ChristusG Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 So on Christmas night I had the pleasure of going to the emergency room and found out I have gallstones. Yay! :glare: So today I had a consultation with a surgeon to talk about having my gallbladder removed. In his routine exam, he discovers that I have a loud heart murmur. I've been told this before (as an adult), had an echo-cardiogram which discovered nothing, and was sent on my way. This was years ago. Apparently, it has gotten louder. He doesn't want to do surgery until I have this murmur looked at by a cardiologist. So I have that appointment on Tuesday. Does anyone know about heart murmurs in adults? What happens? Etc? I know they are common in children, but not as common in adults. I'm getting really stressed about all this. Even more stressed that I'm nursing my 2 month old and don't want anything to interfere with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 (edited) My mother has a heart murmur. She actually does have a condition (unchanging, never affected her) so her echos aren't normal. The fact you've had a normal echo before with a known murmur would be reassuring to me. I'd be worried too in your place because I am a worrier but as an outside observer I think he's being careful and conservative in asking for a reevaluation before surgery. Edited December 30, 2011 by sbgrace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 :grouphug: I have one. Sometimes the doctor can't even hear it. If I am particularly stressed, it's louder, for some reason. Could you have been stressed at the time? I bet it's the same murmur as before and they just have to take every precaution with you before you have surgery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenangelcat Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 I had one as a kid and they treated it with an experimental surgery. The same surgery is used today but it's a quick day procedure and not the huge deal it was when I had it. My husband recently found out that his heart adds an extra beat after every 5 beats. The doctors weren't concerned. I've met several people with murmurs that never had them treated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
venusmom Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 My daughter has a VSD murmur that was fairly large, but not large enough to cause her any problems. Hers got louder too - and I don't know if it means the same thing in adults, since I assume murmurs are more likely to close in children, but when hers got louder it was because the hole was shrinking. The smaller the hole - the louder the 'woosh' sound between beats...because the blood was having to push harder to get through the smaller opening. Your cardiologist will know the real answer of course, but this was re-assuring to me - as I had a stethescope at home and called the doc in a panic when hers got louder. She is now 7 and the picture of health. They have moved her appts from once a year to every 2 years now - and she's never had any trouble. I hope your news is good as well and I will keep you in my prayers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 (edited) I used to work with a pediatric cardiologist. In children, the louder the murmur, the less significant it is because it generally means that the hole in the heart (which causes the majority of murmurs in kiddos) is very small. In adults, the cause of newly discovered murmurs is usually different. Innocent murmurs can be common, and pregnancy is often the cause in women. Since you just had a new baby, I wouldn't be all that concerned. Your blood flow increases with pregnancy, and moves more rapidly through your body, which is usually what causes the murmur. Your doc can only hear the sound, not see the cause, which is why tests are being ordered....and honestly, if he isn't a cardiologist, he may not feel comfortable diagnosing the murmur based on how it sounds (what is its pitch, how loud is it, can he hear it in your neck as well as your chest, is the murmur affected by your position...lying down vs. sitting vs. moving). Other things that can cause an innocent murmur in an adult are anemia and a wacky thyroid. Abnormal murmurs in an adult are usually a problem with a valve. This can either be something you were born with or acquired later on in life. Heart valve problems are either regurgitation (backflow), stenosis (stiffening of the valve flap) or atresia (no opening in the valve). Usually it's the regurgitating kind of problem. Most of the time you can live a completely normal life with no treatment because it doesn't cause any issues. Lifestyle changes are usually advised if it is a valve issue, but they are the things we all should be doing anyway. Maintain a normal weight, exercise and eat right. Occasionally, later in life, surgery may be necessary to replace a faulty valve if it starts acting up. Honestly, my inclination based on what you said, is that it is an innocent murmur and it's just more obvious because of the increased blood flow from your pregnancy. I really wouldn't be too worried about it at all. Particularly if you've had tests run before. Murmurs tend to stay the same...meaning an innocent murmur is always an innocent murmur. Don't worry. Edited December 30, 2011 by DianeW88 I inadvertantly killed a kitten with an errant apostrophe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whereneverever Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 I have one. Try not to fret until you get it checked out. :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted December 30, 2011 Author Share Posted December 30, 2011 Thank you everyone! And thanks SO MUCH for all of that information Diane! It is really very reassuring. I needed that. I'm not going to worry about the murmur now....I'll just focus on eating well so that I don't have another gallbladder attack before the surgery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsmama Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 I have mitral valve prolapse, which is a common type of heart murmur. I was diagnosed in my mid 20s, and I'm now in my 40s. Like you, I was scared when I first found out, but since then, I've learned that my particular type of murmur does not cause many problems. It has little effect on my life in terms of big things (pregnancy, exercise, travel, family life, etc.). In small ways, there are some issues. I need to limit caffeine. Any medical procedure (including some dental ones) require that I take antibiotics beforehand to prevent possible infection traveling to the valve. Every few years I go see a cardiologist. At my most recent visit, I had a stress echocardiogram and an EKG to make sure that all is functioning normally (which it was). As "heart problems" go, this is relatively minor. Hope yours is similar. :grouphug: as you wait! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 My dad had a heart murmur and some doctors were in a panic about it and others said it was nothing to worry about. He lived to be 83, and never had the slightest trouble with his heart -- and he went through several major surgeries for cancer and there was never any issue with his heart function at all. I'm sure you're fine. It's always good to be sure, but if you get a doctor who makes a big deal out of it, get another opinion before you start to worry. Good luck with the gall bladder surgery. My dh has needed it for the past few years and is still delaying it :glare:, so I think you'll be fine even if you have to wait a while. You'll feel better if you avoid high-fat meals... my dh has learned this the hard way. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snow-white Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 hi there I recently took my daughter for a check up and he heard a heart murmur. Which she didn't have before. Said not to worry but sending us to pediatric cardiology for an echo. I'm so scared. Any one with an info or similar story I would love to hear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 (edited) Hi @Snow-white, I'm sorry that you're scared, but getting seen by a pediatric cardiologist is a great step in finding out what's going on (if anything is). In my experience, the pediatric cardiologist usually does the exam (not a nurse or technician), although this may not be the case everywhere. We have had quite a few echos done in our family and they have usually gone pretty smoothly (although toddlers tend to get squirmy). How old is your daughter? Edited June 8, 2021 by Junie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 Zombie thread alert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snow-white Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 11 hours ago, Junie said: Hi @Snow-white, I'm sorry that you're scared, but getting seen by a pediatric cardiologist is a great step in finding out what's going on (if anything is). In my experience, the pediatric cardiologist usually does the exam (not a nurse or technician), although this may not be the case everywhere. We have had quite a few echos done in our family and they have usually gone pretty smoothly (although toddlers tend to get squirmy). How old is your daughter? Thank u for responding . She is 13. She has no symptoms of any so I'm hopeful that's a good sign 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSera Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 21 minutes ago, Snow-white said: Thank u for responding . She is 13. She has no symptoms of any so I'm hopeful that's a good sign I had a heart murmur as a teen that later went away. No issues whatsoever. My understanding is it’s not uncommon in teen girls. It’s good to have an echo to make sure, though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 33 minutes ago, Snow-white said: Thank u for responding . She is 13. She has no symptoms of any so I'm hopeful that's a good sign Yes, if she has no symptoms (pain, shortness of breath), then it is hopefully nothing or something minor. Best wishes to you and your dd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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