Does anybody else have a heart murmur?

outnumbered

At my most recent physical I was diagnosed with a heart murmur.  My EEG and blood work indicate otherwise normal function, but I do have heart palpitations.  My doctor said I do not need to see a cardiologist, but I am not comfortable with that because the palpitations worry me.  If you have a murmur do you see a specialist?  What is your treatment?  I do not need a referral so I think I might get a second opinion, does that seem reasonable?

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wesleycrusher

@beccaga16 just curious, was it your regular doctor that found the murmur?  did he recommend you see a cardiologist or was it something you (or your parents) pursued on your own?

OP: I don't think it is unreasonable to want a second opinion. However, there are different kinds of heart murmurs that sound differently, a good doctor should be able to tell what kind it is, and your doctor may have heard one that is not associated with any long-term problem. But obviously a cardiologist would be more skilled since that's what they do all day. 

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wesleycrusher

beccaga16 said:

It was found by my primary care physician. My school actually said I had to have it cleared by echo even though it was charted as "most likely benign" because I played sports. Yes, murmurs sound different, but personally I would not be comfortable with imaging confirmation.

yeah makes sense.  I just wondered because I remember having to learn them in nursing school and it was really hard for me to tell the difference.  I would imagine the same might be true for doctors who don't hear murmurs everyday. 

outnumbered

Thank you everybody.  I will get a second opinion.  It was the first time I saw this PCP (due to insurance changes) and the appointment felt a bit rushed.  Now I feel less paranoid about seeking out a specialist.

cagoldi

Hi, mostly a lurker. I agree with @pobrecita that I would want to see a cardiologist just to have it evaluated.

I have a Mitral Valve Prolapse, which is a common type of murmur and usually harmless. I do have palpitations and my blood pressure is extremely low at times. I was monitored fairly often during pregnancy, and now I only have to go once a year to make sure it isn't worsening.

It would be wise to have a specialist look into it just so you know exactly what you're dealing with, IMO.

AtkinsFamily

Lurker here. My son's murmur was found at 5 months and that lead to a bicuspid aortic valve and aortic stenonis diagnosis, both of which we are  monitoring closely. My husband found out the same day he has a murmur that has never affected his health. I think this is more case by case and as PP's have said, seeing a cardiologist would probably be the safest bet. Best of luck to you!

RayRay007

I was diagnosed with a murmur as an adult. The doc referred me for an echocardiogram with a cardiologist. There is some regurgitation in one of my valves IIRC and I have elevated pulmonary artery systolic pressure, but it is within normal. Basically, cardiologist and PCP were like NBD. I went for a follow up a few years later to see if there was any change, and I had an EKG and echo and still nothing of concern. I do get palpitations, and more so when I'm pregnant. I had these tests done before I was pregnant with DD and when I was pg with her my MW referred me back to my PCP when I said that I was short of breath and had palpitations, but the PCP still thought it was NBD and I didn't have any testing (he told me to cut down on the coffee). 

I can't really tell you what you should do, but in my experience the murmur really is NBD. However, if you want to be sure, you can ask for an echo.