heart murmers

[GM1258]

I've had these murmers (fluttering heart) for the past couple of weeks.
Usually upon exhertion.
No pain involved.
Just a feeling of fluid sloshing around in the lower sternum.
When it happens (every other day or so) my normal heart rhythm
beats four times, than a single mystery beat from the lower heart
(during which my normal rhythm skips a beat), than my
the cycle repeats like that for about a minute or two
until everything goes back to normal.
It's like there is a single substitute beat happenning somewhere else
that seems to be pushing extra fluid back somewhere.
I feel flush, light-headed, and weak in the knees when this happens.
Is anyone knowlegeable about these things?? (nurse?, doc?).
If so I would love to hear your thoughts on this.

[bbekity]

Originally Posted by GM1258

I've had these murmers (fluttering heart) for the past couple of weeks.
Usually upon exhertion.
No pain involved.
Just a feeling of fluid sloshing around in the lower sternum.
When it happens (every other day or so) my normal heart rhythm
beats four times, than a single mystery beat from the lower heart
(during which my normal rhythm skips a beat), than my
the cycle repeats like that for about a minute or two
until everything goes back to normal.
It's like there is a single substitute beat happenning somewhere else
that seems to be pushing extra fluid back somewhere.
I feel flush, light-headed, and weak in the knees when this happens.

p.s. both my Aunt and my Mom have heart murmurs and now both have pacemakers...oh goody.
Is anyone knowlegeable about these things?? (nurse?, doc?).
If so I would love to hear your thoughts on this.

Had an EKG done lately? Actually, I found out yesterday after seeing a new Internal Med Dr., that heart murmurs are detected with a stethascope, which is what happens to me yesterday! How is it that it took 55 years for someone to discover this? I too have that skip a beat thing usually while resting and I panic when I feel it. I hate that feeling. My Dr. said the murmur has something to do with the flap letting in blood and it is mild, nothing to be concerned about...yea, right.

p.s. My Mom and her sister both have heart murmurs and both have pacemakers that they got in their 80's.

[tcrackly]

There are various kinds of defined "heart murmurs", so called for the distinctive sound that a sloshing or defective valve makes as it pumps blood through the chambers. There are are also varying degrees of impairment depending on which valve is involved.
I have had a heart murmur for all my 53 years with no ill effect. I have had physicians put me on pre-surgical antibiotics, which included dental procedures, only to be told after a later EKG that the meds were unnecessary. I work as a CNA, I hike, canoe, garden and have no ill effects from my mitral valve prolapse.
Only a cardiologist can properly evaluate your heart murmur through stethyscope and EKG evaluations. Sometimes they may require a stress test. The main issues are the possibility of infection or lack of oxygen from blood not going where it's supposed to.