Son has aortic regurgitation, DR recommends blood pressure meds, any thoughts?

Question

My son is only 21 months old and per his visit at the pediatric cardiologist he thinks that the leak has gone from mild to moderate since his last check and recommends starting him on a blood pressure medication 3x per day I think its called something like cardthacan or something (not sure) but his blood pressure is fine 70/48 when we were there and I dont think I want him on meds 3x per day at not even 2 yrs old, the DR says this is to dilate blood vessels and minimize the leak back into the ventricle...I just wondered if anyone has any history or thoughts on this plan of treatment? Thanks in advance.
A concerned confused mom

....a big concern is that the meds can cause chronic cough and lowers blood pressure which can cause dizziness pr passing out...thats a little scary for a one year old

Answer 1

Aortic regurgitation is a very big deal as I am sure you know.

The doctor is trying to prolong the time that he may need to do surgery for as long as absolutely possible so that repeated surgeries (as the child grows and heart grows, making the prosthetic valve too small) and use of anticoagulant (aka blood thinners, Warfarin) therapy needs to be used. At 21 months you are right, your son does not have high blood pressure but we are not talking about a normal state...the doctor is trying to reduce something called afterload, which affects the AR.

So neither option is optimal, but your child has a serious condition. Your options are using a blood pressure medication now VERSES open heart surgery sooner, needing to use Warfarin daily and getting weekly blood checks

....I think I might go with the blood pressure medication.

This is going to be difficult, no matter...be sure you have a good relationship with his cardiologist - and if not, consider seeking another with whom feel more comfortable - but you are going to need to trust this doctor and understand his treatment plans. Good luck.

Answer 2

3 years ago, I was diagnosed - hypertension with a reading of 160/100. I used to feel dizzy a lot, my legs had awful cramps, and levels were very low in my potassium, causing my fingers and toes to always cramp together. One day I started to feel really faint while I was driving with my daughter in the back seat and I passed out, hitting 3 cars and ending up in a ditch. That moment,I knew I had to do something because my meds weren't working. I heard about this diet from a friend and thought I'd give it a shot. The results have been remarkable. In just 21 days, I honestly can't remember feeling this good, my blood pressure went from 175/110 to 125/70.