Legs Feel Weak And Painful. Take Ritalin, Lexapro And Clonzapam. Have Heart Valve. Have Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding. Guide?
Question: Sometimes when Im rushing around and get out of my car or something and start walking I have to stay completely still. My legs go weak and painful to the point if I kept walking during it I would fall. Im 31 years old. I do smoke. I take medicine for my heart rate being too high. I take blood pressure meds for high blood pressure. I take ritalin, lexapro and clonzapam I recently found out I have a heart valve that doesn't open and close normally. I also have dysfunctional uterine bleeding and overactive thyroid. Im not sure why the thyroid was never treated. ..im guessing levels aren't bad enough. The leg issue scares me....any clue to the major cause of this?
Brief Answer:
rule out claudication/aortic coarctation
Detailed Answer:
Dear patient
thanks for your health concerns. At your young age, the biggest issues I would be concerned about would be vascular claudication of the lower extremities (from blocked arteries, vascular inflammation); undiagnosed coarctation of the aorta should also be ruled out given your young age and already high blood pressure. A CT scan or an echocardiogram could rule out coarctation of the aorta with accuracy; you have heard it before, but smoking may also be causing damage to the arteries, some people get an arteritis called Buergers disease from smoking
yours truly
Dr Brenes Salazar MD
Cardiology
Mayo Clinic MN
rule out claudication/aortic coarctation
Detailed Answer:
Dear patient
thanks for your health concerns. At your young age, the biggest issues I would be concerned about would be vascular claudication of the lower extremities (from blocked arteries, vascular inflammation); undiagnosed coarctation of the aorta should also be ruled out given your young age and already high blood pressure. A CT scan or an echocardiogram could rule out coarctation of the aorta with accuracy; you have heard it before, but smoking may also be causing damage to the arteries, some people get an arteritis called Buergers disease from smoking
yours truly
Dr Brenes Salazar MD
Cardiology
Mayo Clinic MN
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar