Heart/chest pains

[shootingstar]

I was awoken by feeling this.  It felt like a scary charleyhorse with some stiffness radiating out into my arm, etc.  It felt slightly better sitting up bed.  This went on for 5-8 min.

This is the 4th incident I've had over past 18 months.  I have had some prelim. testing ie. EECG testing by a lab.  They could not detect anything. But I really think I should insist on seeing a heart specialist for testing.  Other times, I've had this sensation start when I am fully conscious/awake.  Keep in mind I have low-normal blood pressure. SAme for heart rate.  I am approx. 100 lbs. @ 5'1".

Who had felt this?

[petitepedal ★]

Insist on a heart doc...women with chest pains are still ignored more than men...

[late]

Definitely see a specialist.

Sometimes people will have small heart attacks, and ignore them, at least until a big one shows up.

I've been vaguely thinking about this, AliveCor KardiaBand

https://store.alivecor.com/products/kardiaband

[ChrisL]

58 minutes ago, shootingstar said:

I was awoken by feeling this.  It felt like a scary charleyhorse with some stiffness radiating out into my arm, etc.  It felt slightly better sitting up bed.  This went on for 5-8 min.

This is the 4th incident I've had over past 18 months.  I have had some prelim. testing ie. EECG testing by a lab.  They could not detect anything. But I really think I should insist on seeing a heart specialist for testing.  Other times, I've had this sensation start when I am fully conscious/awake.  Keep in mind I have low-normal blood pressure. SAme for heart rate.  I am approx. 100 lbs. @ 5'1".

Who had felt this?

I've had stress induced angina and the symptoms can feel similar to a heart attack. I checked myself in a couple of times to be sure and the Drs determined my heart was fine.  Definately get it checked out tho.

[Dottleshead ★]

1 hour ago, shootingstar said:

I was awoken by feeling this.  It felt like a scary charleyhorse with some stiffness radiating out into my arm, etc.  It felt slightly better sitting up bed.  This went on for 5-8 min.

This is the 4th incident I've had over past 18 months.  I have had some prelim. testing ie. EECG testing by a lab.  They could not detect anything. But I really think I should insist on seeing a heart specialist for testing.  Other times, I've had this sensation start when I am fully conscious/awake.  Keep in mind I have low-normal blood pressure. SAme for heart rate.  I am approx. 100 lbs. @ 5'1".

Who had felt this?

It may be hard to get into the cardiologist if not recommended by your doctor.  I have no idea how that works up there.  But at our age, I don't think it makes sense to take chances.  Your body is trying to tell you something.  I asked for a calcium heart test because I was concerned about plaque.  That came from my initiative and my own pocket book to get that test done.  Now I know I have to change my life immediately or die.  If I waited around for -- oh you get the point.  If you are concerned (and who wouldn't be?) I'd suggest going outside your network and make it happen yourself.

[maddmaxx ★]

Which arm, left or right?

[donkpow]

I had chest pains. I had to spend the night in the hospital while being monitored. The following day I got a nuclear stress test. They couldn't find anything wrong. I also get a mild chest pain infrefuently. I think that one is something about my rib cage and muscles.

[maddmaxx ★]

1 minute ago, donkpow said:

I had chest pains. I had to spend the night in the hospital while being monitored. The following day I got a nuclear stress test. They couldn't find anything wrong. I also get a mild chest pain infrefuently. I think that one is something about my rib cage and muscles.

I too am subject to a "cramp" that mimics a heart attack except it's on the right side.  It begins a couple of inches down from the collar bone and a couple of inches in from the armpit and if not controlled reasonably quickly will result in excruciating pain.  After the first one that resulted in my being transported to the ER in an ambulance I've learned to find a "neutral" position of the arm that allows me to relax the muscles and end the cramp before it gets out of control.  The doctors have been unable to determine a cause.

[donkpow]

7 minutes ago, maddmaxx said:

I too am subject to a "cramp" that mimics a heart attack except it's on the right side.  It begins a couple of inches down from the collar bone and a couple of inches in from the armpit and if not controlled reasonably quickly will result in excruciating pain.  After the first one that resulted in my being transported to the ER in an ambulance I've learned to find a "neutral" position of the arm that allows me to relax the muscles and end the cramp before it gets out of control.  The doctors have been unable to determine a cause.

I believe my ER incident was some kind of gastric spasm but the medical people didn't want to take any chances. My little cramp is on the left side, under my arm pit. Right where you would expect a heart attack to start. It kind of dawned on me one day that I might be experiencing a heart attack. The ER visit included some blood work that gave no indication of heart attack.

[Longjohn ★]

The only chest pain I have had was the result of a broken rib.

[Wilbur ★]

8 hours ago, shootingstar said:

I was awoken by feeling this.

 

8 hours ago, shootingstar said:

Who had felt this?

I am going out on a limb here but... you?   

 

But seriously, did someone along the way do blood work to determine heart condition?  If not, I would get back a doctor and insist on further testing with an echocardiogram.  If you clear that hurdle, (and I am sure you will) you won't need to see a cardiologist.  Do you have any spine issues like nerve entrapment or muscle strains?  Often, they can mimic heart pain.   Get it checked young lady!!

[shootingstar]

I had my blood work done months ago but only as part of my annual physical, not heart (which for me is every 2 years because of my good health..except for this mysterious thing..).  I can get it annually if I want.  

All I have to say....this must a minor sensation how a person must feel when they die in their sleep or semi-sleep.

Will have to talk to my doctor-sister for type of tests that go beyond the normal... and then get to my face to face in city doctor.

[JerrySTL ★]

8 hours ago, shootingstar said:

But I really think I should insist on seeing a heart specialist for testing.

This! I had normal blood pressure and just slightly elevated cholesterol levels when I had my heart attack. See if you can get a cardiac cauterization where they look for blockages in your heart's arteries.

[BuffJim]

I echo the rest of the crowd, insist on further testing.  Heart disease symptoms can manifest differently in patients. They can do enzyme tests which will show recent heart attacks.

My primary and my pulmonologist are at odds as to whether I suffered a heart attack a couple years ago. I never felt anything like what you're describing, but occasionally have twinges and aches and pains. If I did, I am fine now, even according to my primary.

It may be nothing, but its worth further investigation.

[Wilbur ★]

1 hour ago, shootingstar said:

I had my blood work done months ago but only as part of my annual physical, not heart (which for me is every 2 years because of my good health..except for this mysterious thing..).  I can get it annually if I want.  

All I have to say....this must a minor sensation how a person must feel when they die in their sleep or semi-sleep.

Will have to talk to my doctor-sister for type of tests that go beyond the normal... and then get to my face to face in city doctor.

Talk to your sis about lactic acid as well.   I ended up in a hospital after a tennis match once.  Leaving the court, I reached up to open the gate and got an excruciating pain in the chest and left arm.  The docs best guesses by blood work was a lactic acid build up.  In later years cycling, I had the same pain but in the quads.  Painful to the point, I had to dismount due to spasms.  

[Airehead]

You may want to consider the emergency room if it happens again--- better safe than sorry-- and you will get the tests you need quickly

[Kirby]

There can be lots of non-serious things that can cause this, but just in case it is something serious, you don't want to ignore it.  Push for the tests you need, and if it happens again, consider Aire's suggestion.  An ER will usually take any symptoms of a heart attack seriously and to the appropriate testing.

[ChrisL]

1 hour ago, Airehead said:

You may want to consider the emergency room if it happens again--- better safe than sorry-- and you will get the tests you need quickly

The second time I went in for angina I figured I knew what it was but wanted to be sure So went to a walk in instead of emergency room.  Amazing how quickly they pull you back when you complain of chest pains. 

 

[onbike1939]

Best to get it checked. I ignored the signs before my first one then woke up at six o'clock with a real dinger which meant a blue-light job and cost me a third of my heart. The second one didn't help either.

[Dottleshead ★]

6 hours ago, donkpow said:

I had chest pains. I had to spend the night in the hospital while being monitored. The following day I got a nuclear stress test. They couldn't find anything wrong. I also get a mild chest pain infrefuently. I think that one is something about my rib cage and muscles.

Did you break up with your gal?  Significant other?  

[donkpow]

18 minutes ago, Dottles said:

Did you break up with your gal?  Significant other?  

No. I went for a bike ride, mowed the grass, ate lunch, took a nap, and called the ambulance.

[Dottleshead ★]

22 minutes ago, donkpow said:

No. I went for a bike ride, mowed the grass, ate lunch, took a nap, and called the ambulance.

Jebeesuz. No wonder you went down. I would take a break up any day. That nap shit is a killer.

[MickinMD ★]

16 hours ago, shootingstar said:

I was awoken by feeling this.  It felt like a scary charleyhorse with some stiffness radiating out into my arm, etc.  It felt slightly better sitting up bed.  This went on for 5-8 min.

This is the 4th incident I've had over past 18 months.  I have had some prelim. testing ie. EECG testing by a lab.  They could not detect anything. But I really think I should insist on seeing a heart specialist for testing.  Other times, I've had this sensation start when I am fully conscious/awake.  Keep in mind I have low-normal blood pressure. SAme for heart rate.  I am approx. 100 lbs. @ 5'1".

Who had felt this?

See a heart specialist. I've had some tests and guesses by good Primary Care Physicians that were different than the results of specialists.

In one case where I was sent right to a heart guy before I started bicycling as an adult in 2011, I showed my PCP a Garmin readout of my heartrate while walking plus a little running. Walking up a long hill my heartrate went up to around 150 of my 160+ max.  My PCP said that was enough evidence to send me to a specialist for a full-range of heart tests (BCBS covered it) and I had tests on three consecutive days including a visual study of my heart valves with a radioactive dye in my bloodstream while I lay in an MRI-like chamber and a treadmill stress test.

They all came out fine and greatly reduced my stress at strong exercise after being sedentary for too long.