What does it mean

[juniper52]

I hope someone can offer some advise. I am female and 55 years old today. on sunday I awoke from a nap with a bad pain under left breast. I did not do anything about it until the next day. When it had been going on fro about 30 hours, with not being able to get a deep breathe in becuas ethe pain would cut off the breate I finally went to the ER. They took me right back and my BP was high. It was 198/116. They did an EKG in triage and then moved me to a heart room. They gave me 4 baby aspirins and then teh doc had them start giving me nitro glycerin tablets under my tongue. I had 2 tablets about 5 minutes apart. Each tablet worked to sig. lessen thsi pain that had been going on for about 33-34 hours. Then they hooked up a nitrogylcerin drip. at that point my BP bottomed out and went to 54/36. I also got  a horrible headache. Once I was stable and the pain gone and my BP more stable I was admitted and moved to the coronary intervention ward.

The cardiologist came in this morning and really didn't offer much info. i did not have a heart attack but he says there were some things with my heart that has to be checked out. Mainly from an echo I had done about a year ago that was initially read as normal. He wanted me to stay and have these stests all done over the next few days.

However, he decided i could come home, if I waited until thsi evening, to make sure pain was actually gone, for my Birthday today and then go to his office for a cardiolite stress/echo on Thursday and he said we will go from there.

Now what could have caused this if it was not a heart attack but yet all the nitroglycerin took the pains away?   I have no diagnosed heart disease or issues but obviously this had something to do with my heart, I just dont know what.

Can anyone offer me some suggestions or advise. Anyone have smilar experience?

Thank you for any help

[ccscott]

They do blood work when you have a heart attack which shows them if you did or not..seems like it showed you did not...your doc is telling you something is not right but unless he does the tests he cant tell you...I guess we could all guess at what it could be...but then you would worry about something that may not be the case...get your tests done..then you will know..it may not be anything big but rather something caught early that can be treated..this could have just been a warning sign that something is up. Your headache was more than likely due to the nitro....it will give you a screaming headache..this must not be the first time you have had a heart concern. you mention you had an echo done before..why? and did they see anything? sometimes they see things minor and when explaining to us they play it down and we tend to miss that part of it...I know with my hubby that happened years ago...told him he did not have a heart attack...it seems thats all he heard...he missed the Hypertropic cardiomyopathy part completely..sigh..I no longer just listen myself...I ask for a copy of his records..in case I didnt hear all I should have...with stress we tend to be selective in hearing..esp when we get the good news..no heart attack..we may miss what the doc says is minor..but could and prob will turn into future issues...this may not even be the case...all I am saying is get a copy of your last echo and read it..keep a folder with all your medicals in it...then you dont have to second guess what your doc said and you wont have to worry ..good luck...hope it all works out well for ya.
Cheryl

[FLBrat]

I am sorry you had such a rotten birthday.  I would wait until Thursday to see what the test say before I did anything.  Conjecture will only worry you.  When you go to the doctors office, make sure he/she realizes you have questions.  In fact, sit down today and write them out.  Make the doctor take time to answer them.  If you feel you have not been given an answer, ask again.  Write down notes while you are there and then you will have a path to follow while looking for answers.  Remember, the doctor is working FOR you, you are his employer for that period of time you pay for.