Help me!

[Innercalm]

I am the "concerned Mom" with son (age 35) who finally had a mitral valve repair at Cleveland Clinic by Delos Cosgrove April 20, 2006. Remember me? As you all know, just because the surgery is over doesn't mean there is nothing to be concerned about. The son went to France June 11 and all has been well. This morning I received a call from him in a hospital in Belgium. Apparently all cardiac tests done several days ago were negative. ( Another hospital in another town.) I had wanted him to get checked before coming
home on the 24th of July. He was at a festival today and was feeling some pain, went to the medical tent where they ambulanced him to the local hospital. I spoke with him there because he had some questions about what they wanted to do. (change his coumadin to another drug) and add another drug (for extra heart beats) that Holter Monitor diagnosed as "a burst of extra heart beats" or ventricular tachycardia. the drug to control the extra beats, if started would have to be taken for the rest of his life. He didn't want to do this without seeing his cardiologist in US. His INH was in range and the cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic (on call) told us not to stop the coumadin. I need advice please.
He feels ok and feels he wants to continue for one more week when he is scheduled to fly home.The CC cardiologist said it would be allright to continue the trip if he feels ok but if extra beats become bothersome, stop the trip.

 

[Phyllis]

Oh my, I know how concerned you must be. Wish I had sage advice, but unfortunately, I don't. I'm glad that you were able to contact a Cleveland cardiologist and would be prone to follow his advice- stay on the Coumadin and come home early if the arrythmia becomes chronic or bothersome. Maybe someone with more experience will come along with better advice. Please keep us informed.

 

[maka]

Hi
I understand how concern you must be having your son so far from you at times like that.
I?m sure you?ll get comments from people here more knowledge on the matter than I am, however, I just wanted to share with you my experiences. First, a question. Do you know the name of the medication they want to give him? I had my mitral valve repaired last August, and was on Coumedin for 4 months only and then the doctor stopped it. and told me to take a 325 mg aspirin every day.
I also have a few extra heart beats in my electros/holter. I?ve been taking Atenolol since my OHS to basically ?lower? the heart beats so the heart doesn?t have to work so hard.
I believe the names of the medications is important so you can discuss them with your local doctor, also, if he is coming back in a few days, it seems to me this is not the time to stop the Coumedin, and should wait until he discuss the matter with his doctor here.
I?m sorry if I can?t be of better help, but wanted to let you know that I?ll be thinking of you

 

[MelissaM]

Tough to be on the road (in Belgium, no less) and have stuff happening. I had a my mitral valve repaired by Dr. Cosgrove at CCF in 2003 and have also suffered from SVT (supra ventricular tachychardia) off and on since then. According to the information I have received, ventricular tachycardias are one of the "harmless" arrythmias, however, it can be a little disconcerting if you don't know what it is or what is going on.

For me, any time I am out in the heat too long, up at altitiude, exercise too hard, or get too excited (as the stimuli of a festival and the excitement of being around friends might do), I get a run of tachycardia. These runs can last from a few seconds, a few minutes, to an hour or more. Since I am well-familiar with these episodes, I usually can bear down (the valsalva maneuver) and focus on breathing to break the arrythmia. My cardio, however, just prescribed metoprolol, a beta blocker, that I can take prior to events where I know the tachy might happen - a bit of preventative medicine, if you will.

I wouldn't be surprised if this is what happend to your son. Most likely, the drug they prescribed for your son is some sort of beta blocker. They will want to watch him and make sure the arrythmia breaks (if it goes on too long, and they cannot break it through other means, they will cardiovert him). But mostly, this is for his comfort, not because he is in any imminent danger.

Best,
Melissa

 

[Nancy]

To be ill in another country without your regular doctors is so difficult. You must be worried sick. I hope everything gets straightened out and your son gets home asap and on to his regular docs.

Here are two links for Ventricular Tachycardia

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=64

http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic2367.htm

 

[Christina L]

I can imagine how worried you are

I can imagine how worried you are

but try not to worry. I remember when you posted about your son and how he was going to Europe - my first thought was "too much, too soon." I think maybe your son has been going at a breakneck speed since his surgery which is not really good. His body has been through major trauma and he needs to heal.

The extra beats are probably "only" premature atrial or ventricular contractions, benign. I definitely would not have him start on that medication that he is supposedly going to take for life. No way! He needs to get back to the States to see his regular cardio before he does something like that.

Anyway, tell you son to slow down his pace a bit. I know he feels so much better post surgery, but....

I know your son is going to get through this. I went into a-fib two weeks after my surgery (mitral valve repair by Cosgrove) and had to be cardioverted. After heart surgery, your heart is reeling from what was done to it - it takes time to mend.

Christina L