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do you think i have heart disease?

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Posted 5/29/2005 1:13 AM (GMT 0)
hey--
i am new to this board--but have been on the fibro board-0-wondering which one i should be on--
i have had chest pain for over 4 months now, and recently i have been experiencing a burning sensation in my upper left chest to my jaw and down my left arm--and am extremely tired==i can sleep a full 8*9 hours, but am still tired and then i take a 2 hour nap in the afternoon--about 2 months ago i went to the doc, did an EKG and everything was fine--so, i guess i am wondering if i should go back again--can heart disease change that fast? from having a normal EKG a couple of months ago to maybe being bad now?
let me know--anyone--thanks
Posted 5/29/2005 3:11 AM (GMT 0)
Hi moon sun and welcome to the cardio forum!! yeah

 

Other diseases can mimic heart disease, but I would never take a chance on that being the case!!  EKG's are a fine tool, but cannot always tell if something is happening.

 

You may need to have other testing done.  I would definitely recommend you at least discussing this with your Dr.

 

Now with all that said, I want to explain that I am not a Dr. and most of my knowledge comes from what I've had either happen personally to me, or from learning through others.

 

Fibromyalgia as I'm sure you are quite familiar with, can also bring on some chest pain symptoms.  Have you ever had acid reflux problems like GERD, or hiatal hernia?  GERD has been known to bring on some of these very same symptoms as well-including the arm pain!-I can vouch for that, as I have had it happen.

 

With this knowledge in hand I would ask for a stress test at the very least and perhaps an echocardiogram.  Both very non-invasive tests and perhaps would show up any problems.  Also, ask your Dr. about a barium swallow to follow up with the acid reflux or GERD theory.  Again non-invasive, you just swallow something and they then X-ray it going down.

 

Best wishes to you and I hope this info helped you out a little.  Keep in touch, please and let me know what happens!

 

Hugs, Teri tongue

Posted 5/29/2005 8:21 PM (GMT 0)
I just wanted to add my welcome to you Moon Sun, and just agree that seeing the doctor is what you need to do.  I know its frustrating!  Best wishes to you.  Hugs, Pat
Posted 5/30/2005 12:07 AM (GMT 0)
thanks teri and pat--
to answer your question--i have never had a problem with acid reflux or heart burn--but, you never know--maybe i am just over reacting--but, i will still see a doc and see what they have to say-- my one doc didn't even want to do an EKG because of my age (27) i have no medical history becasue i was adopted from korea when i was 6 months old--i tried to get into see a rheum. to see if i had fibro--but, there is a waiting list of several months---i will let you know what;s up--
Posted 5/30/2005 2:05 AM (GMT 0)
moon sun, tongue

 

For peace of mind, I believe you should persue this a bit further, to make sure all is okay!!  I don't think that is over reacting at all, it's being cautious with your health!  I'm sure it is very tough without the medical background knowledge, but it makes it even more important for you to be aware of what's happening to you.

 

Wishing you the best!!

 

Hugs, Teri tongue

Posted 5/31/2005 2:30 AM (GMT 0)

Moon sun

Listen to Pat and Teri they know where they talk abuot I also want to say have your Thyroid checked out for if your thyroid is acting up it can lead you into premature Heart trouble. yes ask for a Echo,neuclear scan and stress test. Remember you are a woman and our symptoms are so much more  different from a mans please get checked out ASAP . Speak up ask for these tests please and if they wilnot do it get a different doctor who will.

Heidi

Posted 6/1/2005 12:01 AM (GMT 0)
hey again--
i went to see the doc today and to be frank i am pissed off--i told him about the burning in my left arm, jaw and upper chest and he just blew it off--he ended up prescribing me prednisone(which he said was a temp. relief) then, he's like well if the predisone doesn't work, then what do you want me to do? and i am thinking, i am paying you to figure that out!!! AGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! i know he thinks i am just over reacting--but, i want him to deal with these chest pains for 5 months and see how it feels--i am so frustrated right now--thanks for listening
Posted 6/1/2005 12:19 AM (GMT 0)
moon sun, that's awful the way he seemed to have treated you!  Is this a Dr. you see regularly??  My suggestion to you at this point would be to find another Dr.!  Plain and simple.  He's treating you and he doesn't know what he's treating??, or did he give you an idea of what he thought he was treating by giving you a steroid?!  I've had a Dr. give up on me, and I found another!!  You can't just treat things with serious medications with the hope that they go away, until they know what it is?

Please don't worry about the venting, it's healthy sometimes!!

 

Big Hugs, Teri tongue

Posted 6/1/2005 1:46 AM (GMT 0)
Hi, another opinion might be in order. I remember when my dad had and EKG at different times. And honestly, the test doesn't show everything about the heart. For one thing it doesn't show if you have CAD.
Try a heart doc.
Vinny
Posted 6/1/2005 9:28 PM (GMT 0)
Wow, sometimes doctors can be sooooo frustrating!  I do agree with vinny, I think you need to see a heart doctor.  Hugs, Pat
Posted 6/2/2005 12:48 AM (GMT 0)
hey again--
thanks for all your comments--it's so nice to go somewhere that people understand your frustrations--he prescribed me prednisone for my chest pains which he thinks is costochondritis--i told him i thought it could maybe be fibro and he just blew me off--didn't even say anything about the burning in chest and jaw--and i am thinking "IT"S NOT NORMAL" but, nothing--no reason of maybe why i was experiencing that pain--he is not my regular doc, but my usual doc is the same--"it;s just stress, poor posture maybe costo" "i am too young to have any heart problems" so, i guess i will just wait and see--keep you posted--
Posted 6/2/2005 1:48 AM (GMT 0)
moon sun,

 

Please take care and come back and visit with us anytime!!  I would ask for a referral from your regular Dr. and as Vinny mentioned ask to see a cardiologist for further follow up tests to ease your mind!!

 

Let us know what happens!

 

Hugs, Teri tongue

Posted 6/2/2005 9:17 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Moon Sun,  if you aren't feeling well I would certainly pursue it!  I personally am ATYPICAL- and I have had 8 angioplasties and 7 stents placed-  I don't think you can be too careful--I am surprised your doc is not following up on this--it could be something else but if it's your heart then nothing else does matter! 
Posted 6/4/2005 9:19 PM (GMT 0)
Hello, Moon Sun. I also have atypical signs, and there are plenty of us out there. I hope that you are able to get your dr., or another one, to check this out further. I'd rather be checked out and find that it's nothing than find out it is something after the matter. I hope all is well. Hugs, Kathy
Posted 6/10/2005 1:25 AM (GMT 0)
Hello, Moon Sun:
You didn't say how old your were but with a lot of conditions, including heart disease, it doesn't really matter. Two and a half years ago, I went for a routine physical including a stress test. I had no symptoms that anything was wrong and, at the time, was an endurance cyclist. My phyical condition was excellent and was even commented on by the doctor who performed it. My EKG was normal. Part of the physical was a stress test. Within 48 hours I had received a heart cath and within 48 hours of that was admitted and underwent a triple bypass. What I'm saying is that an EKG can be normal but not indicative of heart disease. The only symptom that I really had (for about 10 years) was a deep crease in each ear lobe. After surgery, I found that is a classic sign of heart disease.

Everone is right...go to a cardiologist.

Les
Posted 6/10/2005 2:19 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Les!

 

How are you doing now?  You also had  a pericardiectomy as well?, or do I have the wrong person?  tongue I do that sometimes...

 

While my Mom was having a massive MI when she was about 56, they hooked her up to an EKG and it was normal!  At that time, they weren't even aware that she was having the MI!!  I think EKG's do work in some cases when the damage is already done-I mean that after an MI has occurred, or if you are having an arrhythmia at the time you are being tested, these things show...

 

I wasn't aware that I'd even had a heart attack, when mine happened.  I have asthma and had been having a lot of bronchial spasms, so I guess the sweating and sudden fatigue and chest discomfort, I attributed to the asthma attack that day, really in fact was angina and an MI.  It was actually found when I went into the ER thinking I was having an allergic reaction to something and the EKG showed the damage.  That's how I found out.

 

So Les you are right, along with the others advice, we can't always rely on just one test.  I hope you are doing well again now?!  Are you still cycling?

 

Moon Sun, I hope you are alright~please let us know!

 

Hugs, Teri tongue

Posted 6/10/2005 3:09 AM (GMT 0)
hey everyone--
thanks for your thoughts--well, i took the prednisone (which was supposed to help) and it didn't do a darn thing!! i am going back yet again!!!! i am so sick of doctors--they all think that i am too young to have any heart issues--it's like they just pass if off as costo (a common chest pain term) so, i will see what happens when i go in again--i will let you all know--thanks!!
Posted 6/10/2005 3:10 AM (GMT 0)
hi moon sun

i think you need to see cardio to check you out...God bless!
Posted 6/10/2005 3:15 AM (GMT 0)
moon sun,

here i am again..actually i've been having chest pain too since january and it was brought abt by my MVP...mitral valve prolapse which was seen on an echocardiography..heart disease was ruled out already since i also did a stress test, but right now, i guess my chest pain is coming from my costochondritis (inflammation of rib cartillage)..it's too painful and the areas are tender that when you touch them, it really hurts! especially in the mid-sternum area and breast bone. at times im experiencing shortness of breath and most of the time, i experience painful breathing. gosh! im going to my orthopedic this afternoon and have this checked out again. im going to ask for some pain-reliever. take care....God bless!
Posted 6/10/2005 3:41 AM (GMT 0)
Hi jhet! tongue

 

I'm sorry to hear about that costochondritis!  I've never had it, but when they were checking out my gallbladder they mentioned that as a probable cause. yeah Then they ended up taking out my gallbladder. :)  I understand it's quite painful.  Here's a site that you may want to look at, it does give some good info.

http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic116.htm

 

I have Mitral Valve regurgitation and stenosis, but so far I remain fairly asymptomatic!-I get enough dizziness from low BP. lol

 

Look for a new post going up re MVP!

 

Much good luck!!  Hugs, Teri tongue

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