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Aortic Valve Regurgitation - Medications

Treatment for chronic aortic valve regurgitation includes medicines to reduce blood pressure. If you have valve replacement surgery, you will need to take medicines to prevent infection and blood clots around the artificial valve.

If your regurgitation is moderate to severe, your doctor may prescribe a high blood pressure medicine. These medicines include the calcium channel blocker nifedipine, an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB), or the vasodilator hydralazine.

If aortic valve regurgitation causes chest pain, medicines called nitrates (nitroglycerin) can sometimes be tried to help relieve the pain. Antiarrhythmic medicines may be needed if the regurgitation leads to irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias). If aortic valve regurgitation causes heart failure, medicines are often used to help the heart pump more effectively. These include digoxin and diuretics.

If your valve is replaced with an artificial heart valve made of plastic, metal, or cloth, you will have to take anticoagulant medicine, such as warfarin (Coumadin), for the rest of your life to prevent blood clots.

When you take warfarin, you need to take extra steps to avoid bleeding problems. You need to:

Get regular blood tests.
Prevent falls and injuries.
Eat a steady diet, and pay attention to foods that contain vitamin K.
Tell your doctors about all other medicines and vitamins that you take.

For more information, see:

Warfarin: Taking your medicine safely.

If you have an artificial valve, you may need to take antibiotics before you have certain dental or surgical procedures. The antibiotics help prevent an infection in your heart called endocarditis.

People who have had rheumatic fever may need to take antibiotics for 5 to 10 years after the infection, depending on the damage to the heart.

WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

Last Updated: January 07, 2010

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.