Can Only Sleep on Right Side

[JKJ]

When I go to sleep I can only lay on my right side or else I get extremely short of breathe and have chest pain.  Even then when I lie down at night I have a hard time breathing for the first 10-15 minutes.  I sleep with 5 pillows.  My agina has gotten worse over the past few weeks (I take nitro) and gets much, much worse with any little activity.
I'm a veteran and my VA doctor refuses to refer me to a cardiologist!!!  Before having to use VA healthcare I had 2 ablation procedures for SVT 9 and 10 years ago.  I currently take meds for SVT and HBP.  I also have chronic low potassium and am on supplements for that.

Any ideas??

[JKJ]

Thanks....it's a very scary situation knowing that something....maybe serious...is wrong and these VA docs are too stupid to understand.
This is how veterans are treated at VA hospitals...these docs just don't care.  It's scary beyond belief.

[NTB]

good luck to you, it sounds like a very trying situation.

30 BPM is "normal"? maybe for elephants

[JKJ]

Nope...my prime care doc at the VA simple ignores everything I tell him about my cardiac cymptoms!!!  And no, I can't switch docs either (it's the VA way).  I have another appt on the 12th and I'm going to try again to get him to listen to me!!

I was hospitalized last March for 3 days with chest pain...never once saw a cardiologist at the VA!!  I was given lots of nitro both oral and patch plus morphine for the pain.  I had an episode where my heart rate plummeted to the 30s and they still didn't call in a cardiologist.  It still does that on occassion and my prime care doc says it's "normal".  I know it isn't.

I've decided the next time I have a severe cardiac problem, I'm going to a real (civilian) ER and then make the VA pay for it......I hope.

[NTB]

well, have you come across the term--> Orthopnea

It is commonly measured according to the number of pillows needed to prop the patient up to enable breathing (Example: "3 pillow orthopnea").

[JKJ]

Hi & thanks for responding...

As far as I know, the VA keeps telling me that my heart is "normal".....LMAO!!  I know better.  This can't be "normal".  So I don't know if I have any blockages.  As far as PE....I don't know.  I am sedentary because I have zero energy.  I've told my doc this as well.  He says to exercise...I tell him that I get SOB just going up the stairs...he just shrugs his shoulders.  Welcome to VA medical care.  I also have been having an increase in dizziness.

Honestly, I'm worried that I have CHF.  I've looked over the symptoms for it and eeeek.

[NTB]

> When I go to sleep I can only lay on my right side or else I get extremely short of breathe and have chest pain.

I'd think that extreme discomfort or pain, for anything that a person does, is the body's way of saying, "Don't do that!"     :)

Do you believe that your artery blockage has gotten worse?  

Or do you suppose you might have a Pulmonary Embolism on the left side, accounting for both pain and shortness of breath? Have you been sedentary lately? (Being immobile disposes a person to a PE from Deep Vein Thrombosis.)

[JKJ]

Thanks for commenting...I'll take a look at that website.  I don't know about blood tests as my VA doc doesn't do regular blood tests (the VA is like that).  In the morning I have a lot of chest pain...not so much shortness of breath.
I'm a 44-yr old female.  Forgot to mention that.  

[Encephalomalcia]

Here is a website that explains why it is easier on your heart to sleep on your right side  http://sleep.lovetoknow.com/Sleep_on_the_Left_Side

Five pillows is a lot of pillows.  You must be almost sitting up.  Your heart must be getting worse as sleeping gets harder as the valves get worse.  The nitro is not good for your liver, so I am wondering how your liver blood tests are?  Chest pain usually means blocked arteries, shortness of breath usually means valve problems.  How are you when you get up in the morning?  Shortness of breath when first getting up?