Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Heart

An echocardiogram might be a good place to start with your doc. My tachycardia was explained by my echo results... mitral valve prolapse and some leaky valves.

Hi Erie,

My angiogram discovered that I had a fair bit of calcification covering the mitral valves which does give it a link to AS. The ultrasound tests wouldn't show this but the angiogram does. Have you ever had one?

George

My EKG came with it's own printed report which said something about mitral valve malfunction and something or other else. The doc said - no I don't see that and according to her - the cardiolgist that she faxed it to, said the same thing.

My heart beat has slowed right down now so that at least feels better for now. However, I still have the irregular thing happening so I continue to worry.
Next Thursday I will have to insist on seeing a cardiologist or rheumy or both.

Thanks again everybody for all your comforting words.

I am trying to keep my mind occupied untill I can get real help.


HUGE HUGS for all

Maggie

Magie,

some meds can cause mitral valve prolapse, temp usualy withdraw the drug fixes it..........

David

Some ECG machines give an interpertation but the tracings are still sent to the cardiologist for a final reading. The machines interpertation is usually overstated and that is why the specialist still has to look at it and give his stamp. We are not allowed to let the patient see the tracing and especially the machine interpertation without the dr.'s say so. If we give the tracing back to the patient to bring to the dr. it has to be in a sealed brown envelope until the dr. sees it. If the cardiologist says it does not have a mitral valve malfunction but the machine does then the dr. has the final word not the ECG machine interpretation. I hope the machine interpertation is not causing you unnneccessary worry. It is not going to help your stress level.

What I have read in medical books about AS and heart problems is that it causes bundle branch block in the heart but I have not heard of it causing tachychardia.(Though I am NOT an expert) I actually have a bundle branch block that doesn't seem to cause any distress but the dr.'s say it may or may not be caused by AS, even though it says in the Merck's Manual that bundle branch blocks and AS go hand in hand.

You know Maggie, the Health Care System in Canada has been called a Yo Yo syndrome which means you are on your own. Literally it means you have to take your health care in your own hands and get your own answers somtimes in spite of the dr.'s. If one won't help you then you have to find one that will. It is not an easy task when you are not well and do not have a dr. who will listen, believe and help you. They have the power and advantage over you especially when you are not well. Don't give up the fight Maggie. You know when something is not right and if you dr. will not get you the results you deserve then he or she is not worthy of your patronage. Why should you line their pockets when they are not giving you proper treatment?

I didn't mean to ramble on so long . Take care and I hope you get your answers soon.

Debbie



Plant a seed of friendship; reap a bouquet of happiness.

Maggie: In 1989 ,when I was fortunately working for the Silicon Valley startup company that develped the implantable defibrillator like Vice Prez Dick Cheney has,my heart started racing to 200 beats a minute occaisionally .I had the the guys who implanted my companies first immplantable defibs check me out. They diagnosed Wolfe-Parkinson-White syndrome and cracked open my chest and fixed it .A couple of guys from my company later started a company that made equipment so they could do this procedure with radio frequency ablation so as to not have to open the chest.
Kev

Hi Deborah

Well, there was no brown envelope here !!!!!!!!! You're right, it would have been much better on my stress level, not to have read that on the top of the print out.

The difficulty with the doc thing is that we have quite a shortage here. It is hard to find a doc who is accepting new patients. I allready have to travel 1/2 hr. to the one I have.
In many ways she has been great but I don't understand her at present.
On thursday, I will make myself stand my ground and get a refferal fo a rheumy or cardiologist. The other difficulty is that it will probably take quite a while to get an appointment with one of these.
You are quite right, I see that we have to take control ourselves but it is very frustrating to have to allways wait so long and to feel so much at their mercy.

Don't even tell me what bundle branch block is - I don't want any more scary info untill I'm actually sitting in front of a doctor who can and will do something about it.
I am the worst person for imagining things are going wrong once I know the possibilities ( does that make sense ? )

Thanks Deborah - you are very kind and helpful.

Maggie

ok Paul - thanks.

I know Jade - it is becoming quite a " chicken or egg " syndrome.

Thanks Jade you are a great friend

Maggie

Hi David

I need a specialist to discuss all this with for sure. This all started years before I even heard of vioxx. It has however, increased enormously in the last short while.
I have tried no vioxx for a short time - definatly no decrease in palpitations or high rate.

I'm pretty dazed and confused and, as I said, need to discuss asap with a specialist.

Thanks for trying

Maggie