Pain between my shoulder blade

[PlainCrazy]

I am an avid runner. I run about 30 miles a week. I am a 65 year old female. I have a history of high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol. I am taking vasotec 20 milligrams daily and Niaspan 1000 ml daily. lately for the last 2 weeks I have been experiencing a burning pain between my right shoulder blade that  some times seems to radiate to my chest on the right side.
Could this be a sign of a blocked artery?  Thank You

[shelly1953]

A related discussion, Pain was started.

[LFITZ]

Ive recently been receiving a pain between my shoulder blades that i could only discribe as feeling winded, like ive been thumped very hard, ive found that if i press onto the pain it seems to ease it. Im feeling rather uncomforable now anyway as im 8 months pregnant,i`d be very gratefull of any information you might have for me.

[lumineaux]

I'd been having pain between my shoulder blades for about 1 a month and a half and at first thought it was muscle spasms as I've had spasms before and therefor took mega doses of Advil and ignored them. In that 6 weeks I experienced 3 episodes of extreme pain. The first was while getting into bed and the pain was extreme enough that I thought it was a heart attack. I ignored it, stretched, and it started to go away. Every day, while walking from my car to my office, I would have this same pain with varied degrees. One morning I experienced the greatest pain of my life. I rested for about 10 minutes at my desk and the intensity subsided. I also took Advil and within half an hour it went completely away. Finally, during lunch I walked from the outside to my desk and the pain again was extreme. The pain, while being this extreme would pass from between my shoulder blades to my shoulders, chest, neck, and finally arms. I decided I needed medical attention after the pain went away. I went to my company medical office, according to procedure, and found out from an EKG that I had irregularities. They sent me to the ER and they also found irregularities. Everyone thought, that because it was in the back, that the pain was a spasm but that the EKGs were indicitave of something greater and subsequently gave me an angiogram. Sure enough, I had 3 blockages. I received 2 stents and the cardiologist was unable to (make a corner) remove the 3 blockages. Since I was receiving supplementary blood flow (from the back side)I should be okay with lifestyle changes and using prescriptions.

You should know that I am only 38 years old.

Fred

[little debbie]

my dad experienced the type pain you describe & the cause was indeed blocked arteries. Prior to his experience we did not know that pain in that location (between the shoulder blades) could be heart-related. Check it out.

[CCF-M.D.-CRC]

Dear PlainCrazy,
"Classic" angina pain is in the left chest with radiation to the left arm and neck.  However, angina pain can come in many different shapes and sizes and some people have only right-sided pain.  I would put a hold on the running until you have an opportunity to see your doctor.