Any ideas would help

[needsomeguidance]

I have seen three PCP's and a board certified Cardiologist and nothing is helping so I am trying here for ideas. Male 36 regular exercise, so so diet, 40lbs overweight.

Before Christmas '05 I experienced tiredness, cramping in arms and back. Assumed it was just stress and rested. Symptoms persisted and I went to PCP bp was 140/90. PCP felt that due to an impending job change/ seperation from my family for 6 months that I was having anxiety and stress. Prescribed Paxcil 25mg and a muscle relaxer (flexeril?)

Felt somewhat better, left the family for South Florida. First day at new job had severe tightness in chest and shortness of breath, profuse sweating and BP shot up nearly passed out. 911 to ER with fear of heart attack, EKG (4 times) etc.  Prescribed Atenolol 25mg and ref. to Cardiologist. Had a heart Echo, Stress test with nuclear and all fine.

Severe reactions to Atenolol so changed to metopropol, heart rate dropped into 30's several times so taken off of BP meds and put on Water Pills. BP went bad again 140/100 average so now on Benecar 40MG and bp seems better but here is the jist of this whole post...

Head pulses constantly at night along with my back and chest, I can't lay on my left side without the feeling that my heart is pounding against the bed, I wake up during the night with my heart hammering. Also blood work came back positive for very high titre of Epstein Barr....Going crazy any thoughts?

[DebK]

Dear Need, sounds very similar, pretty much exactly, to what I have experienced. All my tests and heart cath came back normal also. My cardioligist came to the conclusion that my heart was going into spasms. Some long word for it, I don't remember. Blood pressure was running the same as yours also. She put me on Norvasc 2.5. She said it was to lower the blood pressure and also and anit spasm medication. It worked great! Even all the muscle spasms in my back went away! No more problems at all! Hope this helps, wish I would of read your post sooner. Deb

[emeraldspray]

I can sympathize with you, needsomeguidance.  It sounds like you may have had a heart attack of some kind when you had the chest pain and sweating.  Did they do the four blood tests which can definitively diagnose a heart attack?  I believe they are called Ctroponin1.  Anyway, they are repeated 4 times.  During heart attack something is released into the blood which shows up on the lab test.  If all four are positive, it is sure sign of heart attack.  Also have you worn the Holter Monitor?  It records your EKG for 24 hours and much can be learned from it.

The Paxil will kick in if it hasn't already.  It takes about four weeks for it to build up in the blood stream to give effective anti depressant levels and calm you down.  They might not have told you that.  

Have you had your coronary arteries checked for blockage?  That would be most helpful.  How about nitroglycerine to open up the arteries when you feel pain coming on?  It works.  Need to ask your cardiologist.  I'm finding that we need to be aggressive with our questions.  It's hard for me as its' not my nature, but, I'm gettin' mad.  I hate that 'hearing your heart' at night..  Good luck.