wondering if i could have angina?

[sugieshay]

Hi I am a 35 year old female. Last year I started to have these attacks,they only happen when I'm sleeping and around the same time between 1:30 and 2:30 in the morning.I get chest pain and extreme back pain.My back gets this burning feeling and is so severe.The first attack I had I did have slight shortness of breath and another attack I did get a sweaty feel. The eposodes last anywhere between 20 min.-1-1/2 hours.I had eight attacks last year.all in the winter months 3 between jan.-march and then none until nov. in which i had 2 and then 2 in dec.went to the doctor and he said he highly doughts i have angina because of age ,weight no family history although i do smoke but when the attacks first started i had not smoked in 2-1/2 years.Anyway he had me get an abdominal ultrasound and I do have a gallstone.sent me to a surgeon to have gallbladder removed but surgeon did not feel that my attacks were related to my gallstone so he did not remove my gallbladder but also felt that i highly unlikley have angina. T old me to come back if I have another attack but so far no attacks yet this year. Is that possible if you have angina? I am lost at this point but also very concerned because I know when I have these attacks something is not right. I have never felt anything like it.Oh I also can stand up during the attacks but cant lay down.I actually pace alot and kind of have to move around cause the pain is so bad especially in the back.Sorry I wrote a book I hope you can be of some help!!

[Lee Kirksey, MD]

There are numerous causes of chest, abdominal and shortness of breath symptoms. The risk factors for heart disease include hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, smoking, physical inactivity and family history to name a few. Although you would seem to be at low risk, a patient presenting with the new onset of your symptoms would get an EKG to evaluate angina as a cause. Gall stones can cause the type of discomfort that you describe. Blood chemistries and ultrasound would help to distinguish this as the cause. Were you evaluated at the time that the symptoms were occurring? Each time?

Bottom line is that the appropriate blood tests, ekg and ultrasound at the time of your symptoms should be able to diagnose the problem and if your physicians identified that you had a gall bladder attack, angina is unlikely