What are these weird feelings?

[leecrowley]

I'm a 37 year old BAV with 3+/4+ AI. My surgery is scheduled for Aug. 8 in Dallas. The only symptom I can really connect to my condition is rapid fatigue during exercise. I play a lot of "higher-level" tennis, and get fatigued after 5 minutes. However, it's never enough to make me stop. Starting about 18 months ago, I would occassionally get this weird feeling around my heart. These feelings usually occur while I'm at work. It is a desk job, and is very low-stress.

It is very difficult for me to describe the feeling, but here goes.......it would feel like a sudden, very slight increase in pressure in the area of my heart, followed by a slight "tingly" feeling that spread up the left side of my neck and sometimes all the way up to near my ear. I never know it's coming until it happens, so I can only check my pulse as I feel the tingle. My pulse always seems fine. The tingle takes 2-4 seconds to subside, then I'm back to normal. These feelings do not happen very often, and in fact, have decreased since I started taking 5mg of Crestor in December '05. Before this, they occurred about once every week. Now it's more like once every 6 weeks. It's not an uncomfortable feeling, just weird. The uncomfortable part is not knowing what is going on. I mentioned these to the 2 cardiologists I've seen and my cardiac surgeon. They never mentioned anything about them or asked other questions regarding these feelings, so I assume they aren't that important.

Anyone else feel something like this?

Thanks.

 

[Ross]

Hopefully if your at 4+, your smart enough not to be pushing yourself. Question-Have they done any imaging scans? Have they said anything about an enlarged aortic root or aneurysm? This would be my concern.

 

[WesternNYer]

Now that you mention it......

Now that you mention it......

I used to get the weird tingling thing...more like a light faint buzz that crept up the left side and wrapped around the back of my ear and left side of the back of my head. Never associated it with anything...as it came and went occasionally, like maybe once a month( Possibly poor oxygenated bloodflow due to my failing BAV). Crazy as this sounds...I completely forgot about it until reading this thread....as I havent had one since my AVR surgery on Nov 21,2005. BAV discovered in Fall 2005....and likely undiagnosed bout with Rheumatic Fever in December 2003. Don't know if it was related...but since Dec 2003 and up until my surgery...I could feel my heart was not working right. Odd to say but I felt the backflow somehow.And my heart felt swollen...like I had eaten too much though I hadn't eaten.Now...I actually am somewhat intrigued to see if any remodeling has taken place as my LV was enlarged somewhat and noted in a few echos,Xrays and a very cool real time 3D echo by some newer Technology by Phillips Electronics that I was lucky enough to be asked to be available during their sales pitch to Hamot Medical Center. 7 months post op...and I feel Damn good....Hope your tinglies resolve with addressing your Heart valve issues. My well wishes on a successful outcome. Tim

 

[leecrowley]

Ross: I have not had any imaging done, other than my Cathaterization and last ECHO. When I met my surgeon a few weeks ago, I asked him if I could continue to play tennis until the surgery. He asked me if I had other symptoms like SOB or dizziness. I do not. He said I could continue to play, but to obviously stop when I felt any of those or got too tired. I'm down to playing once a week for about 2 hours, and it seems to keep me in somewhat good shape.

My last ECHO (April) and my CATH didn't show anything abnormal about my aorta. My last root measurement was 37mm. It looked good enough that Dr. Ryan thought we could do the Ross Procedure when I have my surgery. I know he is very conservative when it comes to doing the Ross, so I feel pretty good that my aorta is OK. However, I know we won't know for sure until he gets in there. Thanks for the concern. I really appreciate reading all of your posts.

WesternNY: Glad to hear you're doing well. It's an inspiration to read about all of the success stories. Dr. Ryan said my left ventricle was enlarged, but he thought it would correct itself after the surgery. Thanks for the good wishes.

Lee