Doc says spinal defect related to heart defect...

[char2mar]

Hi:

I just found out that I have a congenital defect in my neck. Aparently it is related to the BAV. I asked my Doctor to order a series of xrays of my spine and neck because I wanted to rule out that the pain I have in my chest is heart/valve related and nothing else. When I saw my Doctor yesterday she informed my that I have spina bifida in my c3 and c4 region of my neck. Basically there is an opening in the spinal bones in that area. They did not totally close. Consequently I have bone spurs growing in that area, which can cause pain in the shoulder and radiating numbness going down the arm and into the hand. Which may expain the numbness I get in my hands especially while I type or while I am slightly bent over taking blood while at work. She said that when my heart and spine was forming something happened on that particular day and thus the defects. She also said that it is quite common for congenital heart patients to have something wrong with the spine as both those areas develop at the same time. Has anyone else out there have problems with their spine??? Just wondering? I find it totally amazing that none of these defects have been detected in me before. Up until age 40 I felt great and was totally oblivious to any medical problems whats so ever. Being 40 something sucks!

Char

 

[aussigal]

mmm...I with you on that one too...being 40 something does suck and i am 41 so i have a few more sucky years left

And well I am joining you as one who has trouble with their spine,,,mine includes a lovely mess at C5/6/7T1 with bone-spurs and arthritis stuff and also the lumbar at L3 thru to S1 all the discs have herniated and the facet joints are going now as well...
And I have mild Scoliosis as well with the apex of the curve @ T12.
My arm problems are probably coming from the 6/7 but its a real mess in there and its gotten somewhat better although I do get cortisone shots for tennis and golfers elbows in both arms ( both games i have never played ).

That is when I stumbled across connective tissue disorders and started adding up all my symptoms .

 

[Creed3]

Hi Char!

Hi Char!

I haven't heard anything regarding the heart and spine developing at the same time but it sounds reasonable to me. I know that with my daughter she was found to have congenital cataracts and her doctor told me that they were going to keep a close eye out for anything else that may pop up as she grows up. Her doc told me that usually when there is one congenital problem with development there is usually a second problem that will pop up. In my daughter's case they found out that she has a heart murmur. It has gotten softer as she has grown and her echos show improvement of the problem. She is lucky with both issues that they don't effect her way of life at all.

Take Care!
Gail

 

[PJmomrunner]

Shhh! I'm in denial. (Back problems? I don't got no stinking back problems!)

 

[char2mar]

I found this info on the net....This is the type of spina bifida I have:

One kind of spina bifida can go unnoticed. With spina bifida occulta (say: uh-kul-tuh), the opening in the person's back is covered by muscle and skin and the spinal cord is usually normal. There may be some problems with the spine, or there may be no problems at all. Lucky for me I have very little problems at all besides the numbness in my fingers and hands. (Is it related to heart, or spine....???) All I know is that I still get chest pain daily and all the other symptoms I have been complaining about for the last year. Anyway, I am wondering if my doctor was giving me a line regarding this defect just to make me feel better or perhaps there is a link to both. Suspose I should go on a spina bifida forum site and ask if anyone there has a heart defect too,

Char

PJ.......Denial is bliss....I am trying to do that these days....

 

[aussigal]

De-Nile is a lovely place to visit any time of the year i go there often too.


ok...now have you ever had a sticky-beak at the connective disorder syndrome web-site ( my link has gone awol )...but I reckon it would be quicker to tick off the things i DONT have than those i DO have .

but yeah...I will get around to finding my research on the subject and post it up...very interesting stuff.

 

[Yaps]

yup..scoliosis.. a real good curve..lol..went from 5'7 in 1984 (passport, went to Europe..) to 5'5 now... they (drs) blamed pain in my hip on scoliosis and sciatica..it was a blocked femoral. , but they never checked..just put me on neurontin.. to this day hip keeps me awake and walking is torture..

 

[Eric]

For what it?s worth, I had a herniated and ruptured L5/S1 disc. I had surgery 10 years ago. They went in a clipped off the herniated part and cleaned out the interior of the disc. However, I think this was more due to wear and tear. I used to lift heavy weights and have played many sports very competitively for several years.

 

[dmoses1]

yup..scoliosis.. a real good curve..lol..went from 5'7 in 1984 (passport, went to Europe..) to 5'5 now... they (drs) blamed pain in my hip on scoliosis and sciatica..it was a blocked femoral. , but they never checked..just put me on neurontin.. to this day hip keeps me awake and walking is torture..

Hey . . . just whn I was starting to think you guys were just nuts, you went and named something that I have. I've had pain in my back since I can remember (10 yrs. old).

I didn't know it had anything to do with the "other thing," though.

 

[char2mar]

yup..scoliosis.. a real good curve..lol..went from 5'7 in 1984 (passport, went to Europe..) to 5'5 now... they (drs) blamed pain in my hip on scoliosis and sciatica..it was a blocked femoral. , but they never checked..just put me on neurontin.. to this day hip keeps me awake and walking is torture..

Yaps:

I don't have scoliosis but I also suffer from sciatica....grrrrrr...I too am kept awake at night because my left hip kills me...and now my right hip is also starting to pain, and some days it does torture me to walk. My husband keeps trying to tell me that it is just the normal aches and pains that everyone gets with age....(I think not...none of my 40+friends get these types of pains).....just wait until he starts complaining about something...see how sympathic I will be..LOL.

Char