Aa
Pain in center left of chest
Does anyone know what this is. woke up this afternoon. Pain in the center left of chest. it is not constant. it lasts a second. like stab. stop . stab . stop. stab stop. happens like 3 times. lasts a second each. then gone. then few minutes later happens again. it seems to happen with a deep breath or a belch perhaps. does this sound cardiac in nature?
Pretty interesting stuff here! I just came to this site today by searching something online that was heart related.
A little about my history, which I find very funny. All my problems, have been somewhat noted on this little section of this forum.
1) I recently had open heart surgery December 1, 2006. So I do qualify to be on this site. I was born with congenital heart disease, Aortic Stenosis. Well, last year, due to the extra strain on my heart over the years, I developed an anuerysm in my aorta. I was on vacation and was lagging along. I was getting chest pain, and a tightness in my chest. My lungs hurt from trouble breathing. My mom called the ambulance and I was rushed in to the nearest hospital. My anuerysm was ready to rupture! They referred me to see my cardiologist immediately. The next day I called my cardiologist and scheduled an appointment that was a couple days later. I called my best friend who is an RN and knows alot about the cardiology field. She said to me, "I am flying up to see you and go with you!" I asked why! She said because there are to many mis diagnosis by doctors with miscommunication. We don't always hear them right , and they most certainly don't hear us right all the time. She flew down. We went in for my appointment. The Doctor comes in and sits down and starts talking to me. My girlfriend is listening very carefully. He asked what was going on. I told him the chest pain, breathing, blah blah..............He asked about stress in my life at the current moment because he knows that I suffer from anxiety, and GERD and hiatal hernia!
He tells me that he believes that my anxiety and acid reflux are what is bothering me. So in my head I am thinking that the ER screwed up, because that is not the first time to hear that. ER's tend to misdiagnos things and put extra severity into things, because they just want you to follow up with your doctor. So I am sitting there with him, assuming he has looked at the results the hospital sent to him, and that everything is fine. Well, my best friend stood up, and said HOLD ON! She looks at the doctor and said, "I am going to guess that you have not even looked at the test results from the hospital." The doctor said,"What test results!" She said, "the ones that are probably at the front desk." We are here for a follow up, because her aneurysm has expanded immensely. He looked kinda confused and left the room. He comes back and said, "we have to do the echo". He runs the tests and and after said, "I need the day to carefully review everything." I was very nervous leaving there without knowing what was going on and to know that if my best friend wasn't their, I would have been that sucker that leaves and dead in a week. The doctor calls me up at 6pm that night and said your anuerysm is ready to rupture. He said, we need to put you on Beta Blockers and prep you for surgery. (Great story huh)
Now, about anxiety. 3 Years prior to my surgery, I developed panic attacks and general anxiety disorder. I experienced that for three years. I have to agree with Michael on the issue that just because you have anxiety it does not mean that something else is not wrong. I know that for sure. My anxiety started because I was getting pain in my chest and due to my condition it worried me. My doctor was quite new, as I had recently moved to Massachussettes. Without even knowing much about me diagnosed me with anxiety and put me on xanax. An addictive drug. Not a good thing, because I was an alchoholic and my doctor knew that. Bad withdrawals without it. So now he puts me on a very addictive drug. Well, time goes on, my anxiety gets worse, my chest pain is still there and my doctor would not treat me for anything else. I was a wreck, because now I needed this drug to get by in my day. Did I go to other doctors, yes. But, I found similiar responses. It's your anxiety. Crappy situation! I have been there. So I got addicted to these drugs, couldn't get off them, was drinking immensely....and still had the chest pain and worried it was my heart because I had no answers. I did visit my cardioligist a few times, and I had some minor changes, but he said nothing that would cause what I am feeling. Well, I looked online and did some research, and found that GERD was a condition that explained a good amount of my symptoms that I was feeling. My next appointment into my doctor, I demanded that he test me for that. So he did. I had an upper GI, and the results were, GERD and a hiatal hernia. When you have a haital hernia on top of GERD, it makes it harder to handle, because it triples the effects and discomfort. Is a haital hernia dangerous. Not really! Not unless it becomes huge. In that case, it can suffocate you. Is that likely and happen often. No it doesn't.
So I became a mess, because my doctor treated me for something that he wasn't really sure about. I had chest pain from the GERD, and hiatal hernia, and he just thought it was anxiety. And what anxiety I did have was my withdrawal symptoms from coming off of alcohol and needing a drink. It was a vicious cycle. Did I know that at the time. Nope! Not until years later, I got myself on the right track and said WOW. So Doctors screw up all the time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Last thing! I am still an alcoholic (nothing like I use to be) but I will always see myself as I was years ago until I quit. If your smart enough, the point should be well taken.
A little about my history, which I find very funny. All my problems, have been somewhat noted on this little section of this forum.
1) I recently had open heart surgery December 1, 2006. So I do qualify to be on this site. I was born with congenital heart disease, Aortic Stenosis. Well, last year, due to the extra strain on my heart over the years, I developed an anuerysm in my aorta. I was on vacation and was lagging along. I was getting chest pain, and a tightness in my chest. My lungs hurt from trouble breathing. My mom called the ambulance and I was rushed in to the nearest hospital. My anuerysm was ready to rupture! They referred me to see my cardiologist immediately. The next day I called my cardiologist and scheduled an appointment that was a couple days later. I called my best friend who is an RN and knows alot about the cardiology field. She said to me, "I am flying up to see you and go with you!" I asked why! She said because there are to many mis diagnosis by doctors with miscommunication. We don't always hear them right , and they most certainly don't hear us right all the time. She flew down. We went in for my appointment. The Doctor comes in and sits down and starts talking to me. My girlfriend is listening very carefully. He asked what was going on. I told him the chest pain, breathing, blah blah..............He asked about stress in my life at the current moment because he knows that I suffer from anxiety, and GERD and hiatal hernia!
He tells me that he believes that my anxiety and acid reflux are what is bothering me. So in my head I am thinking that the ER screwed up, because that is not the first time to hear that. ER's tend to misdiagnos things and put extra severity into things, because they just want you to follow up with your doctor. So I am sitting there with him, assuming he has looked at the results the hospital sent to him, and that everything is fine. Well, my best friend stood up, and said HOLD ON! She looks at the doctor and said, "I am going to guess that you have not even looked at the test results from the hospital." The doctor said,"What test results!" She said, "the ones that are probably at the front desk." We are here for a follow up, because her aneurysm has expanded immensely. He looked kinda confused and left the room. He comes back and said, "we have to do the echo". He runs the tests and and after said, "I need the day to carefully review everything." I was very nervous leaving there without knowing what was going on and to know that if my best friend wasn't their, I would have been that sucker that leaves and dead in a week. The doctor calls me up at 6pm that night and said your anuerysm is ready to rupture. He said, we need to put you on Beta Blockers and prep you for surgery. (Great story huh)
Now, about anxiety. 3 Years prior to my surgery, I developed panic attacks and general anxiety disorder. I experienced that for three years. I have to agree with Michael on the issue that just because you have anxiety it does not mean that something else is not wrong. I know that for sure. My anxiety started because I was getting pain in my chest and due to my condition it worried me. My doctor was quite new, as I had recently moved to Massachussettes. Without even knowing much about me diagnosed me with anxiety and put me on xanax. An addictive drug. Not a good thing, because I was an alchoholic and my doctor knew that. Bad withdrawals without it. So now he puts me on a very addictive drug. Well, time goes on, my anxiety gets worse, my chest pain is still there and my doctor would not treat me for anything else. I was a wreck, because now I needed this drug to get by in my day. Did I go to other doctors, yes. But, I found similiar responses. It's your anxiety. Crappy situation! I have been there. So I got addicted to these drugs, couldn't get off them, was drinking immensely....and still had the chest pain and worried it was my heart because I had no answers. I did visit my cardioligist a few times, and I had some minor changes, but he said nothing that would cause what I am feeling. Well, I looked online and did some research, and found that GERD was a condition that explained a good amount of my symptoms that I was feeling. My next appointment into my doctor, I demanded that he test me for that. So he did. I had an upper GI, and the results were, GERD and a hiatal hernia. When you have a haital hernia on top of GERD, it makes it harder to handle, because it triples the effects and discomfort. Is a haital hernia dangerous. Not really! Not unless it becomes huge. In that case, it can suffocate you. Is that likely and happen often. No it doesn't.
So I became a mess, because my doctor treated me for something that he wasn't really sure about. I had chest pain from the GERD, and hiatal hernia, and he just thought it was anxiety. And what anxiety I did have was my withdrawal symptoms from coming off of alcohol and needing a drink. It was a vicious cycle. Did I know that at the time. Nope! Not until years later, I got myself on the right track and said WOW. So Doctors screw up all the time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Last thing! I am still an alcoholic (nothing like I use to be) but I will always see myself as I was years ago until I quit. If your smart enough, the point should be well taken.
all i have to say is WWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol
all i have to say is WWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol
I mentioned it here because there are a variety of boards I read and post on. (So sorry but yours isn't one of them. I know that you wish it was but you guys just aren't that important to me. I checked that board once a few months ago to see if my guts feelings were accurate and they were. That was all I needed to know. Everything else was easy. The personas easy to pick out.I didn't need to check anything else. I knew that my gut was right. I also posted there for the last time to let you know exactly how I felt about what you all were doing.So it is difficult to understand how you could be confused about my feelings or actions.I was on that board for a few years before the change. So I know that you all feel the same things emtionally that the people on this board do. You ask the same type of questions and have the same type of fears when your hearts' act up but it is all right for all of you. While you act that the people here are whiney and whatever you call them. Yes, that makes me feel indignant and angry.The people here are working through their issues the same way you all on the other board work through your issues.)
So what is my deal with Micheal? I feel that Michael is yanking everybodys' chain. I don't like it. He has been checked out and he has gotten good advice but appears to blow it off. Then asks questions about if he is doomed because he was in a rotten relationship. Talk about FATALISM. Get off it; take control of what you can and start making some good decisions in life. Change the course of your life if what you are doing now is detrimental.
And if I read on one board that he is down to only 5 cigarettes a day and on another one that he calls himself a heavy smoker and these posts are only days apart, I AM going to call him on it. The same way that I would a friend who I see smashed in a bar who has just told me that they are in AA and on the band wagon. I'm not going to pat that person on the back and ask him/her if I can buy the next round.
Now V...be real. The only problem you have with this is that you don't like me. You don't really care about Michael or his struggles. You want an arguement with me. Sorry...but not interested. I am interested in Michael honestly accessing his situation and constructively dealing with his problems...ALL of them, including the anxiety issues which will not simply vanish because you choose to ignore them. Anxiety produces REAL physical symptoms . Both need to be addressed!
So what is my deal with Micheal? I feel that Michael is yanking everybodys' chain. I don't like it. He has been checked out and he has gotten good advice but appears to blow it off. Then asks questions about if he is doomed because he was in a rotten relationship. Talk about FATALISM. Get off it; take control of what you can and start making some good decisions in life. Change the course of your life if what you are doing now is detrimental.
And if I read on one board that he is down to only 5 cigarettes a day and on another one that he calls himself a heavy smoker and these posts are only days apart, I AM going to call him on it. The same way that I would a friend who I see smashed in a bar who has just told me that they are in AA and on the band wagon. I'm not going to pat that person on the back and ask him/her if I can buy the next round.
Now V...be real. The only problem you have with this is that you don't like me. You don't really care about Michael or his struggles. You want an arguement with me. Sorry...but not interested. I am interested in Michael honestly accessing his situation and constructively dealing with his problems...ALL of them, including the anxiety issues which will not simply vanish because you choose to ignore them. Anxiety produces REAL physical symptoms . Both need to be addressed!
Over all I think this is an educational tread, It is a very interesting fascinating way to learn what else can cause heart damage look a like symptoms when those who went trough on it are telling their stories. Thanks for those who did and I know as I said before Michael will be there one day, but he is still in the process.
Like some people drop the cigarette in a heartbeat, others need a year or more to quit it.
We all have some denial in us, that can be very different. One thinks I am well when not, the other end would think the opposite, this is why these boards are here; to learn from everything.
Tarhel, thanks for the note, same good wishes to you !:)
..When my son was quitting from a pack a day, he said : Don’t tell me , I know I have to and I don’t do it because I've told by you,(thousand times) but because: I want to !!
That is a very important statement; it was for me to learn: pushing somebody to quit anything is not helpful. Ignoring yes, but not pushing.
Quitting always must be an individual decision what ever needs to be quit on! Reading some of you I feel the person who I was in the past. But hey, we are all different and changing, this is why life is interesting.:)
Like some people drop the cigarette in a heartbeat, others need a year or more to quit it.
We all have some denial in us, that can be very different. One thinks I am well when not, the other end would think the opposite, this is why these boards are here; to learn from everything.
Tarhel, thanks for the note, same good wishes to you !:)
..When my son was quitting from a pack a day, he said : Don’t tell me , I know I have to and I don’t do it because I've told by you,(thousand times) but because: I want to !!
That is a very important statement; it was for me to learn: pushing somebody to quit anything is not helpful. Ignoring yes, but not pushing.
Quitting always must be an individual decision what ever needs to be quit on! Reading some of you I feel the person who I was in the past. But hey, we are all different and changing, this is why life is interesting.:)
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Heart Disease Community
Is a low-fat diet really that heart healthy after all? James D. Nicolantonio, PharmD, urges us to reconsider decades-long dietary guidelines.
Can depression and anxiety cause heart disease? Get the facts in this Missouri Medicine report.
Fish oil, folic acid, vitamin C. Find out if these supplements are heart-healthy or overhyped.
Learn what happens before, during and after a heart attack occurs.
What are the pros and cons of taking fish oil for heart health? Find out in this article from Missouri Medicine.
How to lower your heart attack risk.
