You have to have at least one stroke before they will close the PFO, or be having TIA's.  I also have pvc's and the surgery only made them worse.  Have you tried Verapamil?  It will help prevent migraines and calm down the pvc's.  It is a blood pressure med, but it also dialates the arteries and helps keep the heart from skipping beats. 

You shouldn't smoke it's a HUGE migraine and heart palp trigger.  My Mom had pvc's for years, and when she quit smoking they went away.  You're kidding yourself if you keep smoking.    I'd stop smoking first, and see if that helps before I put a piece of metal into my heart.  Once it's there, it's there for life.  If you aren't having problems with blood clots then don't do that to yourself.

Good luck,

Vi

kimsstay <cornerstone@arvig.net> wrote:

Hello, I am a new member who just found this site. I was diagnosed
with a PFO this summer but the cardiologist and my internist pretty
much blew it off as no big thing ('a lot of people walking around with
PFOs, no problem'). I have been suffering from migraines now for 4
yrs, a little over 2 yrs ago they became daily. still on the search
for a preventative that will work but do not take any abortives other
than muscle relaxers, so have become an expert on dealing with pain.
There are many days when the pain is so bad it makes my blood pressure
sky rocket.

I also have hypertension (diagnosed about 11 years ago), very
resistant to treatment. Diagnosed with Primary Aldosternism last march
at the Mayo. Besides hypertension, this also causes potassium
deficiency, which in my case leads to lots of PVCs, which again I was
told not to worry about (the PVCs). I am on supplements and a high
potassium diet.

So here is my point -- (sorry to ramble on) because of my
hypertension, plus migraines, plus I smoke (I know, I know, I should
quit....), I am a prime candidate for stroke. Yet they won't do the
PFO closure unless you already have a stroke? Do you have to have
TWO!!?? That just seems like closing the barn door after the horses
have escaped...

Does anyone know the latest on this? Is there a website to go to see
what the FDA current stand is?

Has anyone had the operation who had to pay for it out of pocket? How
much was it? I was quoted '$20 to $30,000' just off the cuff. After
that I didn't pursue the idea cuz that is out of my ballpark. Those of
you who have had the surgery, did you have a stroke (or two) before?
Did you insurance cover the surgery?

thanks for any input,
kim

 The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.