Aa
Does anyone know about MVP
After a lumbar surgery I woke up with what they thought was pneumonia. Then they brought in a pulmonary specialist. First she said I had congestive heart failure then when I got the paperwork home after the surgery the diagnosis was Mitral Valve Prolapse. I have chronic pain, Fibromyalgia. I've had 7 surgeries on my spine.
I get heart palapatations and d have for about 3 years. I have low blood pressure, lowered my cholesterol with diet and exercise for a period of time.
I researched MVP and it states it is more of a nervous system disorder that causes anxiety, panic attacks, and heart palapatations.
My question has always been, is it a heart issue? My doctor keeps telling me it's nothing to worry about. My little sister died in 1974 of defective heart valves and my mother passed away in 2005 at 82 from heart disease.
Thank you for taking the time to read my question.
I get heart palapatations and d have for about 3 years. I have low blood pressure, lowered my cholesterol with diet and exercise for a period of time.
I researched MVP and it states it is more of a nervous system disorder that causes anxiety, panic attacks, and heart palapatations.
My question has always been, is it a heart issue? My doctor keeps telling me it's nothing to worry about. My little sister died in 1974 of defective heart valves and my mother passed away in 2005 at 82 from heart disease.
Thank you for taking the time to read my question.
You should see a neurologist or a cardiologist who understands Dysautonomia, they are very hard to find though. There's a dys forum here and if you google, you can find forums also I think it's dinet [dot] com.
I have Dysautonomia problems and with heart problems it's a double whammy; so sometimes our care is a bit more delicate than others. The dr told me when my bp starts to drop because I have NCS and OI; my brain sends weird signals to my heart then my bp tries to compensate and my HR goes "whacky" and does weird things and stops sometimes. I haven't been completely diagnosed yet, I just found out in August I had these problems, so I'm still searching for some answers also :)
If you have FM, along with it all; you really need to find a dr or clinic that deals with DYS - I think di network has a full list of doctors in different areas.
While meds don't work well for me, being non medicated leaves me with alot of symptoms I just have to deal with, but there has to be a better answer. I made an appt with a new dr for Jan to start my process all over and see if I can find a "happy medium".
Hope you feel better soon and find your answers also :)
I have Dysautonomia problems and with heart problems it's a double whammy; so sometimes our care is a bit more delicate than others. The dr told me when my bp starts to drop because I have NCS and OI; my brain sends weird signals to my heart then my bp tries to compensate and my HR goes "whacky" and does weird things and stops sometimes. I haven't been completely diagnosed yet, I just found out in August I had these problems, so I'm still searching for some answers also :)
If you have FM, along with it all; you really need to find a dr or clinic that deals with DYS - I think di network has a full list of doctors in different areas.
While meds don't work well for me, being non medicated leaves me with alot of symptoms I just have to deal with, but there has to be a better answer. I made an appt with a new dr for Jan to start my process all over and see if I can find a "happy medium".
Hope you feel better soon and find your answers also :)
You are so right with the last line that you wrote. All of us are different in out genetic make up thats why there no two people alike w. the same fingerprints. What works for me may def, not work for you because there are literally hundreds of variables between us but in the matter of the heart in that arena alot of us are pretty similar. And yep i do get other symtoms when my valve decides to let me know its not right. I may get a pinching feeling in the area, an incredibly sharp quick like ice pick being pushed thru the heart area and at times believe it or not a feel gurgles like the blood going thru the valve is sort of bubble-ing like a slow well.....but my heart doc says thats all normal w. MVP and since i've had it since i was probably 8 years old when i got rhuematic fever as a kid i just live w. it. No biggie....i still work out at the gym, walk across the Golden Gate Brdge on sunny Sundays (I live in the Wine Country) and pretty much do what i really want to. I refuse to spend my life with the what if's or coulda, shoulda, woulda's in life. WE're only given a short period of time here on earth and i'm going for the brass ring and refuse to allow myself to let this stuff take control of me or my family. I wish the best for you and hope you have a fantastic Christmas....minus the alcohol cause it sets off the A Fib...................
Thank you again for your reply. Please see lisa's below yours. There is something more to MVP. I have had 7 surgeries on my spine. I also have fibromyalgia. One symptom that is associated with fibromyalgia is MVP.
While to I do believe MVP is heart related, for me personally there are other symptoms that seem to be associated with my central nervous system. About 6 years ago I had 5 surgeries on my spine within 2 years. My nervous system was obviously so compromised and I never felt so weak and like my body couldn't recover from all of it. I came through that feeling with a lot of work however I believe my diagnosis of MVP answers a lot of questions and a lot of years of other misdiagnosis. LIke bi-polar, panic attacks, there were times I would tremble for no reason and be so irritable out of the blue and then calm down. An example would be the other evening we were going to meet family for dinner. We had just gotten in the car. I felt my heart, the irregular heart beat, pounding, I feel like I am in a tunnel, my nerves are so raw at that moment in time. And it comes on for no reason. My husband and son were talking and I was riding in the passenger seat. I get so irritable and normally would scream at my husband. Now I know what it is, my heart is irregular so I bare down, a nurse told me how to do it. I can occasionally calm myself with breathing, there are times I need an anti-anxiety pill or at least 1/2. It's the only way I can calm my nervous system and the heart beat.
For me any way a long with the MVP I get a multitude of other symptoms. Do you? I agree with Lisa I'm not sure how accurate the information is I sent to you. However just listening to a cardiologist is in my opinion how my mother died prematurely. There are so many other things out there we need to consider. And we are all so different so what works for me is probably completely different for you.
While to I do believe MVP is heart related, for me personally there are other symptoms that seem to be associated with my central nervous system. About 6 years ago I had 5 surgeries on my spine within 2 years. My nervous system was obviously so compromised and I never felt so weak and like my body couldn't recover from all of it. I came through that feeling with a lot of work however I believe my diagnosis of MVP answers a lot of questions and a lot of years of other misdiagnosis. LIke bi-polar, panic attacks, there were times I would tremble for no reason and be so irritable out of the blue and then calm down. An example would be the other evening we were going to meet family for dinner. We had just gotten in the car. I felt my heart, the irregular heart beat, pounding, I feel like I am in a tunnel, my nerves are so raw at that moment in time. And it comes on for no reason. My husband and son were talking and I was riding in the passenger seat. I get so irritable and normally would scream at my husband. Now I know what it is, my heart is irregular so I bare down, a nurse told me how to do it. I can occasionally calm myself with breathing, there are times I need an anti-anxiety pill or at least 1/2. It's the only way I can calm my nervous system and the heart beat.
For me any way a long with the MVP I get a multitude of other symptoms. Do you? I agree with Lisa I'm not sure how accurate the information is I sent to you. However just listening to a cardiologist is in my opinion how my mother died prematurely. There are so many other things out there we need to consider. And we are all so different so what works for me is probably completely different for you.
There is MVP (mitral valve prolapse which is heart related) and Dysautonomia that I'm familiar with; which is associated with your ANS (its on either side of the spinal cord) - which is part of your central nervous system. It's possible mvps is part of that umbrella of syndromes, sometimes it's difficult to get an accurate dx because some illnesses mimic others.
Think of Dysautonomia like a pyramid; it's the point at the top and under it are alot of disorders/diseases that encompass it. There's a Dysautonomia/autonomic dysfunction forum here - under related communities on the right ---> you may want to ask there, it's a forum and lots of useful info.
I've read the term MVPS, but not sure how accurate the information is; since I haven't seen anything from say the AHA or Neurological society etc, it just may not be used in terms like that medically. Wikipedia does have some info; but sometimes the information there is contradictory. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitral_valve_prolapse MVPS is in there about 1/2 down.
If your paperwork said your dx was MVP, you need to ask what level and that will tell you the severeity. If you're under 4 (severe) I believe, there's no need to worry or have surgery unless you have extinuating circumstances. You may want to get your dr to explain a bit more and have them tell you how long they think you've had MVP and if they think you may need surgery at some point to correct it.
Alot of us live with MVP, pvc's; palpitations dysautonomia and a multitude of other things all mixed in and do quite well :)
Good luck and I hope you doctors explain things to you, if not tell them you still don't understand until they get it right.
Think of Dysautonomia like a pyramid; it's the point at the top and under it are alot of disorders/diseases that encompass it. There's a Dysautonomia/autonomic dysfunction forum here - under related communities on the right ---> you may want to ask there, it's a forum and lots of useful info.
I've read the term MVPS, but not sure how accurate the information is; since I haven't seen anything from say the AHA or Neurological society etc, it just may not be used in terms like that medically. Wikipedia does have some info; but sometimes the information there is contradictory. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitral_valve_prolapse MVPS is in there about 1/2 down.
If your paperwork said your dx was MVP, you need to ask what level and that will tell you the severeity. If you're under 4 (severe) I believe, there's no need to worry or have surgery unless you have extinuating circumstances. You may want to get your dr to explain a bit more and have them tell you how long they think you've had MVP and if they think you may need surgery at some point to correct it.
Alot of us live with MVP, pvc's; palpitations dysautonomia and a multitude of other things all mixed in and do quite well :)
Good luck and I hope you doctors explain things to you, if not tell them you still don't understand until they get it right.
I don't know if we are talking about the same thing....MVP is Mitral Valve Prolapse which is a physical abnormality of the upper valve of the heart. Where that valve does not close properly. I have never heard that it belongs in the nervous system grouping. I believe all of the anxiety, panic attacks, etc. is the effect not the cause of MVP which makes total sense to me. When anything goes wrong w. any of our hearts we go thru those symptoms.When you quoted that study i found it interesting that there was no M.D. @ the end of his thesis. I am big on listening and reading up on what Cardiologists say and believe cause like i said before you don't have your hairdresser replace the transmission in your car. Heart is all heart docs know so therefore to me they are the specialists and the only ones we should listen to altho there are great GP's out there it is not their specialty. Again this guy Russell is talking about the effects....or what happens once the episodes occur and after..i think we all know that one already besides the other thing he is saying is that it is MVP Syndrome.....not addressing MVP in itself...sometimes we skip over stuff and go for the worst of it confirming our own fears which many times are totally crazy for us to do. I was diagnosed w. MVP at age 12 and have never had a prob. w. it but then it is only a very slight prolapse. I believe MVP is a heart issue because it physically involves the heart but in most cases in non threatening...this is a cardiac deal i would probably google out what cardio specialists @ Mayo or Cedars Senai Hospital have to say about it or any doc that has or is about to make medical history w. MVP......it is usually pretty reassuring............................
I found this information about MVP, what do you think?
What is MVP Syndrome/Dysautonomia?
About 40 percent of patients with mitral valve prolapse also have an imbalance of the autonomic nervous system, or ANS, called dysautonomia. The ANS is composed of two systems; the parasympathetic and the sympathetic. It controls virtually all bodily functions, such as respiration, heartbeat, blood pressure, vision, and digestion. When this system is out of balance it can cause myriad symptoms, including panic attacks, anxiety, fatigue, palpitations, migraines, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and more. This combination of symptoms is known as MVP Syndrome. Diagnosis is made by physical examination, a careful medical history, and an echocardiogram. Unfortunately, MVP does not always show up on an echocardiogram. Thus, MVPS is a clinical diagnosis. Usually symptoms don't show up before the age of 14 or 15, but more and more children display central nervous system symptoms before the MVP shows up. Ninety-eight percent of people with MVP Syndrome/Dysautonomia have nothing wrong with their heart. The majority of symptoms are caused by an out-of-balance nervous system.
"Diagnosis of dysautonomia (MVP Syndrome) is a clinical diagnosis not requiring the prolapse of the mitral valve to confirm or deny that diagnosis."
Richard O. Russell, Jr.,
Clinical professor of medicine in the division of cardiology at the University of Alabama, School of Medicine.
Many times the symptoms of MVPS/D are triggered by some life event.
Common triggering events are childbirth, a major viral illness, menopause, accident, surgery, going to college (leaving home and stress), death of a loved one, marriage, moving, and divorce. Our nervous system doesn't differentiate between good or bad stress. also found this information on MVP what do you think:
What is MVP Syndrome/Dysautonomia?
About 40 percent of patients with mitral valve prolapse also have an imbalance of the autonomic nervous system, or ANS, called dysautonomia. The ANS is composed of two systems; the parasympathetic and the sympathetic. It controls virtually all bodily functions, such as respiration, heartbeat, blood pressure, vision, and digestion. When this system is out of balance it can cause myriad symptoms, including panic attacks, anxiety, fatigue, palpitations, migraines, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and more. This combination of symptoms is known as MVP Syndrome. Diagnosis is made by physical examination, a careful medical history, and an echocardiogram. Unfortunately, MVP does not always show up on an echocardiogram. Thus, MVPS is a clinical diagnosis. Usually symptoms don't show up before the age of 14 or 15, but more and more children display central nervous system symptoms before the MVP shows up. Ninety-eight percent of people with MVP Syndrome/Dysautonomia have nothing wrong with their heart. The majority of symptoms are caused by an out-of-balance nervous system.
"Diagnosis of dysautonomia (MVP Syndrome) is a clinical diagnosis not requiring the prolapse of the mitral valve to confirm or deny that diagnosis."
Richard O. Russell, Jr.,
Clinical professor of medicine in the division of cardiology at the University of Alabama, School of Medicine.
Many times the symptoms of MVPS/D are triggered by some life event.
Common triggering events are childbirth, a major viral illness, menopause, accident, surgery, going to college (leaving home and stress), death of a loved one, marriage, moving, and divorce. Our nervous system doesn't differentiate between good or bad stress. also found this information on MVP what do you think:
I have MVP too and it def. is a heart issue but VERY VERY common w. 20-30% of all humans having it. Mitral Valve Prolapse is good in one way that your body compensates for the leaky valve by lowering your blood pressure so thats super typical. MVP is not a nervous system disorder...its the upper valve of your heart (you have 4) that opens and closes like a church steeple sending blood into your body where its supposed to go. Sometimes the "steeple" doesn't close all the way or one side of it sort of flops around thus the prolapse. The only part of this "nervous disorder" is ourselves getting upset over it when most people will live to 100 with the darn thing. And your doc is right there is usually nothing to worry about...sorry about your little sister but i bet it wasn't MVP and if your mom lived to 82 WOW what a nice long life she had and God Bless Her. MVP is not congenital or hereditary its just life,,,,,,,
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Heart Rhythm Community
Are there grounds to recommend coffee consumption? Recent studies perk interest.
Salt in food can hurt your heart.
Get answers to your top questions about this common — but scary — symptom
How to know when chest pain may be a sign of something else
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
