New to site: PFO and ASA with Right to Left shunting

I am new to this forum - I have gone 18 years thinking I had a mitral valve prolapse and just had to watch my caffine intake and stay hydrated so I didnt get palpatations and such. Last spring I was running, did a 5k a mini triathlon and was playing volleyball everyweek. I did take about 3 weeks off but when I tried to get back to it all I had little tolerence for working out any more. Had an episode of feeling faint, nausea, lightheaded, palpitations and chest heaviness. Went to primary care - treated me for asthma, went to pulmonolgist - he found: PFO, atrial septial aneurysm with right to left shunting along with some mitral and tricuspid regurg. Still have symptoms almost everyday, plus I NEED rest, if I dont get it I feel aweful. Saw a cardiologist and he looked at a treadmil stress test that I had done 2 months ago, which looked fine and basicly wrote me off. The echo I just had done that found all of this stuff - he said meant nothing. He didnt even see the EKG from the Cardio Pulmonary stress test I had done last week which there were inverted P waves. Pulmonolgist says I have the lungs of a champion and my heart muscle seems very strong, but it is overworking. My heart rate jumps up very fast from 120 to 180 and that is when I just cant go on. Anyway, I have an appt with a cardiologist that my pulmonolgist recommended - I am afraid he too will just say, oh it's all ok. Is it me? I feel like I should at least have a TEE (i had one about 13 years ago that turned up fine). I dont even know, it was not noted how big the PFO or ASA are. Any words of wisdom out there?    I am tired of being tired...I am only 40;)

Hello and welcome,

I am sorry to read of you problems and I would agree with you, if your having sx you have a problem going on somewhere. The following tests can be done:

Transesophageal echocardiography - an ultrasound test used to visualize the heart and defect, where an imaging probe with a camera is placed into the esophagus

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - a test that uses three-dimensional imaging to reveal how blood flows through the heart and how the heart is working

Cardiac catheterization - a procedure that involves inserting a thin tube (a catheter) into a vein or artery and passing it into the heart to sample the level of oxygen, measure pressure changes, and make X-ray movies of the heart and its internal structures.

Angiography - a dye-enhanced X-ray of the heart’s internal structures

I am glad to know you are going to see a different Cardiologist.  Do continue to advocate for yourself and know you are on the right track.

Gentle Hugs,

Kitt