Anyone ever have a feeling of fullness and heart pressure after eating a normal meal?

[okielady]

I have mitral valve leakage, my echocardiogram shows the ejection fraction is 20 to 25%. I also have a pacemaker since 2004. Luckily I don't have the bad symptoms that go along with mitral valve leakage such as the swelling of the feet and hands, etc. The cardiologist is testing by echocardiogram once a year and office visits every 6 months to make sure nothing changes for the worse, I have been with the same ejection fraction for the last 2 years and as a rule I do feel healthy most of the time and very rarely am sick with as much as a cold. Two years ago when my EF dropped from 35% to the 20-25% the cardiologist decided it was time to do surgery for valve repair and had me meet with the surgeon first (all are associated with the Oklahome Heart Hospital in Oklahoma City) and then a few days later I had an arteriogram and a TEE. After those tests they cancelled the surgery and said at the time that those tests showed the leakage was not as severe as the echo had indicated.
In the past year I have noticed that sometimes after I eat a meal (not a large amount of food, that is why it is so surprising) I feel so full and like it is putting so much stress on my heart and making it work harder. When I get up to walk I am just huffing and puffing. I tend to eat smaller meals now just to keep from having this type of problem and it doesn't happen after every meal but it seems like the times are getting more frequent now. When feeling this way I can bend over to tie my shoe and my head feels like it is going to blow off, like there just seems to be a lot of pressure there. My blood pressure tends to run on the low side and even when I am feeling this way I have checked and my blood pressure will be 98/66 (normal for me) and in that range but I have the feeling that it should be 200+. When I am sitting still there isn't any problems at all but if I move around I sure notice it. My weight does fluctuate sometimes plus 2 to 3 lbs. and I do notice this problem way more when that is the case. I just wonder if I may be retaining fluid in my abdomen, thus the full feeling and making it harder for me to breathe. This is not a bloating problem or indigestion, it seems like it is in the upper part of my body and not the stomach. Any suggestions or your thoughts about similar situations or symptoms would be greatly appreciated. After writing this all down I can plainly see I need to call my cardiologist and sit down to discuss this with him!

 

[kfay]

I agree, I think you need to call you cardio on Monday. It definitely sounds to me like fluid. Do you have Lasiks? If so, I might call the on call Dr. and ask about increasing it until you can get in to see them. Fluid in your abdomen can become dangerous so please don't sit on this. Not to stir the pot, but have you thought about getting a second opinion from a surgeon who is not in the same group as your cardio? I personally would have a problem with a cardio who let my ef drop into the 20's without scheduling surgery right away.

Good luck to you.

Kim

 

[okielady]

It wouldn't hurt to get a second opinion for sure. I may pursue that. I am not on any type of water pill, something else that I need to request. I have always heard hands and feet so it seems odd that I would be having fluid in the abdomen and not there, too. I just wasn't sure if that was always the case.
Thanks for the reply!

 

[Lynlw]

It wouldn't hurt to get a second opinion for sure. I may pursue that. I am not on any type of water pill, something else that I need to request. I have always heard hands and feet so it seems odd that I would be having fluid in the abdomen and not there, too. I just wasn't sure if that was always the case.
Thanks for the reply!

Fluid in the abdomen can be a real problem as Kim said, it could be ascites. It can be caused aby a few things

 

[ALCapshaw2]

I concur that you need to discuss this with your Cardiologist and maybe even a Surgeon.

It sounds like your Cardio has an 'Old School' attitude, i.e. to postpone recommending Surgery until you are Very Symptomatic. Personally, I see little benefit in this philosophy. IMO, it's better to FIX the problem *before* your heart suffers more or permanent damage.

Are you familiar with the technique of pressing your shin with your thumb?
If you see a Deep Divot, that is a sign of fluid retention in your leg(s), especially if it doesn't go away quickly.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[okielady]

I always see the doctor press on my leg but never know what he is looking for to tell. Thanks for that tip.
Also, I do have a regular appt. with my PCP this coming week and I will discuss going for the second opinion with him. My insurance requires that I have his referral so hopefully he will give me his input.

 

[Michelle D]

I suggest you check out the Cleveland clinic website, they have a lot of information regarding when they start considering valve surgery as an option. It will give you information to talk to you pcp with. Also if you have that bloated fullness with shortness of breath you might just want to head to the ER, they can give you a lasix injection and do an echo to see how your heart is functioning when you feel that way. I'm not sure how your insurance is or what quality of hospitals are available to you but I've found it much more efficient than waiting for a pcp appt, waiting on blood work, waiting on echo appts, then waiting on a follow-up. When I feel not-so-hot I can find out what is going on in hours at the ER rather than a month going the traditional route.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

After re-reading your original post, I'm thinking a second opinion, preferably from a Surgeon would be in order. I would be VERY disappointed in a Cardiologist who just let you 'watch and wait' with and EF of 35% (Normal is 50 to 70%).

'AL Capshaw'

 

[njean]

I concur with what the others have advised in their previous posts. I think it's time for you to consult another doctor for a 2nd opinion.

I experience what you describe quite often after I eat, especially if I happen to overeat. I have made it a point to stop before I am full in order to avoid the feeling. I have to watch fluid retention like a hawk and I am already on 160mg of Lasix a day.

 

[Tara]

You should definitely think about another opinion. One of the nurse practioners at my cardio office told me to be weary of any symptoms such as that. I am on a fluid pill for retention and she mentioned that the feeling of fullness after eating even a little bit could be a sign of fluid backing up in the kidneys which isn't a good thing. Best of luck in figuring out what is going on!

 

[okielady]

Thanks for your input. Glad to know that someone else knows the feeling I am talking about but sorry you are having to go through the same thing. I'm sure my times are when I have eaten too much but I'm learning. When I started having symptoms and finally went to get checked out and discovered I had a heart rythm problem and got my pacemkaker (6 years ago) I just had this feeling that something wasn't right. It was more than just the normal being out of breath. I kept thinking I was just getting older and out of shape and I needed to try harder at walking and doing more, etc. and finally I could just tell something was terribly wrong and I am starting to get the same feeling with this. It is more than just the usual out of breath, it is a feeling of "my heart just can't handle this" type feeling. Sitting around the house I do great but you give me any type of walking or trying to do anything much at all that puts some stress on my body I just start shutting down. I recover quickly when I stop and rest but just can't go without stopping if I have to walk up a hill or walk too fast. Thanks for listening, it is people like you that help us answer all these questions that we just aren't sure of and don't know who to turn to that will understand. Take care of yourself.

 

[Mentu]

Hi, Okie, before my AVR (one year ago this week) I had similar sensations. My Cardio and my family Doctor said that these are symptoms of congestive heart failure, CHF, which can go along with the failing valve. It sounds to me that you need to be speaking with a surgeon now because it isn't going to get any better. The good news is that those sensations almost completely disappear by the time you wake up after the valve replacement.

By the way, I thought about Oklahoma Heart Hospital but was persuaded that the new facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma Heart Institute would be a better alternative for me. Looking back I don't see how I could have gotten better care anywhere else (the food wasn't very good but, then, I wasn't there for the cuisine).

Take Care

Larry

 

[okielady]

So glad to know about your symptoms, that is very helpful. Also glad you have things taken care of now and are on the downhill slide and that you are feeling so much better now that you've had your surgery. I definitely have a lot of things to think about and know I need to get on track and start asking questions.
Thanks again.

 

[okielady]

I went to the cardiologist today and had an ekg and he has discovered my pacemaker just isn't pacing my heart like it should be. We have discussed the past few times I've been in that when my present battery needs to be changed out on my pacemaker that I should be thinking about a biventricular pacemaker or if I possibly start having problems (which I am now so here we go). He has me set up with the pacemaker specialist for mid-October to discuss that. I still have 2 years left on my present pacemaker but since I am starting to have some problems it is something I need to do in order to get back to more of a normal life and get to feeling better. They say that a biventricular pacemaker can increase the EF function as much as 5-10%. I really do think that my valve leakage is due to poor heart function. Eventually I may still need valve replacement or repair but hopefully this will take care of the problems I am having now.
Anyone out there have a biventricular pacemaker? If so I would love to hear your opinion and how you are doing with it.

 

[Michelle D]

I'm pretty clueless in regards to pace makers but I was wondering if they have given you numbers on the leakage of your valves? If any are at a 3 then they can cause symptoms. If it's 2 or under they are okay. When I had my echo before my repair my mitral valve leak was a 4+ and they discovered my tricuspid was at a 2. I told him to fix it while he was in there but he wouldn't. So he had my heart cut open, everything was going smoothly and because it wasn't a 3 he wouldn't touch it. Hopefully he is right and it was leaking because my mitral valve. Well I'm glad you went to your cardiologist, I was worried about you and your shortness of breath.

 

[hook]

Me to

Me to

I just read this for the first time, but felt I needed to reply. You and I are very similar; I have a severely leaking mitral valve, from what I guess was about 3 years. DO NOT be fooled by skinny ankles, as a leaky mitral valve may not cause edema at all.

The leaky mitral valve in my case did cause the same pressure you described, and a bad case of IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). When we go places I would hold the meal off to the end of our activities because I knew I would feel like crap if I ate first. I would almost certainly have cramps after a meal. I assume I was holding fluid in my small intestine. I also had a constant dry caught, feelings of lung congestion, and often pneumonia. Lastly I had periods where I just felt weak and drained.

Now that the valve has been repaired, all this has cleared up. I still have a low EF, and an ICD in my chest, but life is getting better.

 

[hook]

I went to the cardiologist today and had an ekg and he has discovered my pacemaker just isn't pacing my heart like it should be. We have discussed the past few times I've been in that when my present battery needs to be changed out on my pacemaker that I should be thinking about a biventricular pacemaker or if I possibly start having problems (which I am now so here we go). He has me set up with the pacemaker specialist for mid-October to discuss that. I still have 2 years left on my present pacemaker but since I am starting to have some problems it is something I need to do in order to get back to more of a normal life and get to feeling better. They say that a biventricular pacemaker can increase the EF function as much as 5-10%. I really do think that my valve leakage is due to poor heart function. Eventually I may still need valve replacement or repair but hopefully this will take care of the problems I am having now.
Anyone out there have a biventricular pacemaker? If so I would love to hear your opinion and how you are doing with it.

Since your current device is no longer effective for your condition< I would think your EP could write a letter of medical necessity to your insurance and get an upgraded device. Have them look into the St Judes Fortify. It has some incredible new features.

 

[okielady]

Thanks for all your thoughts and comments. Mechelle I don't know what the number is on the mitral valve. I have my echo report that lists the EF numbers and such but don't see any numbers like that. I have been doing a lot of reading about the biventricular pacemaker and it does sound like it can make a huge difference in the way the heart functions and has the possibility of raising that EF number back up there. Insurance on this isn't going to be a problem so hopefully I will be able to get some type of a direction when I meet with the pacemaker doctor on the 15th. I'm willing to see if this will do the trick and would like to try this opposed to heart surgery. This is such a huge learning process! This site makes things so much better to be able to have caring people give their advice and expertise.

 

[okielady]

Okay everybody, I am scheduled to have a biventricular pacemaker with ICD implanted this coming Monday, October 25. I have a two lead pacemaker now but the doctor feels like it just isn't enough and that putting a lead in the other ventricle that it will improve my heart function remarkably. I'm excited about it and do feel that it should improve my quality of life.
I also want to pass along that in reading about heart failure I have found some statistics that show that a feeling of fullness is a symptom of left sided heart failure. Also, wheezing. Some people think maybe they have asthma or allergies because of it but it is actually their heart.
I will keep everyone posted about my progress. Hopefully I can be back on here by sometime next week.

 

[okielady]

Had the pacemaker surgery day before yeserday and was home yesterday by 10:30 a.m. All went well, no glitches. I am doing great except for being sore but am really not in any pain at all. I'm ready to get back to normal, get this soreness gone and see how I feel when walking and getting around doing my daily things. I will have my echocardiogram on November 10th and will be able to tell then if the EF number is any better.