Excrutiating chest pains

Posted by Val on May 23, 1999 at 18:49:00
I have just turned 40 years old, female, 135 lbs 5' 9"  VERY active.
Low blood pressure 100/60. I have alway had a higher then normal heart beat 80-90 per minute. I am a fairly hyper person. I smoke and drink  a lot of coffee. I have two questions, can heart palpitations run in a family?
I have always had them but never paid any attention to them seeing as I was never in any real pain. Both of my sisters have them too. My one sister gets them really bad all of the time and has actually passed out from them. I tend to think that her passing out from them is prob from anxiety over them than the actual palps. She has been to the emergency room many many times and to her Dr. for evaluation  and they never found anything wrong.
My next question is about heart pain. In the past few years off and on I have been awaken in the middle of the night with VERY strong pain in the center of my chest, right betweenPosted by CCF CARDIO MD - DLB on May 31, 1999 at 20:51:31
Dear Val
While that is logical, pain from the heart or acid reflux can be easily confused with one another by patients. Heart pains or severe acid reflux are both severe and require a doctor