Mitral Valve Prolapse Syndrome

twelve years ago I was diagnosed with MPV and am on a betablocker. I started regular exercise a year after the diagnosis and was able to reduce the need for the betablocker to 1/4 of the original dose. Healthy eating and lowering stress can also help. It is not a serious condition, which is likely why the doctor did not give you much info.

I have Mitral Valve Prolapse with moderate (borderline severe) regurgitation. I have been treated for years. Apparently it is different but I will tell you that I take betablockers for symptoms and follow up at the Mayo clinic in Rochester, MN. My story is complicated but I was going to suggest that you go to the Mayo clinic website and look up your condition. Their website is amazing and very clear about everything. This is what I found for you :

http://mayoclinic5.reachlocal.com/coupon/?scid=1442168&am...

Are you sure it isn't stenosis and not syndrome? Sorry, I just know a lot about MVP and only heard of stenosis and regurgitation. I'd also just do a search on it on yahoo or google too. I did that when I was diagnosed and when I had a problem with something else in my pregnancy and the information was very accurate if you know how to sift through it. It only took a few minutes.

I was also diagnosed with this about 20 years ago. Unfortunately, I also did not receive much info from the doctor except to take aspirin if I feel any discomfort (I went to the doctor initially because I had servere chest pain). I have been fortunate that I have not had a lot of problems with this except for the occassional discomfort (I do mean occassional - years will go by with nothing and then I will have chest pain for a couple of days). One thing that dentists USED to tell patients is that if you have any dental work, you need to "premedicate" before a procedure. In the last 5 years, this has NO longer been the recommendation. (As it was, I found this out from my cousin who has it and not from my dentist either so I am not exactly sure what they meant by pre-medicate). I am sorry that I am not of more help, but I wanted you to know that others also have run into the same situation (lack of information) and wanted to share what I did know. Best of luck to you!

The only thing I know is that it's a heart murmur and you have to be on antibiotics for any dental procedures that you have. Even cleanings. I used to work for a dentist and that's what we did with the patients that had it. I wish I had more information for you but I'm sure that you will get the answers you are looking for on here.

My sister has it and it really hasn't affected her life too much. She just has to make sure she discloses it to any doctors or dentists. If she gets dental work she goes on antibiotics ahead of time, I think like 24 hours but I'm not sure. When she got a tattoo, she did antibiotics too. She made sure her OB knew when she got pregnant. She doesn't really make any changes in her day to day life, and doesn't take regular medication or anything. But she makes sure to disclose it immediately if anything happens. Basically any time something can get into her blood stream, so any kind of injury, she checks with her doc and might go on antibiotics, but otherwise, no big deal.

Have it but many people do and it is never diagnosed. The syndrome is said to cause many very different things. I googled it at the time that I was diagnosed and had more questions than when I started. I am 51 and fine, diagnosed at 47ish. The side effects seem to be minor if at all noticable. Look it up and read about it online. At my last check up the Dr. could no longer hear the prolapse sound. Don't worry it is not life threatening.

I had that diagnosed once. I changed my diet and reduced the stress in my life and it went away.

vague? you need to make them be less vague. remember they work for you and went to school to HELP you...they should be telling you about it not a bunch of strangers on mamasource.

I was diagnosed with MVP some 25 years ago and it really hasn't affected my life. I don't even take antibiotics when I get dental work done, but to be on the safe side, I would if that's what you want. to do. I was told it's just like a heart murmur. Most doctors can't even detect it, but from time to time, they will hear it. So, I believe it's one of the same. I actually went to a heart specialist who diagnosed me with it. The worst part of it, is sometimes you can feel your heart race and in the beginning, that was a little weird, but now, I just ignore it and it goes away.

Both my mother and I have it (it is hereditary...). I was diagnosed back in high school (via murmur, echocardiogram and Holter Monitor) and was put on Tenormin. At the time my symptoms was simply the racing heart/palpitations but it would worsen during sports. At the time I had no idea why I was medicated but I went along with it. I weaned myself off the medication 4-5 years later just to see what would happen (I was in college and it was crimping my style) and felt great. It wasn't until last year (almost 20 years later) that I started getting that old feeling again...I went and had an echocardiogram done and amazingly they said that I have such a mild case (and minor regurgitation) that these days they would not give me a diagnosis of MVP! They suggested that I may be triggering the symptoms of MVP with stress and that I should take it easy, exercise, get enough sleep, etc...

My mother had been diagnosed many years ago with mitral valve also and was on meds for many years, but once we moved away, another dr. told her she didn't have it. I would suggest to you to check out www.mitralvalveprolapse.com/ for any information. Good luck to you and hope you find what you're looking for.

do you need to premed for dental appointments????

I have MVP. It is not the same as a heart murmur. It just means one of the valves of your heart (what separates the different chambers that pump blood to different places) doesn't work quite right so the blood leaks back in. People with MVP are more prone to infections in their heart, hence the recommendation of antibiotics before dental work (if you get nicked during the dental work the blood could carry any bacteria to your heart). However, medical opinion on this has changed and not everyone with MVP is premedicated. I recommend talking to your physician about this. I'd also say try not to stress about it as it hasn't made any major changes to my life in the 15 years I've known I've had it (and I'm fairly active) or my mothers' in the 30 years she's known she's had it.

Mitral Valve Prolapse is simply a benign floppiness of the valve (it's common, with few or no symptoms, and you may have to take an atibiotic before any procedures). Mitral Valve Prolapse Syndrome is a grouping of seemingly unrelated symptoms that many people with MVP also experience (lightheadedness, anxiety, tmj, irritable bowel, migraines, fibromyalgia, etc.). Not all doctors buy into its existence, since it is a "syndrome" but the evidence is pretty clear.

If you do have the syndrome, I've found www.mitralvalveprolase.com very informative--this local group also published a great book. They basically recommend staying hydrated and moderate exercise.