New diagnosis today. Trying to figure what to do..

Posted by mhaney5 @mhaney5, Mar 25 5:44pm

Hello everyone. I could use your help. Today I was diagnosed with a 4.0 aneurism of the aortic root. I read most of the time they don’t do anything till it grows to over 5.0cm. Is that right? What should be my next steps?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Aortic Aneurysms Support Group.

martinkennot | @martinkennot | Apr 9 7:02pm

So with my dissection and aneurysm, I am now thinking of everything that happened in my life before it. And of course all the symptoms were there, but many probably had nothing to do with it. Tiredness, shortness of breath, fatigue, difficulty eating sometimes, racing heart... etc.
When it happened, of course there were symptoms - and I needed those to alert me that a dissection was in session ! So grateful my chest was stabbed with a flaming sword - if it was a milder pain I probably wouldn't be here typing delightful messages into this forum.

martinkennot | @martinkennot | Apr 9 7:08pm

In reply to @moonboy "Surgery has improved my life greatly. Not only am I here to talk to you and..." + (show)

wow @moonboy
You are looking good !
In other universe we could have been brothers (which makes sense as we have matching scars)
🙂
Seriously, I am glad you made it, and continue to stick around - for me, and everyone on this forum.
Enjoy spring break - we don't have such a thing here

martinkennot | @martinkennot | Apr 9 7:23pm

In reply to @moonboy "I take 1-atorvastatin, 2-carvedilol, 4-amlodipine, 1-aspirin, 1-multivitamin. Forever. I set my pills up every six months..." + (show)

Without trying to compare...
I have mild heart failure post OHS surgery (aneurysm/dissection/prosthetic valve and aorta).
My drug names... atorvastatin, bilsoprolol, perindopril, warfarin, spironolactone
they do the following (and I don't really care which ones do what)
heart function, heart strength, aortic strength, reduced pressure, and mitigation of valve-related stroke

moonboy | @moonboy | Apr 9 8:19pm

Thatta Boy! Show me up!!!

fine12 | @fine12 | Sep 2 6:01pm

In reply to @houston13 "The only thing I would add to moonboy’s post is to take care of your body,..." + (show)

I have a 5.0 root aneurism that has been stable for many years.What are the chances that I will eventually need surgery and will it have to be open heart

fine12 | @fine12 | Sep 2 6:07pm

In reply to @trki "My husband has an 4.9 aortic root aneurysm and moderate to severe aortic valve regurgitation. He..." + (show)

5.0 root aneurism has been stable for years.Chances the I will surgery in the future and will it have to be open heart.

houston13 | @houston13 | Sep 2 7:57pm

In reply to @fine12 "I have a 5.0 root aneurism that has been stable for many years.What are the chances..." + (show)

Hard to tell without more information, your cardiologist will look at your body size, family history, shape of the aneurysm, other issues you may have and the risk of surgery in your condition (for example in my particular case my surgeon gave me >99% probability of no issues, so in his mind I should had it repaired, for others the odds could be way lower and they would have to be weighed against the probability of dissection/rupture), etc to make a recommendation.

At 5.0 you are in the realm of possibility, and unfortunately although there are studies to find other ways to repair ascending aortic aneurysms, open heart is currently the only truly effective solution.

All the best to you!!

wtamminen | @wtamminen | Sep 3 11:25am

In reply to @moonboy "Thatta Boy! Show me up!!!" + (show)

I feel the urge to participate in this medication contest 🙂. I take 2 Carvedilol, 2 Valsartan, 2 Nifedipine, 1 Spironolactone, 3 Hydralazine, 1 Atorvastatin, 2 Terazosin and wear a Clonidine transdermal patch every day. And that is just for trying to manage my blood pressure. I take 9 other daily medications for other health issues as well as a number of vitamins. I’m not complaining though because they have kept me alive. And I’m keeping the drug companies and pharmacies in business.

chebo1954 | @chebo1954 | Sep 3 9:46pm

In reply to @wtamminen "I feel the urge to participate in this medication contest 🙂. I take 2 Carvedilol, 2..." + (show)

I hear ya brother but if you’re wearing a clonidine patch your bp must be off the hook! Cause clonidine is used to rapidly reduce bp and I’m thinking you’re probably sleeping a lot!? When I was in pharmacy (certified tech in armed forces) they hadn’t even made a patch for that particular drug but I know it rapidly decreases bp so yeah, you need to be careful and unfortunately cater to all the must do’s for high blood pressure. I hope you’ll get better soon. May I ask what strength the patch is releasing? Just professional curiosity. And you’re definitely in the right place. Great group, great people, as well as very knowledgeable. Be well as you can- that’s quite a cocktail they have you on!

wtamminen | @wtamminen | Sep 4 2:17pm

In reply to @chebo1954 "I hear ya brother but if you’re wearing a clonidine patch your bp must be off..." + (show)

The Clonidine transdermal patch I am taking gives me 0.2 mg per day. I also have some 0.1 mg pills I can take if needed. My blood pressure has not been controlled for many years. I have seen 4 different cardiologists in the last 10 years. None of them have been able to find a way to keep my blood pressure stable. I’m sure it helped cause my aneurysm (which I had repaired 4 months ago). Even with all the medication I take my resting BP sometimes goes up to 180/110. Then at other times it drops down to 100/ 55. I do other things to help control my BP like exercise, meditation, trying to limit salt, and trying to eat healthy.

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