any other pink swayers with Mitral Valve Prolapse?

[lindi]

I know this is random, but something on another thread just made me find this connection:

Research has shown that 85% of patients with mitral valve prolapse have latent tetany due to chronic magnesium deficiency. A magnesium deficiency:
hinders the mechanism by which fibroblasts degrade defective collagen (connective tissue abnormalities are common in mitral valve prolapse),
increases circulating catecholamines (an important mediator in platelet aggregation),
predisposes the patient to cardiac arrhythmias, thromboembolic phenomena, and dysregulation of the immune and autonomic nervous systems.
Oral magnesium supplementation can provide relief of mitral valve prolapse symptoms.

I have MVP, so its most likely I've also had a Magnesium deficiency, and If I had a magnesium deficiency, I would also have a calcium deficiency since calcium is dependent on magnesium. Low calcium sways boy. Just an interesting thought.

[atomic sagebrush]

I do but it didn't develop until many years after my first two sons were born.

My cardiologist said that something like 50% of all people at age 40 (I am 40) will have MVP.

(some causes of magnesium deficiency mentioned in this article) http://www.livestrong.com/article/239000-what-are-the-causes-of-magnesium-deficiency/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/28446-body-magnesium-deficiency/

I am not sure it's as cut and dry as that though because magnesium and potassium and calcium all work together in concert and potassium is supposed to sway blue??

Very interesting info though, thank you so much for sharing!!!

[tryingforfour]

Yes! I sure do! I also have the whole MVP syndrome thing going on, as well. I know I'm late to chime in on this post; I just found this site last night after mostly lurking on IG for the last year. I never supplemented mag or cal either when I was TTC-ing my 3 boys other than what was in my prenatals. I wonder if any studies regarding gender conception have been done on MVP patients.

[atomic sagebrush]

Hi and welcome!!!

[tryingforfour]

Thanks so much, atomic sagebrush! I have felt so much better since reading all your stickies! I really appreciate all of your intelligently written posts!

I don't know if either of you have had this problem while on the diet, but the diuretic effects of the cranberry supplements are having an effect on my blood volume and, in turn, MVP side effects. I am trying to keep my fluids as much as possible (not doing CL...gives me a headache) but I often still feel like crap. I lowered my cranberry supps. down to 1000-2000 per day after I first started having these issues but have now pumped it back up since I'm down to the final 2 week stretch before my attempt. I know it's the diet too that's messing with me but I definitely feel different w/ more cranberry.

[atomic sagebrush]

Thank you!

The diet did wreak havoc with my heart symptoms as well (I didn't take cranberry). I think any time your electrolytes (potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium) change, as can happen when you are taking diuretics, that can trigger symptoms. I had the exact same thing happen when I tried to go on the Atkins diet once!!

Does baby aspirin affect you the same as the cran? Baby aspirin works in much the same way the cranberry does.

[tryingforfour]

Hmmm....I haven't tried the baby aspirin, although I just dropped a good deal of change on a great big bottle of cranberry v-caps (thanks, though!). It sucks, but I can handle it. I feel like I have a bit more control over how much to take in relation to how I'm feeling. In the beginning when I felt really terrible symptoms, I had a very small cup (1/4 kiddie cup) of orange juice because I thought it was the potassium (I've read that potassium is important for MVP).

[atomic sagebrush]

I would TOTALLY use up the expensive cranberry for sure then!

Yes, low potassium SUCKS for MVP. Totally. I actually have low potassium sometimes and things like OJ really do help. Good luck!

[tryingforfour]

Thanks!

[lindi]

Just a little footnote to this: AFTER I posted this I was re-diagnosed with PCOS. I am very thin, have scoliosis, MVP and PCOS. All of these are tied together and all of these involve a magnesium deficiency. PCOS involves raised testosterone.

[tryingforfour]

Hi Lindi,

I hope you've found a treatment that's working for you for the PCOS! Are you taking many herbal supplements such as vitex or white peony? There are so many things tied together with the magnesium deficiency, MVP, and out of whack hormones. I'm also very thin and have the opposite of scoliosis, straight back syndrome (although it's usually much less severe) along with a bunch of other related physical traits. I haven't had my hormone levels tested, but I believe that my estrogen has been high.

[lindi]

Well I am doing IVF PGD for gender selection right now and so I have to hold off on any herbs. Also my OB called me today to disagree a little bit with my RE about the PCOS diagnosis. The exact same thing happened to me 6 years ago. Doctors can't agree on m ovaries!

[tryingforfour]

How frustrating about the unclear diagnosis! Best of luck on your HT baby-makin'!!!

[atomic sagebrush]

Argh lindi, really?? I'm so sorry!

[lindi]

Yeah! Its crazy making. The immediate frustration is assessing my risk of hyperstimulating my ovaries. My OB seems to think my risk is very low. He said the month earlier when I had my check up with him, he saw a lot of follicles, but not polycystic. And the day 25 ultrasound my RE did and sent to my OB he said the swollen ovaries are to be expected on day 25 and mine weren't even that bad. My hormone levels aren't also typical PCOS- my LH and FSH were pretty even, actually, not the 2:1 ratio of PCOS, but my estrogen was high. So my OB said he wouldn't even give me that diagnosis. I didn't have time to really get into- yes, but I have these other things that are so often linked with PCOS- the scoliosis, the MVP, being underweight. I'll talk with him about it all at my first pregnancy ultrasound :)... but I just feel like deja vu. One doctor saying yes, one saying no. Honestly, my OB is really a top-notch doctor, and I trust him quite a bit, but me RE just got some huge international award for his work in fertility- maybe I should listen to him? I don't know.