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Chest discomfort for sereral months
I am a 47 year old male who started having some minor chest discomfort about 11 months ago. To be safe, I went to the ER and had it checked out. They told me after about an hour that it did not appear to be anything about my heart, but had me stay overnight to runs some tests. I had a complete cardiac work up including blood tests, xrays and a Thallium stress test, all of which came back normal.
I was released with instructions to follow up with my doctor. The symptoms came and went for about 9 months so I went back to the doctor and he did a couple of EKGs over i month that were normal and unchanged from my previous work ups. Two weeks ago he diagnosed me with GERD and put me on a PPI (Aciphex) which has cleared up most of the problems with the exception of some lingering mild chest discomfort. I also followed up with my cardiologist last week and she reviewed my EKG and the information from my doctor and said it was not likely related to my heart as well.
My question is, how can I tell if I am having cardiac chest pains as opposed to GERD related sypmtoms? I don't want to run to the ER everytime I experience a little pain but I can't seem to stop worrying about it. Would it be normal for chest pain from the heart to go on this long?
About me, total colesterol is 199, HDL 46, LDL 88 & TRI's 280. Blood pressure is controlled and stable at 115-55. There is no history of early onset heart disease in my family as well. I do not smoke and are approx 60 ounds overweight but have recently lost 20 pounds with diet and exercise (no symptoms during exercise).
I was released with instructions to follow up with my doctor. The symptoms came and went for about 9 months so I went back to the doctor and he did a couple of EKGs over i month that were normal and unchanged from my previous work ups. Two weeks ago he diagnosed me with GERD and put me on a PPI (Aciphex) which has cleared up most of the problems with the exception of some lingering mild chest discomfort. I also followed up with my cardiologist last week and she reviewed my EKG and the information from my doctor and said it was not likely related to my heart as well.
My question is, how can I tell if I am having cardiac chest pains as opposed to GERD related sypmtoms? I don't want to run to the ER everytime I experience a little pain but I can't seem to stop worrying about it. Would it be normal for chest pain from the heart to go on this long?
About me, total colesterol is 199, HDL 46, LDL 88 & TRI's 280. Blood pressure is controlled and stable at 115-55. There is no history of early onset heart disease in my family as well. I do not smoke and are approx 60 ounds overweight but have recently lost 20 pounds with diet and exercise (no symptoms during exercise).
If you work at a major medcial center or hospital go talk with a cardiologist and requests you have some tests done, even agree to pay out of pocket if insurance is an issue. Also working in the medical field you have easy access to health professional who can help ease your mind and talk to you about your medical condition.
Although I am not a doctor the fact that Nitro helped your pain may indicate a problem with your coronary or carotid arteries. But at your age this would be rare. You may also want to look into vascualr spasms, where the vessels go into spasms and close up for no known reason.
Just be aware that a whole battery of tests. EKG, Stress test, ECHO/Stress ECHO/ Angiogram, etc. will run you a couple thousand dollars or more. But I do know there is no price you can put on your health or to put yourself at ease.
Although I am not a doctor the fact that Nitro helped your pain may indicate a problem with your coronary or carotid arteries. But at your age this would be rare. You may also want to look into vascualr spasms, where the vessels go into spasms and close up for no known reason.
Just be aware that a whole battery of tests. EKG, Stress test, ECHO/Stress ECHO/ Angiogram, etc. will run you a couple thousand dollars or more. But I do know there is no price you can put on your health or to put yourself at ease.
I am new to this site and was releaved to find out that I am not the only one having these problems,but also concerned that I am not the only one having these symptoms and issues.
Alittle over a year ago I was driving home from work when while pumping gas in my car I started to feel this pinch in the middle of my chest,followed by pain in my shoulder blade on the left side, numbness and pain in my arm to my fingers and severe acute onset of heartburn in my lower abdomen. I thought holy Sh_t this hurts and continued what I was doing in hopes that it was just anxiety. However this continued for the next 15 minutes and although I felt dizzy and like I wanted to faint I somehow made it home. I could not get into my house fast enough and rip off anything constricting which was only my bra and my turtleneck under my scrubs but the pain was not relieved and I was sure that something serious was wrong. I decided to call 911 dispatch and talk to them,And of course they sent an ambulance to my house. It took oxygen and nitro to relieve the pain along with aspirin and nitro two more times before arriving at the hospital. I stayed the night in the hospital and they did all the tests but nothing showed up so they sent me home the next afternoon. I have been admitted one more time since then for the same thing and always say that it has to be heart burn,Gerd or of course the famous anxiety and stress. Well,since then I have had at least 6 different episodes during the night where I wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat with shortness of breath and severe pain in the left side of my neck and dizziness with pressure on my whole chest and my head, my hands turn purple with discoloration and my eyes dialate. I have to take aspirin before this will relieve itself and blood pressure pills,which I am taking three times a day for migraines as well. My concern is that I have a blocked arter on my left side, this is something that you just know about yourself and I am scared to death because although
I work in the medical field myself I feel like my doctors do not take it seriously.
Iam only going to be 32 in june so they always say I am too young but the truth is,today no age is too young for a heart attack. I know I am at risk because my aunt on my moms side had three anurisms and a stroke and my mom was recently diagnosed with conjestive heart failure so it runs in the family.
I am just trying to get input as to whether any of you have done something magic to force your doctor to do an angiogram or am I just doomed to deal with this?
Alittle over a year ago I was driving home from work when while pumping gas in my car I started to feel this pinch in the middle of my chest,followed by pain in my shoulder blade on the left side, numbness and pain in my arm to my fingers and severe acute onset of heartburn in my lower abdomen. I thought holy Sh_t this hurts and continued what I was doing in hopes that it was just anxiety. However this continued for the next 15 minutes and although I felt dizzy and like I wanted to faint I somehow made it home. I could not get into my house fast enough and rip off anything constricting which was only my bra and my turtleneck under my scrubs but the pain was not relieved and I was sure that something serious was wrong. I decided to call 911 dispatch and talk to them,And of course they sent an ambulance to my house. It took oxygen and nitro to relieve the pain along with aspirin and nitro two more times before arriving at the hospital. I stayed the night in the hospital and they did all the tests but nothing showed up so they sent me home the next afternoon. I have been admitted one more time since then for the same thing and always say that it has to be heart burn,Gerd or of course the famous anxiety and stress. Well,since then I have had at least 6 different episodes during the night where I wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat with shortness of breath and severe pain in the left side of my neck and dizziness with pressure on my whole chest and my head, my hands turn purple with discoloration and my eyes dialate. I have to take aspirin before this will relieve itself and blood pressure pills,which I am taking three times a day for migraines as well. My concern is that I have a blocked arter on my left side, this is something that you just know about yourself and I am scared to death because although
I work in the medical field myself I feel like my doctors do not take it seriously.
Iam only going to be 32 in june so they always say I am too young but the truth is,today no age is too young for a heart attack. I know I am at risk because my aunt on my moms side had three anurisms and a stroke and my mom was recently diagnosed with conjestive heart failure so it runs in the family.
I am just trying to get input as to whether any of you have done something magic to force your doctor to do an angiogram or am I just doomed to deal with this?
Christine,
Let me know what answers you get. Your symptoms sound most similar to mine. Last April I began having slight chest discomfort, with slight arm pain and a little back pain between my left scapula and spine. I am a 27 yr old male with a very healthy history. Once this began I stopped working out. Since then my symptoms have gotten worse and include left calf tightness, left shoulder tightness, etc... Additionally, every now and then, such as today, I get real tired and pale (skin around my eyes get real dark) and people ask, "are you under the weather?"... if they only knew... so, i started going to a chiropracter who thinks i tweaked something a while ago and that combined with working at the computer has screwed my thoracic muscles, which in turn affected everything else.... of course, i don't know how that explains how sometimes I have shortness of breath while just talking to someone or how i get real tired.... hmm... anyway, I had a full cardiac workup (ekg, ultrasound, stress test) and everything came back fine... I guess I'm not completely ruling out cardiac related because of what everyone else has said, but i don't know what to make of it....
-dave
Let me know what answers you get. Your symptoms sound most similar to mine. Last April I began having slight chest discomfort, with slight arm pain and a little back pain between my left scapula and spine. I am a 27 yr old male with a very healthy history. Once this began I stopped working out. Since then my symptoms have gotten worse and include left calf tightness, left shoulder tightness, etc... Additionally, every now and then, such as today, I get real tired and pale (skin around my eyes get real dark) and people ask, "are you under the weather?"... if they only knew... so, i started going to a chiropracter who thinks i tweaked something a while ago and that combined with working at the computer has screwed my thoracic muscles, which in turn affected everything else.... of course, i don't know how that explains how sometimes I have shortness of breath while just talking to someone or how i get real tired.... hmm... anyway, I had a full cardiac workup (ekg, ultrasound, stress test) and everything came back fine... I guess I'm not completely ruling out cardiac related because of what everyone else has said, but i don't know what to make of it....
-dave
I have had chest pressure for the last 2 weeks, 27 year old female. Have had a EKG and x-rays. They said I pulled a muscle in my upper chest, but it doesn't hurt just tightness. They say I am healthy but I am scared. Any suggestions???
Hi, this is all new to me!! I have been having chest discomfort for 3 weeks now with lightheadedness and sweating. No fever. Went to the dentist last week and when the epinephrine hit my heart I started saying my Act of Contrition. Never had it hit me like that. I am very restless at night, don't sleep well. No nausea (so far). I don't feel like I have a virus. I am on 3 BP meds as it seems to be creaping up on me. I am an avid Juice Plus taker and my BP went down after starting on it 3 years ago. I have been very healthy except for a brown recluse spider bite (actually 2) last year. Pretty rough!! Went to the doctor last week after the dentist visit. EKG was normal. Heart enzymes were off but I can't find where to check normals to see how much they were off. I am scheduled for a dobutamine stress echo next Wednesday. They aren't going to do a regular stress test as I hurt my back last fall and they don't want to stress it too much. Can anyone tell me where to look for the blood test results so I can see what is happening.
try taking Xanax for a few days (0.5mg once or twice a day), if the pain goes away than it is anxiety
same with GERD pills, if it goes away after one week of those, then it's GERD
what could happen (like in my case) is that even with those the pain doesn't go away, but even so it might not be cardiac related
however, in my case also it lasts for hours at least, in most of the cases that means it is not cardiac (if it lasts for hours/days/weeks and nothing really bad happens)
same with GERD pills, if it goes away after one week of those, then it's GERD
what could happen (like in my case) is that even with those the pain doesn't go away, but even so it might not be cardiac related
however, in my case also it lasts for hours at least, in most of the cases that means it is not cardiac (if it lasts for hours/days/weeks and nothing really bad happens)
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