Hello. I am a 31 year old women who was diagnosed with MVP 8 years
ago. It was just 6 months after the birth of my son that I had my
first full blown panic attack in the middle of a grocery store. My
heart was racing so fast. I had trouble catching my breathe. I had no
idea what was happening to me so I thought I was going to die. I
remember leaving my cart in the middle of an isle, walking up to a
front cashier and asking her to call my husband for me. I was so
incapacitated he had to come and pick me up. Days later more symptoms
came on. I would be cold and shake even when it was hot outdoors, I
could feel my heart flutter over and over again which made me cough
and gasp for breathe. My fingers would go tingly and numb. I was
terrified I suddenly had some major disease. I went to doctor after
doctor and even visited the emergency room one night after I woke up
from a sound sleep with my heart pounding out of my chest and my left
side completely numb. Finally, just when I thought I was nuts because
all the doctors did was prescribe Zoloft and tell me to chill out I
found a REAL doctor. He placed his stethoscope on my chest, listened
for a few seconds and said. "You have Mitral Valve Prolapse." I was
floored. How come none of the other doctors had heard it? It only
took this doctor a minute to hear. He even gave me the stethoscope so
I could listen. Being a bit skeptical I asked for an Echocardiogram.
He gave me one and sure enough there was my floppy Mitral Valve
Flopping away... Whew! What a relief to know I was not insane!
Problem was I still had the symptoms and I am still not entirely
convinced I might not kneel over stone dead someday from the
palpitations. (The heart is like an engine right? If it does not run
right couldn't it stall? ) Not to be morbid....Anyway, I have been
doing well for a few years now with just mild symptoms which I
breathe through or fluid load myself away from....But today,,I don't
know what happened! I experienced palpitation after palpitation. I
was dizzy and sick to my stomach. I was shivering and could not get
warm. Now my muscles have that deep ache that makes even walking
hard. I am on a progesterone cream to stimulate my period ( but I
have been taking it for years ) although I wonder if I have some
major imbalance right now. I have banished the palpitations with
Calcium and Magnesium and lots of fluid but I still fell so tired and
I am so pale and my muscles hurt...What is going on I wonder? My
mother who is 56 just had a double heart bypass last winter so it
makes me concerned................