Bicuspid Aortal Valve diagnoses...freaking out!

Posted , 2 users are following.

So i have sever hypochondria and have had it since i was about 10 or 11. I am 21, have always been an active child with no classic heart symptoms (pain, breathlessness, etc.) or even odd symptoms like swelling of legs or anything like that (no family history of sudden death, heart disease, etc.).  

I went to my pediatrician and told him i have severe anxiety and that lately i have been having palpitations (no symptoms following them or before them, just random skipped beats i feel throughout the day).  He sent me to a cardiologist and had them do an ekg an ultrasound even though he thought i was fine to settle my nerves.

After all the tests, the docs were pretty positive about my heart saying all was normal (except slightly high BP and heart rate, probably because of my nerves), and said i have a bicuspid aortal valve.  Of course being a hypochondriac, i am researching and not liking what i see. He said that people live normal lives with it, and that i will be okay but need some other opinions to help convince me otherwise.

Will i need surgery? Can i drink on it? I'm just so anxious right now and need answers.

Thank you everyone!

0 likes, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • Posted

    Anyone? Please?
  • Posted

    Hi Rob,

    You seemed quite desperate for someone to reach out to you, I’m here searching about heart problems for my grandson.

    I don’t know anything about buscuspid aortal valve, so I did a quick read up on it.

    This is what I found from here https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bicuspid-aortic-valve/cdc-20385577

    Lifelong care

    After a bicuspid aortic valve has been diagnosed, you'll need lifelong care from a pediatric cardiologist as a child, and then from an adult congenital cardiologist as an adult, including regular follow-up appointments to monitor for any changes in your condition.

    A bicuspid aortic valve can be inherited in families. Because of this, doctors often recommend that all first-degree relatives parents, children and siblings of people with a bicuspid aortic valve be screened with an echocardiogram.

    With regards to your panic attacks, that’s something I do have experience with.

    I used to drink a hell of a lot of caffeine, I swapped coffee for tea thinking it’d help but it didn’t.

    I gave up caffeine completely and drank a lot more water. My panic attack’s have stopped completely, about 5 years since the last one. Very rarely I get an anxiety attack but it is manageable and not scary like a panic attack.

    If you aren’t happy with your doctors response tell him/her, tell them you feel more should be done than just telling you, ‘people live with it’.

    If they send you away, get a second opinion, if the 2nd doctor gives you the same response, maybe start researching how to look after your heart with this kind of disorder. Types of Food may worsen it, what you drink; lots of caffeine, coke, high sugar drinks aren’t good for the body, energy drinks should always be avoided whether you have a heart condition or not. 

    Sometimes if the doctors won’t help you, you need to find a way to help yourself. 

    Maybe in future when you’re searching online for your symptoms, instead of researching what they are and how bad it might be, maybe look up, how can I heal ‘x’ naturally or ‘x’ hurts what can help to ease it.

    Whenever I used to search ailments online 9/10 cancer was usually on the list.

    Good luck and wishing you good health. 

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