Chest pain--again!!!!

 Well here it is again---I just think I am going to go out of my mind!!!!  I have a 4 hour break in my day before I have to go back to work and I spent the first hour at Urgent Care getting an EKG---normal---of course.  Although the Dr. said that EKG  often does not actually indicate a heart attack.  I am spending the next hours on this computer talking to strangers about my stupid chest pain!!!  It's NOT GOOD!!!!!

I was driving to work this morning and I got this clutch in my heart and then burning pain in the middle of my chest.  It lasted for hours and then got less but drifted to my left arm and left side of my face---kind of a tingling.  I get anxious and distracted and can't think quite straight---the pain continues ---maybe gets a little better over time.  So I called my cardio doc to make an appt to come in and discuss an angiogram---I am TERIFFIED!!!!!of that test----but I can't stand to live this way any longer and if I die during the test----I don't even care (right now).  The women asked me about the problem and I made the mistake of saying something about chest pain....she said I should come in immediately!  If this was the first time I felt this kind of pain (it's always a little different---but generally the same)  But this is the 800th time I've felt this and the 500th time I've rushed to the ER for NOTHING!!!!!!  I have to go back to work in an hour and I have a full day of work tomorrow---I can't afford to mess with this over and over again!!!!!!!  I have MVP/dysautonomia----which causes chest pain and anxiey which does too.  I have had EKG, Holter Moniters, Stress test with and with out contrast, the new fancy 64 CT scan.  My blood pressure is low, I don't smoke or drink,  My hdl and trigl are good (my overall number is high),  I just gave in a few days ago and started taking 5mg of simvistatin. the only "marker" I have is that my dad's family all had heart problems---so I think I get extra scared.  My chest hurts, my upper  back hurts, my diaphragm hurts, my arm hurts.  The urgent care doc pressed on my chest and said that it might me that Chondoco.......the rib thing.  My cardio doc is gone for the day and I just feel so helpless and overwhelmed!

Most of the time I can just ignoe it---but NOT TODAY for some reason.  I don't think I have ever written like this before---actually I fell better---but I am sorry for the rant.  If there is anyone out there with some words of advice/comfort or just understandin---I would really appreciate it.  I'm not much of a computer person---so I'm not on here much---but I don't know what I would do without this forum when I get desperate.  Thank you again

I am glad everything was ok and that you had it checked out.

I frequently have chest pain and take several meds daily for it.I have sorta learned when to go to the ER with mine.I take Imdur once a day for my chest pain,ranexa twice daily(ranexa is a preventative chest pain med you take whether you have pain or not),and also nitro when I have an acute attack.

Most of the time my angina is a squeezing sensation along my sternum or a heavy feeling in my chest that extends to right by my left armpit.When I had my heart attack last September I had left forearm pain for 10 days not knowing that I was building up to a large heart attack.I finally went to the ER when I began sweating heavily,started having more traditional chest pain,and when I became short of breath.

Because I have had a heart attack,a triple bypass,and 4 stents I stay on top of any chest pain and I get help sooner.

I understand the fear and anxiety you have experienced and I hope you feel soewhat reassurred with your good results at the ER.

DonnaB

HEY GUY,  GETTING AN ANGIOGRAM IS THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO AT THIS POINT.  I'VE HAD 3 AND THEY WERE NO BIG DEAL, BELIEVE ME.  AND I'M NO MARTYR, EITHER.  I HAD THE SAME INDICATIONS AND SYMPTOMS YOU DID BUT I HAD HAD A HEART ATTACK.  I KNOW IT'S SCARY BUT NOT KNOWING WHAT'S REALLY WRONG IS MUCH HARDER TO DEAL WITH THAN WHAT'S GOING ON.  CONFRONT IT AND YOU'LL BE FINE, BELIEVE ME.  I HAD MANY PANIC ATTACKS AND SLEEPLESS NIGHTS BEFORE I DID ANYTHING.  GOOD LUCK AND JUST TRY TO STAY COOL DURING THIS PERIOD.

Hey Enuf!

Glad you got my note.  When I had my heart attack in December and was given the angiogram, they found two blockages and did two stents at the same time.  When I tell you I felt nothing, I felt nothing.  The only thing is the little sting from the numbing agent used before the catherter is inserted.  I  did so much research and study online before I had my surgery two and a half weeks ago!  I felt it's my body and heart and I wanted to know as much as possible so I could ask intellingent questions and understand the answers.  Being prepared and informed is the best thing you can do.  Plus you have to have a good rapport with your cadiologist and surgeon which I am most fortunate to have.  Keep in touch and let me know what's going on.  Good luck!    Alan

Thanks again Alan for your encouragement.  I feel pretty determined to do the angio----just for the reasons you said---JUST TO KNOW!!!!

DREAMGIRL---I understand fear as a motivator---yes I do---I am just so sick of this long stretch of fear this time----I'm just plain READY.  I know that much of my symptomatology is anxiety---but it's so hard somethimes to just chalk it up to neurosis---after awhile I just need to know...I have been seeing an acupuncturist for about 4 months or so and drinking some of his herbal tea mixture---when I started on the 5mg of simvastatin, I stopped the tea and low and behold my pvc's and that awful adrenelin rush and then chest pain came back---so I have a lot more symptoms this week than I have had in months.  I'm not sure what I'm going to do actually, but the angio will be a good start.  I want to go back to the tea---but my chol. #'s scare me a bit.  Anyway, I'm not too sure what I will finally do AND thanks for the asprin reminder.

 

Hi mslice, sorry to hear that you are struggling with chest pain and anxiety.  I was about 20 when I was first diagnosed with Mitral Valve Prolapse because of similar symptoms.  I didn't know much about it but later found out that for me---it was an explanation.  It has been a loooong time now, I just turned 63----and I still get nervous when the chest pains come.  I hope that you will find a good doc and get some relief.  Stick close to this forum it has been a real place of comfort for me when I have been worried or had a question.  Best of luck to you.