Help...Frustrated

[alc715]

Okay. I am 28 years old. I have had several tests done over the past 10-12 years for palpiations and chest pains, shortness of breath, but I am never diagnosed. Tests come back "abnormal", but the doctors always tell me, everything is fine. My last workup was in 2002 , and I gave up, and settled on, this is something i will just have to deal with. Now with a 2.5 year old son, and symptoms again. I decided to give it a go again. With a recent echo the conclusion being Low Normal Systolic Function, EF 45-50% and Low Normal Wall Motion. Trace TR/MR. When my EKG was done, it also came back abnormal but i was told "i don't know why". In 2002 the Echo read Abnormal Septal Motion of the left ventricle too. How can things be abnormal only to be told I am fine?!?! Any ideas?

[kenkeith]

I agree, sometimes the doctor isn't forth coming with any information, because it may generate questions they are unable to answer, etc.  Thanks for the response.

[alc715]

Thanks for the post. I just sent my doctor a list of questions, so we'll see what they come back with. When they called me with the results, they said its a little low, but no worries. I actually had the test results in my hand before they called me, so I had already done my research. I was floored when they said everything was fine. Doctors always treat me as if i a am a young women with stress, and thats why i have symptoms. Okay. But when all my test results are abnormal...i do not understand. Just a diagnosis would be great. They have put me on beta blockers a long time ago, so i will just start taking those again, and see what happens and wait for the doctor to call me back. 10 years ago my EF was 62%. And its now 45-50%---its scary to think of it continuing to go down. My EKG reading at the doctors office said "Left Bundle Branch Block", AS I KNOW a machine cannot diagnose you, but you'd think the doctor would at least tell me that it wasn't right. I had to ask him, and even then i got, it doesn't look different from your previous one. FRUSTRATING. Thanks to all that encourage me to continue on with finding out what is wrong. Hard to not give up.

[starling76]

I am 34 years old and was diagnosed last year with microvascular angina . I had an MRI with adenosine which showed I had ischemia (lack of blood flow to the heart ) ,I also had an angiogram that showed clear arteries except for spasm which they opened up with intra coronary nitro , also ST elevations. My doctor said the spasm was probably catheter induced , however I would like someone else to have a look at the CD also for second opinion . Anyway the Dr diagnosed microvascular angina due to the lack of blood flow seen on MRI and no blockages on angiogram. It took over 10 years to get this diagnosis! It was very depressing situation. I would ask oyur doctor aboutbeing tested for microvascular angina , endothelial dysfunction and prinzmetal angina. And maybe getting referred to a specialist in womens heart disease. Its worth checking these things out.

[grendslori]

I totally agree. Get to another doctor and drop the guy you are now seeing.....he's forgetting that you pay HIM, it's not the other way around! See someone else. those are not normal results!

[kenkeith]

Your ejection fraction (normal is 55 to 75%) and 45-50% indicates a heart wall movement impairment (hypokinesis) that reduces normal EF.  Is your doctor rejecting the test's report, because if (s)he isn't there appears to be a slight medical problem with your heart.  Usually, the underlying cause for hypokinesis is a lack of sufficient blood flow to the heart wall defect and occluded heart vessels needs treatment. Abnormal septal motion is the impairment of the wall (septum) that separates the right and left chambers

Trace TR/MR indicates there is some leakage of the noted valves, but trace is considered medically insignificant.

You should get a satisfactory answer to why your tests indicates a heart problem and there is no acknowledgement or treatment of said abnormalities.