Did I have a heart attack 8 months ago?

[roach9]

Hi everyone,

I'm a 19 year old male.  8 months ago (in University), me and some buddies decided to smoke "wichah".  A mixture between marijuana and chichah (sp?).  The chichah contains a lot of nicotine.  Anyways, after smoking a lot, I felt high, very high.

My heart was racing.  I was freaking out.  I started panicking.  Ran outside, spat out my Oh Henry (couldn't swallow), sat down, felt completely out of this world.  I told my buddy to call the ambulance cause my heart was going crazy.  I felt huge amounts of pain in my pectoral area.  I started walking to the road in anticipation of the ambulance and then I told my buddy to call it off cause I think I was just panicking.

Now, 8 months later.  I don't know if what I had was a heart attack or my first panic attack.

The reason I ask now is cause I always feel pain in my left pectoral and I'm always anxious it seems (probably cause school is round the corner and my gramps was just diagnosed with lung cancer :( ).  I just feel chest discomfort basically.  I went to my doctor in December and told him.  He said I seemed very anxious, and he listened to my heart and that was all.

You guys think I had a panic attack?  I had many panic attacks after that day (if that means anything).  I'm good at controlling them now, but back then, I had a panic attack nearly daily, it was horrible.

Anyways, any advice would be appreciated.  

PS - I exercise just about daily (I work at a day camp so it's unconditional).  I am 165 lbs and 6"2.  Prior to that day, I played AAA hockey and considered myself in great shape.

PSS - No more drugs for me since then, either.  :)

[gman2009]

Roach9,

I've been there.  Quit the drugs!   I won't go into my history, but it is much more extensive than yours as far as that goes.  I do have heart problems at 41 - 25 stents in my heart, however I also had triglycerides of 2000 for over 20 years with a total cholesterol of 600, so my doc says that is more likely the cause of my issues.

During my partying days I would be up all night with heart racing around 160 beats a minute.  Did this for years and never had a heart attack until I was around 40.  Your heart can also grow collaterals - mine did - so if there is some blockage there is a chance your heart will bypass the blockage.  

What is your BP?  As far as the panic attacks go, I have found clonazepam a very good drug to control the attacks and I would ask your doctor to look into prescribing it to you.  Physical exercise and meditation can also help alleviate the panic attacks.

You say your right pectoral hurts.  Does it hurt more when you push on it with your right hand and minipulate it?  How about when you flex it?  Is it positional - hurts more when you twist or move in a certain way?  If you answered yes to any of these questions then it is probably a muscle related pain.  However, you can just go to a cardiologist and get a nuclear stress test or stress echo test done and you will know for sure.  A resting EKG may show something, but many blockages are of the type that only show up during exercise or when you are stressed and you arteries contrict due to the presence of cortisol and other stress related hormones.

I personally am not a doctor, but I don't think you have anything wrong with you.  I actually had damage to my heart muscle that reversed with exercise.  My LAD was 100% occluded all the way down and it feeds 1/3 of the heart.  That small collateral vessel saved my life, as did the cardiologist.  My issues with restenosing are more tied to Plavix resistance (I have increased my Plavix), and high testosterone coupled with heavy weightlifting.  At my age, I really have no business benching 350lbs - it really does a number on the BP when you do that.  

Good luck to you.  Get those panic attacks under control - they can lead to depression which I have had three times and I can tell you I would rather have a heart attack than go through another depression - that's how bad a depression can be.  Then, to be on the safe side and ease your mind, demand a stress echo or nuclear stress test.  You University should have some kind of student coverage, or perhaps your parents do.  No need to tell them why you are concerned, just tell them about your symptoms.  When you talk to the cardio, don't bring up the panic attacks and give them an out on the stress test.

Bye for now.

[heart_of_mine]

I would think it unlikely that you had a "heart attack" but you should go to a doctor and ask for an ECG. Marijuana can cause extreme anxiety in alot of people and with the mixture of nicotine it sent your heart racing. This is probably what you felt. All kinds of stimulants like nicotine, caffeine, and especially those energy drinks have been known to cause sudden cardiac death when used excessively or mixed with other drugs, even with alcohol, so it is best that young people avoid these mixtures.
I am happy that you are drug free now. Play it safe and get this checked out again to give you some peace of mind. There is also help out there for Panic Attacks.