Question for ATOT...YAMT (Yet another Medical thread!)

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RichardE

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Dec 31, 2005
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Ok, so a little history...


Over the last 2 years I have been in the hospital 4 times for chest pains, fullness type squeezing pains, shortness of breath, no tingling or pain going to anywhere else in my body though. This past Friday my familly doctor sent me to the hospital with an irregular heartbeat, which they watched for about 6 hours till it went back to normal..

So tonight I am having that fullness feeling in my chest again, and the shortness of breath, but only a slight pain that goes a lil over my pec, but it disapered already..and the fullness only comes back after 5 or 10 minutes. I'm asking you guys, because every time the doctors are done with me all I get is a "were not sure what happened" and I don't feel like spending 7 hours in emerg again with monitors strapped to my body for them to tell me the same thing..

So tonight I have fullness feeling/pressure in the middle of my chest, (off and on every 5-7 minutes)
Shortness of breath (following the fullness feeling)
Slight sharpn pain in a line above my pec

Any ideas that is not heart attack related? Since I mean, the 4 times (5 counting Friday) I've been in the hospital they didn't find anything looking for that.
 
K

kedlav

Senior member
Aug 2, 2006
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Never hurts to check in at another hospital that your insurance covers. Not saying your doctor's incompetent, but second opinions never hurt. Otherwise, when in doubt, CALL A REAL DOCTOR, A MESSAGE BOARD ON A TECH SITE ISN'T YOUR BEST RESOURCE!
 
hzl eyed grl

hzl eyed grl

Super Moderator<br>Elite Member
Dec 28, 1999
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With having any type of chest pain, I'd go to the E.R. Better safe than sorry, right? That being said, do you have gas? Have you tried some Tums or Rolaids or anything? I just don't like the sound of the symptoms. A second opinion would be a good idea.
 
R

RichardE

Banned
Dec 31, 2005
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Originally posted by: kedlav
Never hurts to check in at another hospital that your insurance covers. Not saying your doctor's incompetent, but second opinions never hurt. Otherwise, when in doubt, CALL A REAL DOCTOR, A MESSAGE BOARD ON A TECH SITE ISN'T YOUR BEST RESOURCE!
Click to expand...

I know, like I said though, I really don't feel like going to emerge for a few hours for nothing again. (Btw live in Canada, so no charge for any hospital)
 
T

thelanx

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Jul 3, 2000
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This fullness around your chest, does it feel like a tight band? Have your doctors considered MS (multiple sclerosis)?
 
R

RichardE

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Dec 31, 2005
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Originally posted by: hzl eyed grl
With having any type of chest pain, I'd go to the E.R. Better safe than sorry, right? That being said, do you have gas? Have you tried some Tums or Rolaids or anything? I just don't like the sound of the symptoms. A second opinion would be a good idea.
Click to expand...

Yeah I think I will call TeleHealth (Nurse hotline in Ontario) but I think they would just say go to emerge anyway. I guess your right though, better safe than sorry. Think I will take some tums and lay down for 15minutes and see what happens. Its been ongoing for 30 minutes now or so.
 
hzl eyed grl

hzl eyed grl

Super Moderator<br>Elite Member
Dec 28, 1999
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Originally posted by: RichardE
Originally posted by: hzl eyed grl
With having any type of chest pain, I'd go to the E.R. Better safe than sorry, right? That being said, do you have gas? Have you tried some Tums or Rolaids or anything? I just don't like the sound of the symptoms. A second opinion would be a good idea.
Click to expand...

Yeah I think I will call TeleHealth (Nurse hotline in Ontario) but I think they would just say go to emerge anyway. I guess your right though, better safe than sorry. Think I will take some tums and lay down for 15minutes and see what happens. Its been ongoing for 30 minutes now or so.
Click to expand...

Also, are you having any stress in your life right now? When I was leaving my fiance, I was having some numbness and tingling in my left arm and chest pains. Turns out that it was just stress. But definitely call, dude. Even if you have to spend a few hours in the hospital, it's worth it. Like....my dad is diabetic. His blood sugar has been sky high for a while now. He takes pills, but they want to put him on insulin. (Having trouble with his sight, walking, etc...) The KICKER? He doesn't WANT to go on insulin. "I hate needles! (Well, so do I...but....) If I start insulin, I'll have to be on it for life!!! (I've no idea if that's true or not)" My reply is that it's better to be on insulin and ALIVE than the alternative. :(
 
R

RichardE

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Dec 31, 2005
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Originally posted by: eits
how long are the shortness of breath, pain, etc. episodes?

do you have a scoliosis?

it just sounds like an intercostal muscle spasm...
Click to expand...

They last about 5-10 minutes on average, and go for about 30min to an hour.

No don't have scoliosis. I'm not being affected by anything this morning, so guess I saved myself the trouble of ER last night.
 
eits

eits

Lifer
Jun 4, 2005
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www.integratedssr.com
Originally posted by: RichardE
Originally posted by: eits
how long are the shortness of breath, pain, etc. episodes?

do you have a scoliosis?

it just sounds like an intercostal muscle spasm...
Click to expand...

They last about 5-10 minutes on average, and go for about 30min to an hour.

No don't have scoliosis. I'm not being affected by anything this morning, so guess I saved myself the trouble of ER last night.
Click to expand...

what makes it worse/better? what time of day does it happen? does anything trigger it? do you have an enlarged heart? have you had an ekg done lately?
 
M

Mark R

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
8,513
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So you have had an episode of an irregular heart beat? Was this proven with an ECG/heart monitor at the hospital? If there was a definitely irregular heart beat, then the first thing to check out is the heart.

If you're getting recurrent symptoms, which include chest pain and an irregular heart beat then it would be sensible to get a work-up from a cardiologist. It maybe that the 'irregular heart beat' was just a few extra beats - easily brought on by stress, caffeine and of no importance - but it could always be some other kind of heart rhythm upset (this is why a clear description of what happened at the hospital is essential).

I think you should go back to your family doctor, and ask for some more advice, in particular, whether seeing a cardiologist would be appropriate. He should have a report from the hospital, and will have felt your pulse the first time.

What advice did the hospital give you last time you were there, and the symptoms came back?

The problem is that it's impossible to give useful advice on a message board. I mean, we don't even know your age! If you haven't had any useful advice from the hospital about what to do, they you need to ask them!
 
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mdbound

Senior member
Jan 27, 2003
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Umm.....you need to go to the ED and be RE-evaluated. Get a stress test to rule out heart disease and then work on all of the other things. Even if it wasn't a heart attack last time, it could be this time! Better safe than dead.

MD.

Edit: Forgot about Canada: I would DEMAND that you get fully evaluated, regardless of what BS they feed you about outpatient management, etc. It seems this problem has gone on long enough!

One more thing...get a REAL stress test, not a lame exercise EKG. Stress Echo is preferred or some sort of nuclear perfusion scan (cardiolite or sestimibi)
 
F

flunky nassau

Senior member
Feb 17, 2007
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Yeah definately get workup from a cardiologist. Hopefully they sent you home with some sublingual nitroglycerin just in case it might be a heart attack.

If you do have an irregular heartbeat, depending on which chamber of the heart is affected, you can be at risk for clots forming. However, a seriously irregular heartbeat is not something any competant ER doctor would dismiss.

If they released you the last 6 times, then they probably ruled out a heart attack too. They would have kept you if your CK, troponins & other heart enzymes were elevated.

So yeah, don't know. Did they give you any meds?
 
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