29 with possible LVH

Hi, everyone. I just signed up on this site, since I got some disconcerting news at the doc today.

I'm 29, 5'4, female, and about 205 lbs. (and continuously losing, down from 230)

I'd been having some chest pains with some neck pain, back pain, and pain just all around my rib cage in general, for about two months, which mostly felt muscular in nature--it hurts depending on how I move and there was tenderness on the sternum in various spots. There was some occasional pain that felt a little more intertnal, though, but I have no idea if I'm right about that. Also, there would be occasional palpitations that seemed to trigger depending on how I was sitting or if I was laying down, along with what feels like a pounding heart beat at night. I didn't have insurance all that time and I've suffered chronic back pain on account of kyphosis and scoliosis for a long time (I'm also fairly overweight, but I have been successfully losing weight during this time) so I wasn't THAT worried about the pain... it seemed logical it would be related to the kyphosis or weight of my... er... rather ample chest size. However, the palpitations (they seemed to come and go, a few weeks with none, then I'll get two in one week) kept me concerned.

I finally saw the doc today, now that I have insurance and time off from my new job, and she did an EKG. She said for the most part that it was normal, except there was some slight indication of possible LVH, so she wants to send me to a cardiologist to follow up--however, she did qualify that this is usually seen in people with high blood pressure, which I never seem to have... I think out of many readings I've done only ONCE has it been elevated, and that was at an urgent care clinic early this year. It normalized the second time they did it later on in the visit. Ultimately, though, she believes the chest pain I've been having is from fibromyalgia, as I met 16 out of the 18 diagnostic qualifiers and apparently only 11 are sufficient for diagnosis.

I took some comfort in the fact that she didn't act all that worried, or say I needed to see the cardiologist NOW or any such... instead, she just gave me a referral for the cardiologist and marked it as 'routine' and said she'd see me in four months.

Admittedly, I have suffered anxiety for a long time, which I do go to therapy for (when money allows), and I tend to be a bit of a hypochondriac as a result. The most frustrating part about all of this is trying to find information about the condition and prognosis for those that DON'T have high BP. Most of the info I find is written by fear-mongers that only list potential risks of this condition (like heart attack and heart failure and cardiac arrest, etc). I've read that it can be caused from an atrial valve being too narrow (don't remember the name of the condition), but wouldn't that have popped up on the EKG as well? Also, I don't exercise all that much, as it's very difficult with the chronic back pain (and, evidently, the newly discovered fibromyalgia), and I've seen exercise as another possible cause. The only thing I can think of is that my dad DID have a heart attack at 64. He died a year later due to complications from the bypass surgery, of which the complications apparently had nothing to do with his heart. However, aside from having slightly elevated cholesterol a few months ago, I've never really showed much sign of anything else related to this, nor has anyone else in my family at this age, at the very least. Even with the elevated cholesterol, I've changed my diet very drastically in the last few months in a way that is beneficial for cholesterol reduction, weight loss, etc. They just tested again today, so I'm still waiting on my newest results.

So how do people with circumstances like mine get better?

All in all... I know it's a little silly coming here when I don't even know for sure... but I'm hoping someone with some knowledge or experience can help to set my mind at ease, or at least assure me that I'm not gonna die in the next year or something.

Insight is greatly appreciated.

Post Edited (RisaA) : 7/15/2011 8:01:02 PM (GMT-6)

Hi Risa, like my case i am in a prehypertensive stage 130/80 to mild hypertensive 130/90, still my cardiologist did not put me on my medication since i am 25 years old that time it was diagnosed. From time to time i check my bp, sometime its high 140/100 sometimes its in the normal range.. i change my cardio and like what other cardiologist did was to check my bp, holter, 2d echo etc. etc.. all is normal.. i also suffer anxiety which i always feel that i am having stroke or heart attack, at age of 25 to 30 i feel those symptoms regularly... this year i am 31 y.o. i went to cardiologist because my annual physical exam reveal that my bp is 130/100, my doctor put me on meds (atlast), but the problem is she told me that the result of my 2D echo was i have a LVH (HEART ENLARGEMENT), i feel scared and depressed! imagined at age 25 til today i always engaged in physical activites regularly, i run, bike, swim, etc. i didn't feel any shortness of breath when i do this exercise... in fact my endurance is much better now than the previous years.. i am so very depressed! i dont think if LVS is reversible and i dont think if my heart will get back in normal size.. many sites tell it is reversible some tell it is not.. :(