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What Do My Lab Test Reports Indicate?
Question: Looking for an opinion. 4 months ago I was admitted to hospital with slow heart rate, three days after the birth of my baby. today, I found the result of my BNP which was also taken 4 mos ago to be 230, and it was never brought to my attention. my echo, EKG, 24 hour holter, and chest angio were all normal. so do I need to be concerned about this value? I've attached my chest angio and echo report.
Brief Answer:
I would need some more info for better help.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for writing to Health Care Magic, I am Dr Muhammd Ahmad, I am a lisenced family physician ans doing my level 3 training in cardiology.I have closely read your question and I understand your concerns, I will hereby guide you regarding your health related problem.
I believe to answer you in the best way I would need you to help me with some more info.
1) The reports you referred to are not attached with the question , please attached them and if you need help attaching them please contact our customer services.
2) What was you heart rate like for which you were admitted?
3) Did you face any problem in breathing?
4) Did you have any other babies before that? any problems during those pregnancies?
5) Did you have any condition before that?
6) Do you have ECG of that time when you had slow heart rate?
7) I would welcome any related documents/scans you have related to your problem.
8)Did you doctors tell you any diagnosis or what the problem was?
waiting for your response
Regards.
Dr.Muhammad Ahmad.
I would need some more info for better help.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for writing to Health Care Magic, I am Dr Muhammd Ahmad, I am a lisenced family physician ans doing my level 3 training in cardiology.I have closely read your question and I understand your concerns, I will hereby guide you regarding your health related problem.
I believe to answer you in the best way I would need you to help me with some more info.
1) The reports you referred to are not attached with the question , please attached them and if you need help attaching them please contact our customer services.
2) What was you heart rate like for which you were admitted?
3) Did you face any problem in breathing?
4) Did you have any other babies before that? any problems during those pregnancies?
5) Did you have any condition before that?
6) Do you have ECG of that time when you had slow heart rate?
7) I would welcome any related documents/scans you have related to your problem.
8)Did you doctors tell you any diagnosis or what the problem was?
waiting for your response
Regards.
Dr.Muhammad Ahmad.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I cannot get my reports to attach, but the echo was remarkable-no abnormalities what so ever with a normal flow rate. chest xray was also normal with normal artery size. to answer your other questions, my heart rate was in the low 50's, sometimes low 40's. I did not have any problems breathing other than a few random episodes of chest pressure, of which I was actually having during the time of the echo exam. I do not have any other children this is my first. no conditions other than PVC's and tachycardia during pregnancy. When I was released, I was told my heart was healthy, to lose some weight- (I was 268, 5'9) since then I have lost 17lbs but have had some increased dizziness, nausea, and have developed a non productive cough that comes and goes occasionally. I should also mention however that I do have GERD. and these symptoms may have also been aggravated by a low carb diet I was following. since switching to weight watchers I do feel a bit better, but still, that BNP number scares me, and I wonder why they never mentioned it.
Brief Answer:
you other symptoms are due to gerd..BNP isnt to worry but bradycardia
Detailed Answer:
Hello thanks for writing this time you coukd attach Echo report I have seen it, its perfect, though you have a leaky mitral valve which isnt much indeed just a touch.
Talking about BNP i can see that it's a big concern and reading about it on the internet makes you really concerned as this value you had is in heart failure. But this value alone is actually nothing untill it reaches a 1000 alone ...if its beloe 300 we have to see other things too.
Like i asked you about heart failure signs like shortness of breath etc.
BNP is produced when ever heart is undernstress and there is pressure of left ventricle, this pressure can be due to pregnancy too as during pregnancy blood volume goes from 5liters to 7 so heart has to work 1.5 times more and BNP can get raised in some cases not all.
As a doctor and Cardiology person let me tell you that after this echo ...other labs and history, BNP isnt a big thing to think about, you have to think about you heart rate more.
I would like you to discuss with your cardiologist if you need some further testing to see why your heartrate got low..byt further testing I mean holder's monitoring, stress testing and other electrophysiological tests to rule out any problem with rate controlling circuits of your heart.
I would suggest you not to panic and discuss these things with your cardiologist, and I am always there to guide you when ever you need help.
Regards.
Dr.Ahmad
you other symptoms are due to gerd..BNP isnt to worry but bradycardia
Detailed Answer:
Hello thanks for writing this time you coukd attach Echo report I have seen it, its perfect, though you have a leaky mitral valve which isnt much indeed just a touch.
Talking about BNP i can see that it's a big concern and reading about it on the internet makes you really concerned as this value you had is in heart failure. But this value alone is actually nothing untill it reaches a 1000 alone ...if its beloe 300 we have to see other things too.
Like i asked you about heart failure signs like shortness of breath etc.
BNP is produced when ever heart is undernstress and there is pressure of left ventricle, this pressure can be due to pregnancy too as during pregnancy blood volume goes from 5liters to 7 so heart has to work 1.5 times more and BNP can get raised in some cases not all.
As a doctor and Cardiology person let me tell you that after this echo ...other labs and history, BNP isnt a big thing to think about, you have to think about you heart rate more.
I would like you to discuss with your cardiologist if you need some further testing to see why your heartrate got low..byt further testing I mean holder's monitoring, stress testing and other electrophysiological tests to rule out any problem with rate controlling circuits of your heart.
I would suggest you not to panic and discuss these things with your cardiologist, and I am always there to guide you when ever you need help.
Regards.
Dr.Ahmad
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
thank you so much! you have really set my mind at ease. I did discuss heart rate with my cardiologist, and their explanation was just "sometimes these things happen after pregnancy" because the heart is working to pump so much more blood and then all the sudden, it doesn't have to work as hard after baby and extra fluids are removed. I did have a holter monitor for 24 hours which was also normal. since this time, my heart rate had seemed to return to normal. I spoke with her (cardiologist) today, because I have had some dizziness and nausea- but she assured me it was not cardiac related and to get in touch with my primary care -which I have an appt with on the 18th. I really appreciate your second opinion. I def feel less anxious now.
Brief Answer:
Everything seems perfect.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for writing back,
yes as i said blood volume is the key, sometimes heart can act funny when it has to pump 7 liters per minute instead of 5 , usually these things get back to normal when pregnancy is over. If your heart rate is fine then ther is nothing to worry no more.
Just eat healthy take ample fluids fruits and salt replacement if you have hot summer in your area, rest should be fine.
There doen't seem to be anything to worry tou have already gone through every necessary testing which came out to be normal. So stay calm and consider yourself normal and healthy:).
regards.
Dr.Ahmad
Everything seems perfect.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for writing back,
yes as i said blood volume is the key, sometimes heart can act funny when it has to pump 7 liters per minute instead of 5 , usually these things get back to normal when pregnancy is over. If your heart rate is fine then ther is nothing to worry no more.
Just eat healthy take ample fluids fruits and salt replacement if you have hot summer in your area, rest should be fine.
There doen't seem to be anything to worry tou have already gone through every necessary testing which came out to be normal. So stay calm and consider yourself normal and healthy:).
regards.
Dr.Ahmad
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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