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Is There Any Anti-anxiety Medication That Can Be Taken Other Than Xanax?
Question: Is there an anti-anxiety medication that would be safe for me to take other than xanax... anything like Celexa or Buspar?? I have not stenosis, mild regurgitation in tricuspid and trace in bicuspid. I understand many of these drugs can affect the heart with stenosis and I certainly do not need that.
Brief Answer:
please see below
Detailed Answer:
Dear Sir
1. A trace or mild regurgitation at tricuspid valve is present in nearly 90% of population. Trace regurgitation is also a normal finding at mitral and pulmonary valves. Hence there is nothing alarming about this findings in most individuals.
2. Bicuspid aortic valve invites significant stenosis (blockage) or regurgitation (leakage) in nearly 15% of patients in their whole life time. You are still young and will have to wait for development of significant lesion. It may not happen in your life time. Trace regurgitation is not of any importance as yet. "Trace" essentially means trivial or inconsequential.
3. The drugs associated with valvular heart disease include certain antiparkinsonian drugs (pergolide, cabergoline), ergotamine derivatives and anorexics (fenfluramine). Certain anti-anxiety medications have been suspected to act on 5HT-2b receptors involved in valvular heart diseases but none has been found to do so definitely and hence are not contraindicated. Neither buspirone nor escitalopram has been contraindicated in these patients. You can get a prescription of them from your psychiatrist only.
Hope this helps. Feel free to discuss further.
Sincerely
Sukhvinder
please see below
Detailed Answer:
Dear Sir
1. A trace or mild regurgitation at tricuspid valve is present in nearly 90% of population. Trace regurgitation is also a normal finding at mitral and pulmonary valves. Hence there is nothing alarming about this findings in most individuals.
2. Bicuspid aortic valve invites significant stenosis (blockage) or regurgitation (leakage) in nearly 15% of patients in their whole life time. You are still young and will have to wait for development of significant lesion. It may not happen in your life time. Trace regurgitation is not of any importance as yet. "Trace" essentially means trivial or inconsequential.
3. The drugs associated with valvular heart disease include certain antiparkinsonian drugs (pergolide, cabergoline), ergotamine derivatives and anorexics (fenfluramine). Certain anti-anxiety medications have been suspected to act on 5HT-2b receptors involved in valvular heart diseases but none has been found to do so definitely and hence are not contraindicated. Neither buspirone nor escitalopram has been contraindicated in these patients. You can get a prescription of them from your psychiatrist only.
Hope this helps. Feel free to discuss further.
Sincerely
Sukhvinder
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
You have helped me quite a lot. I feel my major problem now is being young and shocked about my incidental finding of Bicuspid Aortic Valve. Other than bouncing blood pressure at times, I have no other issues. I try to keep that in check with exercise and healthy eating. It seems my main problem is stress and anxiety. My aortic root is 2.84. Can I go my whole life (into my 80s) without a valve replacement or repair?
Brief Answer:
please see below.
Detailed Answer:
Dear Sir
As i told you in my last answer also that bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is a common malformation; nearly 20 out of 1000 persons will have BAV. But as per some natural history studies, only 3 out of these 1000 will develop significant obstruction or leakage of valve. Therefore the chances are low. However, prognosis can not be judged in a single case. You will be among 3 or among 17, can not be predicted surely. I do not think that you should worry about this. This will not change the course of disease and will affect your body in adverse manner. Hence relax!
Aortic root size of 2.84 cm is fine.
Hope this provide more insight into the issue. Please do write if there is anything else.
Sincerely
Sukhvinder
please see below.
Detailed Answer:
Dear Sir
As i told you in my last answer also that bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is a common malformation; nearly 20 out of 1000 persons will have BAV. But as per some natural history studies, only 3 out of these 1000 will develop significant obstruction or leakage of valve. Therefore the chances are low. However, prognosis can not be judged in a single case. You will be among 3 or among 17, can not be predicted surely. I do not think that you should worry about this. This will not change the course of disease and will affect your body in adverse manner. Hence relax!
Aortic root size of 2.84 cm is fine.
Hope this provide more insight into the issue. Please do write if there is anything else.
Sincerely
Sukhvinder
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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