Is it possible?

[roxstua]

I have had chest pain with radiating down my left arm.  I jumped through all the hoops...had an ecg (normal), nuclear stress test (normal) and echocardiogram (normal).  I keep getting the chest pain etc especially when I exercise. Is it still possible that it is my heart...I can't help but to wonder.  What other test should I have?

[ChatterAlly]

That's all we can do.  I have blockages all over.  Not confined to my heart.  I have a stent in an artery that supplies blood to my left leg that has become blocked again.  How do I know?  The pain in the leg and the numbness in my foot is exactly the same as it was 8 years ago when it was first discovered.  I have lost vision in my right eye from plaque in the artery to the retina.  That is permanent.  At first it was just the top of my vision.  Last week my peripheral (sp) was lost in that eye.  Now I can see only a slither through that eye.  My doctor thinks this is from mini strokes. Then there are the numerous blockages in the heart.  Watch your trigs closely.  I recently found out that mine were over 2100.  That's more than extreme and it has a name.  I have begun to walk everyday again, added Niacin and Magnesium to the other supplements I take and pray.  Alot.  Take care, Ally

[roxstua]

Thanks Ally...that did help me to understand more about all this.  I'll probably be the one who ignores my chest pain even in a heart attack until I pass out or something...my family history is awful.  All of the men in my father's family died before the age of 45 except my Dad who was fortunate enough to be the baby of the family and to start his problems about the time they invented the 5 way bypass.  The women all started with their problems after menopause (which is where I am).  To make matters more confusing, my Dad told me that he had passed a stress test and had a normal ecg the week before he had the bypass...all because he had been working out and apparently his heart had grown extra vessels to handle the blockages.  I have been working out an hour a day in the gym and I have fear that I may have done the same thing.  It is like that famous runner who died suddenly.  I guess all I can do is stay on my diet and keep exercising...even when it hurts.  It doesn't help that I am an hour and a half away from a hospital.  I guess it is in God's hands!

[ChatterAlly]

You know, I am still trying to figuer that one out myself.  I went to the ER after having the spasms for over a week.  I thought I was having another heart attack.  Everyone in the ER did too.  But when my cardiac enzymes proved to be normal it proved the pains were not from having a heart attack.  It was in the ICU that night that proved they were spasms.  Everytime I had the chest pain the monitor would go crazy.  The alarm went of and the lines were all over the screen.  At first, I was told this was "junk" because I must've moved.  I knew I hadn't.  So after it happened 3 more times, I was able to convince them it was from the chest pains.  The nurse took a better look at the print out and was able to see the spasms.  So even now, I wonder how will I know when to go to the hospital and when not.  It is expensive.  They did a cath the following day and that is very expensive. Take care and let me know how you are. Ally

[roxstua]

That is what I have been reading....so how did you know when to go to the ER?  I already did that and it was very expensive...I can't do that again for just chest pain....any clues as to how to tell when to go to the ER?

[ChatterAlly]

It is possible to have heart spasms (or vasospasms)  You might want ot research this.  I know I have them, and the pain is no different than what I had with my heart attacks.  Take care, Ally