My Heart Pain...

I need some help....

I am 20 years old, and I have been havign heart pains for over a year. Here is a little history:

Freshmen year of college I was stupid and caught up in college life, and I did some hard drugs for a couple months, had a couple bad experiences where I was scared for my heart and I stopped. But after that I continued to drink and smoke for the next year very often. I began getting chest pains quite normally during this time while in rest mostly, and I was very stupid and did not discontinue my habits. It came to the point where I would drink and then the morning after I would feel pain in my heart throughout the day. I went to the cardiologist and I had a stress test, and EKG, and a test where they inject an iodine substance into your bloodstream and run you through a machine to see the inside of your organs (I forget what it is called). The doctors I saw were all convinced my heart was fine, they all told me it was a perfectly healthy heart. But these pains I have ARE my heart, I can tell. They range from sharp pains to slow methodical pains, to my heart feeling heavy. The pain that really bothers me is when I am lying in bed trying to sleep and my heart feels very weak and I break out into a cold sweat. I feel my heart and it feels like I have no heartbeat and I have to sit up. It really scares me and I stay up until I am too tired and I fall asleep. about two months ago I realized that I was ruining my life with my drinking habits and I stopped altogether. I have been sober for 2 months now and I still have heart pains, not where I can't sleep anymore but still during the day at rest. I dont know what to do, sometimes when I sleep on my stomach my ehart bothers me and I have to sleep on my side or back. I dont know what to do, I wish I could go back and do everythign over again, but I can't and now I am determined to get better, I am just scared that it is too late and I have made enough mistakes to ruin my life.

Is there any advice youg uys can offer me? Your experience in this matter could really help me out. I am sorry for the long post, I just dont know what else to do.

Hi Matt and welcome.  I'm sorry your going through all of this and I know it has to be scary!  I completely agree with Maya, I would definately get a second opinion and maybe even change cardiologists.  There is some reason for your pain and if the cardio doesn't find any then he should at least be able to give you an idea of what kind of doctor you need to see for this.  Do you know if there is any history in your family of heart disease.  Also, read as much as you can about heart disease and heart arrythmias because it actually helps us to have more knowledge and know what questions to ask when we do go to the doc.  Visiting the heart message boards help also, and it helps to know your not alone!  Congratulations on your 2 months of sobriety too!  Way to go....a day at a time right!     God Bless, Pat

nope, i havent posted it anywhere else...

I have been to about 3 doctors.. my first doctor did the stress test and the EKG and they found that I have a stiff left ventricle, he told me to change my diet, and also recommended me to the doctor that ran the iodine test thing. So I changed my diet and I still had the pain (but I still was not cutting back on my drinking). I then visited a heart doctor that my grandfather had been seeing (yea sad isnt it...) who was supposed to be very good and he said to stop drinking and see how my condition progresses. He told me that if I didnt feel a "heavy" pain than I didnt not have heart disease and that my condition is reversible. But they keep reassuring me that I am young and healthy, but im just not sure. There is no real history in my family of heart disease, I am pretty sure, I will double check. Is it possible that i have damaged my heart beyond repair?

I know you all are not doctors, but I just wanted to get some input from people who may know just as much. I appreciate your responses, and thank you for the warm welcome

As for the anxiety question, I am a pretty anxious person, but I am positive it is my heart, I have felt a lot of different kind of pain. Ranging from pains in my left arm, pains in neck, feeling lightheaded, and short of breath. That is what scares me, because as I read up about heart attacks and heart disease, I have had so many of the symptoms and I am only 20, so I just dont know what to do.

Hey matt,

I know what your going through mate. I to have had an EKG (ECG), an ECHO cardiogram, and an exercise stress test. All of wich came up negative apart from a slightly enlarged aorta (wich they put down to being so tall 6ft5). As i write this message im going through some severe pain radiating from the centre of my chest out to my left going down my arm and up my neck and my chest is very tight. i have taken some meds so hopefully it will go away.

Howeverm they said it was costochondritis. When you put body through severe stress sometimes the cartlidge in your ribs sweels up causing severe pain. I dont know if thats what you might have and your doctors probably would have picked up if it was. I find that my pain gets worse when im resting because thats when i start thinking about it. Thats when anxiety kicks in and makes it worse and all of a sudden the smptoms you have read about are happening to you. I am always going to hospital thinking im going to die and i just dont know what to do myself. The doctors i see can be pretty un helfful sometimes.

I know what your going through mate and it scares the living daylights out of me to especially when you feel your heart pounding. Take care and hope all goes well for you. Ill be sure to be back to read up on your progress.

If you want feel free to add me to your msn if you have it... im normally on here at weird times so if your feeling stressed feel free to chat to me

Grantly

Hi matt

Im sorry for all you are going through.and i know how scary it can be.I am gald you stop drinking that's a step in the right direction,I will pray that you cont to not drink,I know how hard it is to give up a bad habit,it is not easy.

I don't remember if you said or not have you had a echo and if so what were the results,

Another thing you might want to look into is that maybe the pain in your heart is a refer pain.Meaning it is comming some where other then your heart,While i am by no means a doctor,it could be possiable.I have had a device put in my heart to block a hole i had,and i am doing ok,But like you i was having heart pain and it would go to my neck and left arm and shoulder,This was all due to a disc problem and DDD and i just went through 2 fusions on nov 17.

Like i said i am no doctor.but if you are not getting answers from your heart dr,maybe you should explore other poss,like going to a spine dr.or a nuro,just a thought.I truely hope you find some answers and please know i will be praying for you and know a lot of people here care.please let us know how you make out and keep in touch,

HANG IN THERE
AND IT'S GREAT YOU GAVE UP THR DRINKING
TYLER'S GRANNY