Received the book, and have been slowly reading through it. It is similar to the one I got at Mayo and it has been good to go through and review everything. It has reminded me to do things like keep my liquid intake up. I tend to forget to do that and it really makes a difference. Some of the symptoms of MVPS/D (Mitral Valve Prolapse Syndrome/Dysautonomia) include dizziness and lightheadedness and are due to low blood pressure and low circulating blood volume--the body has 80-85% of the fluid it is supposed to have. To maintain adaquate blood volume you must stay hydrated. The dehydrating effects of altitude and plane travel can aggravate the symptoms. Since I had panic attacks at a high altitude and on a plane it sure makes sense! Remember though, you can have MVP and not have the Syndrome, which includes panic attacks, chest pain, fatigue, dizziness, TMJ, sleep disorders, depression, shakiness, skin problems and a lot more. I don't want to talk too much about the different terms and what they mean because I might give out erroneous info and it's a lot more complicated than the above description. If you think you might have this just do some research and see what you can find. I think I will just take this book with me when I have to go to the doctor in the future. Or maybe I should just get a few extra copies so I can give one to them to read!! I wouldn't have to try to explain it for the 100th time...I could just say "All my symptoms are in this book!"

Posted by elizabeth | Filed under: Mitral Valve Prolapse