Heart murmur getting worse

[shu]

About 5 years ago I developed a heart murmur. My doctor ordered an echocardiogram at the recommendation of a cardiologist. The results were: ejection fraction of 65%, mild mitral valve regurgitation, mild mitral valve prolapse and mitral valve thickening. Now when I listen to my heart I can tell the murmur has gotten worse. My symptoms are hard to describe, but here goes. At times I can actually hear the murmur and feel my heart "squeezing" blood flow, almost like water from a sponge. I had no pain, no shortness of breath, I could just hear it and feel it. Every now and then I'll have remote pain located just under my left breast that lasts less than 30 sec., no shortness of breath or other symptoms. Also, my heart will beat funny and I feel almost panicky but not really, like when you're at the top of a roller coaster, the pain and funny beats are never at the same time. There is a history of heart disease in my family. I am a 34 year old male in relatively good shape. I am going to make a doctors appt. tomorrow. What gives? Thank you in advance for your response.

[Karonnie]

Sorry am I misreading your post and the Doc's comments but did you have your last echo 5 years ago and he told you not to have another one just yet??

I hope I am - if i'm not go and get an echo ordered!! My Doc was hopeless if I didn't remember to get mine done it wouldn't (and didn't!!) why don't they have reminders in their system - this is wrong.  The health system is too much on a bandaid solution here in Australia and prob the US too.  I would imagine that you should have been on anuual echo's at the very least every 3 years?? I am glad you still have a copy of your old one, take this with you when you have your next one they will be able to see the changes even if they don't still have the films.

Take care!

[Cleveland Clinic]

shu,

Thanks for the post.

First, unless you are markedly skilled at cardiac auscultatio, it is very difficult to discern the amount of regurgitation from your murmmer. Moreover, without having any type of comparison, you just cant really do it. Spending your time listening to your murmmer on a frequent basis is not going to accomplish anything except increase your level of worry.

Without any progession of the chest pain over a period of time, its unlikely that is is cardiac in nature even with your family history.  

If you are having palpitations or funny heart beats an event monitor or recorder can help tell what your rhythm is.

I would just let your physician take a look and listen to you. If he/she feels that your murmmer or your symptoms have changed he may order another echo to evaluate. If that echo is stable, i probably wouldnt repeat one unless you had a marked change in symptoms.

good luck