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would correcting a heart defect (mitral valve prolapse) end my anxiety for good?

mitral valve prolapse anxiety heart defect panic attack

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#1 eon

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Posted 29 April 2015 - 11:44 AM


I was aware that a heart defect called Mitral Valve Prolapse (MVP) causes one to have anxiety and panic attacks. My psychiatrist have mentioned it as well. I either had it from birth (mom had Rubella while I was in her womb), so it was possible. My head injury from car accident (not brain injury) may have indirectly cause the heart defect when a nervous system imbalance may have occurred (see quote below).

 

I was always an anxious child (after my car accident). I don't get the link between a heart defect with psychiatric illness (but vice versa may be possible or maybe vice versa IS just as possible as well). So instead of me taking never ending meds and nootropics, wouldn't it make more sense to get to the root of it and fix the heart valve defect? Now, the question is what would be the best option? I've read of a procedure done entirely with a laser, no open cut surgery type procedure. Obviously I'd need to visit a cardiologist and get all the details but if anyone here has any feedback on this feel free to do so. I wonder what type of insurance are accepted and how much it will cost. This may be a non invasive type of procedure while I don't know how they can repair a heart valve without putting something on it which requires cutting you up (?). 

 

If anyone here has anxiety but have not seen a cardiologist, I advice you to do so because it could be due to this heart defect. While it has been said MVP is a magnesium deficiency, I'm not sure if magnesium supplementation fixes the problem or simply alleviates it (mag helps with anxiety but doesn't wipe it out of your memory). Not sure how a prolapsed heart valve could fix itself even though the heart is "known to heal itself" with exercise etc. etc.

 

"Anxiety, panic attacks, and depression may be associated with mitral valve prolapse. Like fatigue, these symptoms are believed to be related to imbalances of the autonomic nervous system."

 

http://www.medicinen..._valve_prolapse



#2 stan08

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Posted 29 April 2015 - 02:06 PM

Huh...that's interesting.  I was born with mitral valve prolapse and have had anxiety, depression, fatigue and the occasional chest pains since I was a child.  I never considered there may be a connection (at least not with the anxiety, depression and fatigue...always figured the chest pains were due to the mitral valve prolapse).


Edited by stan08, 29 April 2015 - 02:41 PM.


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#3 eon

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Posted 29 April 2015 - 08:14 PM

I had chest pains as a teen but not anymore, not sure if it's due to me cutting out coffee a few years ago (which depletes magnesium allegedly) plus I supplement with magnesium nowadays. MVP is a magnesium deficiency (I was either born with it or caffeine use had something to do with it by depleting my magnesium). I remembered eating coffee fruit/beans straight from the tree of the coffee tree. It was slightly sweet like coffee with sugar. I was a bit addicted to it considering the amount I had eaten. Not sure if the coffee fruit has any caffeine but I'm sure it does.

 

I want to get to the root of it by fixing the source of the problem rather than taking anti anxiety forever.


Edited by eon, 29 April 2015 - 08:18 PM.


#4 Arisia

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Posted 30 April 2015 - 12:06 AM

I had a prolapsed mitral valve when I was younger but it did correct itself when I was in my forties(my cardiologist said this was not unusual). My symptoms were/are chest pain, coughing, heart arrhythmia, shortness of breath and fatigue.

 

A few years ago, when my Lupus started acting up really bad. The shortness of breath got so bad I could barely breath(and I could eat very little, because it made it all worse). I'd also get chest pain bad enough to think I might be heaving a mild heart attack.

 

Turns out I also had asthma. So, lived most of my life putting up with some pretty strong chest pains, excessive coughing, and short of breath all the time, being told it was Mitral Valve Prolapse Syndrome. Beta blockers helped with the heart arrhythmia, but not with the other symptoms. Albuterol vanished everything else within seconds.

 

So, make sure asthma has been considered, and reconsidered.



#5 sthira

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Posted 30 April 2015 - 01:52 AM

I find your post interesting, too, since I never quite made the connection between anxiety and depression to MVP. I have MVP but control it for the most part by avoiding caffeine and chocolate. For some reason green tea really exacerbates it, so I've given up green, white, black teas, and even decaf coffee makes mine worse. I didn't know MVP had much to do with magnesium deficiency. I thought it was an anatomical condition -- floppy valve -- or "displacement of an abnormally thickened mitral valve leaflet into the left atrium during systole."

Your idea of surgery is very interesting. If you decide to do this, please report back. I'd never considered MVP surgery since I was told the non-classical version is harmless. But wouldn't that be amazing if you had the surgery (which looks like a pretty simple surgery) and it cured not only your floppy valve but also your anxiety and depression? That would really be something... Thanks for your post :-)

#6 eon

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Posted 30 April 2015 - 07:11 AM

I shall report back but my first move is to visit a cardiologist and inquire about a non invasive procedure where lasers will be used and not cutting you up and so on. It was about 10 years ago when I saw the ad on a metro train. I'm sure the procedure has grown bigger and better by now. 


Edited by eon, 30 April 2015 - 07:13 AM.


#7 eon

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Posted 30 April 2015 - 07:23 AM

so you don't really have MVP then or what? I don't have asthma. My brother did. It vanished without ever doing anything. I doubt it was even asthma. Not sure what it was.

 

When you say Albuterol vanished everything, what do you mean did it vanish MVP or all asthma symptoms? Vanish as in cured or just for the time being? Usually something like Clenbuterol works as well as it expands the lung airways (?) which is why it has been used for athletic doping by athletes such as Lance Armstrong. It keeps one breathing nicely I suppose.

 

Is Albuterol prescription only?

 

Also, even asthma is linked with psychological issues:

 

Associated conditions

 

A number of other health conditions occur more frequently in those with asthma, including gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), rhinosinusitis, and obstructive sleep apnea.[22] Psychological disorders are also more common,[23] with anxiety disorders occurring in between 16–52% and mood disorders in 14–41%.[24] However, it is not known if asthma causes psychological problems or if psychological problems lead to asthma.[25] Those with asthma, especially if it is poorly controlled, are at high risk for radiocontrastreactions.[26]

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asthma

 

I had a prolapsed mitral valve when I was younger but it did correct itself when I was in my forties(my cardiologist said this was not unusual). My symptoms were/are chest pain, coughing, heart arrhythmia, shortness of breath and fatigue.

 

A few years ago, when my Lupus started acting up really bad. The shortness of breath got so bad I could barely breath(and I could eat very little, because it made it all worse). I'd also get chest pain bad enough to think I might be heaving a mild heart attack.

 

Turns out I also had asthma. So, lived most of my life putting up with some pretty strong chest pains, excessive coughing, and short of breath all the time, being told it was Mitral Valve Prolapse Syndrome. Beta blockers helped with the heart arrhythmia, but not with the other symptoms. Albuterol vanished everything else within seconds.

 

So, make sure asthma has been considered, and reconsidered.

 


Edited by eon, 30 April 2015 - 07:25 AM.


#8 Arisia

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Posted 30 April 2015 - 10:57 PM

 

so you don't really have MVP then or what? I don't have asthma. My brother did. It vanished without ever doing anything. I doubt it was even asthma. Not sure what it was.

 

When you say Albuterol vanished everything, what do you mean did it vanish MVP or all asthma symptoms? Vanish as in cured or just for the time being? Usually something like Clenbuterol works as well as it expands the lung airways (?) which is why it has been used for athletic doping by athletes such as Lance Armstrong. It keeps one breathing nicely I suppose.

 

Is Albuterol prescription only?

...

 

I did have MVP (and a heart murmur) as shown on ultrasound. It did stop showing on ultrasounds(and the murmur went away) in my 40s.

 

Basically, I just wanted you to be sure your issues are due to the MVP first, before having surgery. Even if its done via a laser, it's still invasive, and has risks(they still have to thread a catheter up into the heart(I'm not sure if they will have to stop your heart or not).

 

Albuterol got rid of my chest pain(which I had been told all my life was due to the MVP, but it turns out is due to asthma), and my shortness of breath(which was also due to asthma, and NOT MVP).

 

I also have dysautonomia(heart and blood pressure can change throughout the day in an abnormal way). This is controlled, mostly, using beta-blockers.

 

Albuterol is prescription only.
 



#9 eon

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Posted 01 May 2015 - 10:34 AM

The first cardiologist who checked my heart said I have MVP just by him hearing my heart from a stethoscope. This was over 10 years ago. I had been supplementing with magnesium ever since I joined this forum about 2-3 years ago and my current physician (who isn't a cardiologist but a primary care physician) said she do not hear anything wrong with my heart that may suggest MVP. Since MVP is a magnesium deficiency, my assumption is it may have repaired it self since I had been taking magnesium for the last 2-3 years. I have doubts and will see a new cardiologist soon for another opinion.

 

While I'm not sure how the MVP repair procedure goes, my assumption is the laser will simply "lift" back the "prolapsed" valve and no invasive type procedure. I'd have to look this up some more.



#10 eon

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Posted 06 May 2015 - 09:21 AM

anyone here have any info. on how much a heart valve repair may cost and what type of insurance are accepted? I'm assuming ANY insurance?



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#11 eon

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Posted 28 August 2015 - 08:09 AM

So I went to a cardiologist and did the EKG and echo cardiogram and standard check up. The doctor said I have no mitral valve prolapse (MVP). He explained to me that MVP is congenital and it's the "thinning" of the valve. While I do feel that I may have had MVP when I was first diagnsosed with it over 10 years ago, the fact that I have been supplementing with magnesium and other heart healthy supplements in the past few years may have repaired the "thinning" of the valve therefore my tests showed that I have no MVP. The doctor also mentioned that MVP was a popular diagnosis many years ago, doesn't mean one have it. I could have had just a murmur all along? Who knows? I was told they have better equipment now than over 10 years ago. 
 
I explained to the doctor about MVP is linked to magnesium deficiency but he knows nothing about it or if supplementing with it is beneficial or can possibly repair such heart defect, etc. I know some docs are clueless and they just stick with what they know. This is why I also do my own research and not wait around for some "doc advice". While I do feel that I may have had MVP at one point and that may have been linked to my anxiety and or panic attacks, but within the last few years ever since supplementing with magnesium, the anxiety and or panic attacks have slowly disappeared. The only time they ever "creep up" on me is the fact that the experience of having anxiety and panic attacks is "stored" in my memory. Now, I need to work on erasing such memories. LOL. Damn this amygdala!
 
My advice to anyone here, supplement with magnesium, then visit a new cardiologist for a second opinion!
 
If I may add, I used to drink coffee and from what I understand it depletes magnesium but I don't have a source for this claim. It's something I may have read somewhere. So not drinking coffee anymore made my heart be at ease and doesn't feel like it's about to jump out of my chest. I still feel it's a dirty stimulant considering the fact that I don't even feel anything from a 70 mg Vyvanse (amphetamine!). 

Edited by eon, 28 August 2015 - 08:53 AM.






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