Help! Im scared! Im 48 yr old female, have had benign palpitations for 15+ yrs, but have NEVER had chest pain/discomfort before. Very overweight-high bp, otherwise healthy. Had the H1N1 flu in mid-November. Was left with terrible cough, treated w/ antibiotics. Noticed few weeks into Dec that when I would walk a distance, that my chest would burn-like when you breathe in cold cold air. Well, its cold-cold here, so I figured that was it. It continued. The cough went away. Saw my reg Dr on 12/21..a month after I had gotten the flu. She did EKG..looked great. Said Pleurisy..and prescribed Ibuprofin. I suffered thru the holidays..totally ruined them-anytime I would walk even from room to room my chest would burn! It goes away when Ive been still for about 2-3 minutes. Very scary feeling. I finally figured it was something else, and went to the local emergency room on 12/28. They did FULL cardiac workup-chest xray..EKG..blood work...and everything again, was perfect. THEY said pleurisy. (my symptoms didnt fit the normal pleurisy symptoms I looked up on the web) they Prescribed Naproxsyn. I took it. The chest "burning" did lessen over this length of time. Now, only happened when I would walk, say, half a block..or..from my car to my desk at work..but..was still happening. Early January, I called the cardiologist I saw for my palps. Described my symptoms, and they referred me to my regular Dr!!! At that point, I figured ok, how can it really be cardiac related if so many different Drs, say otherwise? But..I called my Dr. She told me Pleurisy takes time to get over--and to wait 2 weeks, and come to see her if I still have it. OK> that brings me to today. I had my appt. NOW...she didnt SAY cardiac...and maybe shes doing this because I told her I am terrified-and she wants to make me relax...but...shes scheduled, from what I can see on the papers...a
Myocardial Perf Rest Stress test"...or...she said Nuclear...I have to be injected with stuff...and be scanned before, at rest...and during??? I am claustrophobic...what kind of scanner?? What will they do next if they "see something"... can you give me any hope that maybe they WONT see something? Or...with the weird burning that I have off and on during activity..does that always mean heart? I am so scared, that its stopped me from enjoying LIFE!
Please answer with any info you have on any of this...