Heavy Heart Beat?

[Fiddler's Green]

I'm five weeks post-op and I'm doing well for the most part. Ever since the surgery though, it feels like my heart beats harder/heavier than before much of time. Is this normal? It causes me to feel anxious sometimes, but the speed and rhythm are normal. I've felt this since I came out of surgery and I thought this feeling would go away, but it hasn't.

It is much easier to feel it beat on the outside of my chest if you hold your hand on it than before as well.

-Jared

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Jared,

I see that you had AVR for Severe Regurgitation.

With Regurgitation, your heart was probably pumping harder than normal because some of the blood was being pushed back into the atrium. This can cause your muscles to strengthen as with any exercise. Now that you have a New Valve with little or no leakage, your muscles are probably still pumping hard, causing these hard heartbeats. Hopefully it will
"recondition", but this takes time, sometimes several Months. Mention it to your Cardiologist so that he is aware of the situation, but don't be surprised if he just tells you to be patient and hopefully it will resolve in time. For many of us, recomvery never goes as fast as we would like :-(

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Mentu]

Jared, I felt the same thing. It was not at all disturbing like the palpitations before surgery but just a really powerful heart beat. Also, I realized that I could feel my pulse quite strongly in my wrist after the AVR. Just as Al predicted, my Cardio said that my heart had become conditioned to pushing blood through a very small distorted valve and that it would take months for it to significantly adjust itself to the new circumstances and probably a couple of years to complete its reconditioning. That's pretty much how it is going. At 9 months, my pulse is still easy to feel in the wrist but I am no longer experiencing quite as strong a heart beat when I put my hand on my chest. This reconditioning is one of the most important long term benefits we experience after surgery. The closer to normal that this process can achieve, the better one's long term heart health. I just never expected to be able to feel it happening.

Larry

 

[ARGreenMN]

Absolutely! I'm at 8 weeks post-op and still feel the stronger than normal heartbeat (and with the mechanical valve, can hear it too). I've mentioned that a few times and have gotten the same explanation Al mentions above (which makes perfect sense). Hoping it fades over time as my heart realizes it doesn't have to pump that hard anymore.

 

[Fiddler's Green]

Mentu- I'm glad to hear that other people have had these feelings as well and that it is normal. I can feel my pulse much more easily too. At times the pulse in the back of my neck makes me feel like my head is moving while I lay down. It is a little unnerving. Thanks for replying, Mentu.

Al- I definitely had severe regurgitation. Thanks for always being there with clear answers. I appreciate it.

 

[Fiddler's Green]

Absolutely! I'm at 8 weeks post-op and still feel the stronger than normal heartbeat (and with the mechanical valve, can hear it too). I've mentioned that a few times and have gotten the same explanation Al mentions above (which makes perfect sense). Hoping it fades over time as my heart realizes it doesn't have to pump that hard anymore.

I'm hoping it fades as well.

By the way, I'm looking forward to your INR Alcohol Experiment.

 

[Philip B]

Beating Hard

Beating Hard

Two things...

First, as Al mentioned, it does take some time for the heart to reconfigure (adjust) after it's been fixed. Second, after someone's been though the trauma of OHS it's common to be sensitive or tuned in to what the heart is doing or at least what it feels like it's doing. It may simply feel like it's beating harder than it really is.

Give yourself time to settle.

-Philip

 

[ARGreenMN]

I don't think alcohol affects my INR. Or if it does, it must be very temporary (while it's still in my system). I've had a few tests now where just a day or two before I'd had more than 2-3 drinks. And my INR was right where I'd expect it. But I will do some more testing once I get my home testing machine. Like Bina suggested - a drink, a finger poke. Another drink, another finger poke. I guess that means I'll be limited to ten drinks, but that's the sacrifice I'll just have to make

 

[Bina]

I don't think alcohol affects my INR. Or if it does, it must be very temporary (while it's still in my system). I've had a few tests now where just a day or two before I'd had more than 2-3 drinks. And my INR was right where I'd expect it. But I will do some more testing once I get my home testing machine. Like Bina suggested - a drink, a finger poke. Another drink, another finger poke. I guess that means I'll be limited to ten drinks, but that's the sacrifice I'll just have to make

Andy, don't drag me into your experimental testing.....I don't drink a drop, so I can't be trusted. LOL
(my HR is wonky enough without alcohol to mess with it further).

 

[ARGreenMN]

Maybe some alcohol would straighten it out!

 

[Julieaka]

ditto here - and so far cardio/surgeon say the same thing - both the readjustment and being younger than usual - make the harder/rapid heart beat - I am 10 day post op and working to get the beating under 100 (resting!) kinda scary - but so far, again, the explanations do make sense

however - as you often hear people say on here - ask your doctor because they went through a LIST of what could be doing this before they let me outta hospital -including light bleeding on the heart - so be sure they check everything first before going with this explanation

 

[hook]

I am six weeks MVR, and have spells with what you describe. There are times where it feels my heart kicks into this low gear, around 40 BPM, but the torque increases. The pounding is in rythm, but so strong I feel the blood leave my heart. After a few minutes it jumps back into a higher gear and feels normal. I have told my cardio about it, but they have determined it is not ventricular so they are not worried.

Yes, please post the alchohol results. I am not a big drinker, but I would like a couple glasses of red wine for those dull business meals