently noticed is that about 15 minutes after I exercise I get a sharp pain in the left side of my chest which only lasts for a few seconds but I also feel light headed when I get the pain.  Is this anything I should be worried about?

Thank you for all your help.

[noel009]

Read more about congestive heart failure

http://www.heart-attacksymptoms.com/congestive-heart-failure

[Cleveland Clinic]

The chest pain is unlikely to be of any cardiac significance and so I would not be too concerned about it and no further work up is necessary at this point.  I am assuming that you had a catheterization which showed normal coronary arteries.  As far as the systolic heart failure goes, it is difficult to say what it's caused by.  One possible etiology of  your heart failure, is that after the valve was repaired, the heart function declined which occurs not uncommonly.  If that were the case, the likelihood of heart function improvement is very low.  If on the other hand, the heart dysfunction is caused by a case of viral myocarditis, then if the infections has cleared and the heart muslce is recovering, then there may be an improvement in the function.  Only time will tell.  The fact that your heart function has increased to 40% is very promising.