Symptoms

[Shawneegirl]

Does anyone with MVP with leakage have a symptom of when lying on your side and getting a strange sensation almost like not getting enough air. I also have a sensation that makes me cough. Could this be due to my condition, stress or something else. It seems to be in the middle of my chest
Bobbie

 

[AgilityDog]

I'm pretty sure we should have a sticky thread listing symptoms. If not, run a search on this forum and you'll come up with lots of threads.

Coughing when lying down, especially if it starts up soon after lying down (an hour or so, sometimes less) is very common. Shortness of breath, not getting enough air/feeling like there's a wall in your lungs and you can't breathe in the whole way, or the air's not getting through the mucus/fluid is also common. That's the congestive part of congestive heart failure, which can be caused by valve leakage.

It can be mild or severe. Some nights I thought I was going to suffocate, as well as coughing so much I hurt. But upright I was ok (at first) except when I ran agility I couldn't get enough air, and was able to do less and less. That shortness of breath with exercise started only a few weeks after the date I now believe my valve gave out (I had sudden onset after bronchitis). But the cough, especially lying down, started IMMEDIATELY, and it was bad. Of course, my valve was just flapping in the breeze!

 

[debster913]

Oh, yeah, I know what you mean. I had all kinds of weird symptoms before my valve surgery, including some that you mentioned. The worst symptoms, of course, were in the months leading up to my surgery, but that's a different story. Before my surgery, I even felt my valve leaking, like the blood was building up in my left atrium. Weird, huh, but it's silly how "aware" I was of my failing valve.

I still have weird symptoms at times, but instead of being valve-related, it's stress, med effects, and the sort.

If you are concerned about the symptoms you've been having, call your cardio!

Take care!
Debi (debster913)

 

[Adrienne]

When I got A-Fib (before my surgery), since I had severe regurgitation, the blood started backing up into my lungs and I started coughing terribly at night. It was the very beginning of CHF. So, you should tell your cardiologist about it.

 

[Lisa in Katy]

Most people with mitral valve problems have difficulty on their left sides. At least two reasons: everyone's heart beats harder when on the left side (that's why women in labor are told to lay on their left sides) and mitral valve problems are likely to cause left side enlargement. In fact, there was another thread not too long ago about this. So, yes, it is normal.

 

[aussiemember]

I have MVP with mod-severe regurg and do occasionally cough at night for no reason -am not short of breath with it though ....

 

[tcopel]

PVC's are something else to think about, although you didnt mention palpitations. These are premature beats. Generally, when it is sustained for a length of time, it makes me cough for some reason and I have a slight sense of air hunger. Laying on the left side, for some individuals tend to accentuate the PVC's.