Isabella's Posts

Hi Rose! I have aortic stenosis and I just was diagnosed with hypertension. I thought stenosis was enough of the bad news😔. I am really anxious that I have to take the BP medication. I am scared of the side effects and really upset I will have to be very careful not eating foods with high potassium. How was your experience taking the medication? Which one did you take? After your operation, did you get rid of your hypertension?

Before surgery I took Lisinopril. After surgery I take a low dose of Amlodopine which works in conjunction with Metoprolol. I've always eaten whatever I want other than watching my sodium intake. It could be that you have high blood pressure in addition to aortic stenosis and the two may or may not be related.

Yes it's possible. My doctor put me on Lisinopril but I made a research that Ramapril is a little safer. How did you feel after taking Lisinopril. I wish I could do it naturally. Not only you have to watch for sodium but also for potassium when you take BP medication. So no more Bananas, oranges, kiwi, mango etc.😔 So even after surgery you still have to take the BP medication?

It might be different with aortic valve, I don’t know, but for mitral valve stenosis I was told lower BP is better. Only so much blood can go through per beat. Higher BP can’t change that, it only speeds up the inevitable enlargement of the atrium (for mitral valve stenosis), and it could lead to pulmonary edema. If your body needs more blood, it can only do so by increasing your heart rate when you have stenosis of a valve. My experience tells me that our body can tolerate high HR within reason. The whole point of exercising is to get your HR up, right? After my surgery, my resting HR was around 110, but it was regular, as in no afib, so the doctors sent me home with no HR meds. High BP, on the other hand, raises your risk level considerably in many ways, so I don’t think you’re supposed to intentionally elevate it, unless it is super duper low and on the verge of heart failure.

Facing heart surgery with even the most experienced surgeon is overwhelming Isabella—I could barely get through my first appt with a surgeon without stopping to get myself together. It’s also why communities like this one are so important to this whole process. It may be routine for them but it’s not for us. I actually had a word with my surgeon’s admin assistant last week when she commented (insensitively imo) on another patient as being a “nervous Nellie”. I was happy to remind her that empathy goes a long way in patient relations. The anticipation is hard; now that you know you don’t have to have surgery soon, try and focus on just living your life until that time—it’s great that you have a surgeon you’re comfortable with and trust. They’ll stay on top of it. 🙏🏻❤️‍🩹

Thank you Sue! And yes this community is amazing to have. First of all, it made me realized that I am not alone that there are so many people going through it and that its fixable. When I first learned I had stenosis I was completely devastated and a thought of a heart surgery was unimaginable. This community helped me to come to acceptance and feeling hopeful. Finding the right surgeon is also an amazing step forward! I left his office feeling empowered!