Am i having a heart attack or is only angina?

[juliet212]

Hi, I have recently been experiencing chest pain on my left side and the pain sometimes radiates to the left arm, back shoulderblade on the left and feel breathless. I went to see a cardiologist and sent me to hospital to have an angiogram done. The results came fine. However, I feel very dizzy most of the times like if i were going to faint. Have been housebound since leaving hospital, been taking aspirin in the mornings and lie in bed for most of the day. The pain has not come back since staying in bed, however I still feel very dizzy. The cardiologist told me that i have little chances of having a heart attack, however, the dizzines does not go away and I am worried that I may be having some symptoms of an early heart attack. I am only 36 years old and overweight. I smoke and do little exercise, I am very worried. Please help!!

[Jupiter66]

im no doctor but ive had 2 heart attacks 5 stents and triple bypass 4 weeks ago.  Dont play with your heart if you think its your heart get it checked.  My first heart attack was while on vacation to grand canyon had what i thought was bad heartburn and pain in my right shoulder (not left which is typical for MI ) also numbness in right thumb. walked around for 2 days and nites with pain vomitting elephant and rhino sitting on me. Went to clinic in the canyon park  was life flighted.  Scariest time of my life. Did un repairable damage .Thats why if you think its your heart get it checked.  Also my wife 45 years old had the same symptoms you described heart checked out fine, MRI CT all  kinds of tests. Turns out to be something with her inner ear called vestibular migraine. as meds for it and when she has episodes takes her pill and she is better. may be a long shot but have your inner ear checked.  hope the best for you    Bill S.

[Jim0709]

i am no doctor, but I have had 5 near fatal heart attacks since August of 07, the last 4 since July. I can only tell you what my symptoms were and hope that it helps. To be sure, if you have chest pain and think you're having a heart attack, get to the E.R. as quickly as possible. Better safe than sorry! The first one I had was while I was in the Healthcare for Homeless Veterans program. I had been having severe chest pain the entire weekend prior to my being found outside my room by someone who called an ambulance. The chest pain was in the center of my chest and my left arm had a peculiar numbing ache that would not go away. The same type of pain then travelled up my neck and into my left jaw. I became very nauseated and also began to sweat profusely. I was rushed to the V.A. hospital in Houston and they did emergency angioplasty with a stent implant. It was found that I had two coronary arteries 100% occluded. One on my left side was reopened and the stent placed in it. The one on my right side cannot be reopened and is permanently blocked.
I was discharged from the V.A. hospital onto the streets of Houston, finding all my possessions removed from my room and placed around me on the sidewalk on Main street. (The U.S. Vets Initiative who ran the facility got $1800.00/month from the V.A. and was required to make midnight bedchecks coming into the room; a rundown Holiday Inn that had three King sized beds to a room, and checking to see that you were there. Since I was in the ICU, I wasn't there for the bedchecks and was kicked out of the program)
The four other heart attacks were pretty much identical in symptoms, very bad aching pain in the center of my chest, the numbness and aching pain radiating to my left arm, going up my neck and into my jaw, with nausea and lots of sweating.
I hope that this helps you in some small way, but remember, if you have chest pain and think you are having a heart attack, get to the hospital, don't wait because if you are having a heart attack, delay causes the damage to worsen.

Good Luck and Best Wishes,


Jim