Sudden chest pain - worried

Get it checked out - I had lots of symptoms over the christmas period - it was discovered that there's nothing wrong with my heart (still undergoing testing for endocrine tumours though) - but you can never be too careful. First port of call is the GP as soon as possible - or if you get the symptoms again go to A&E (it's what I did) - there they'll take your blood pressure and take an electrocardiogram as well as taking blood tests and listening to your heart. This is probably stress related - but you don't want to risk miocardial infarction or congestive heart failure - you can literally just drop dead from those things.. If they find something they'll refer you to a cardiologist who'll probably conduct more tests such as an echocardiogram and an event recording of your heart for 24 hours (involves wearing a small tape recorder thing). Best of luck.. I know it's scary - I went through this process for a good long while.. not nice at all.. :frown:

Reply 2

OP

I'm worried because my mum has very high blood pressure and my grandad has angina. I'm quite a healthy active person but I am going to mention it to my doctor on Friday.

Reply 3

I had tachycardia, high blood pressure and trouble breathing combined with some weird neurological symptoms like numbness in my fingers and weakness in my arms and legs.. also tightness in the chest like there was a weight on it.. scary stuff.. - the doctors all dismissed it as stress related and prescribed beta blockers and anxiolitics (crazy people medicine lol... but it made me feel pretty alright). There's still the possibility I have a pheochromocytoma that caused all these symptoms (high dopamine levels) - going to the endocrinologist on monday (argentina's expert on pheochromocytoma luckily).

Reply 4

McGJunior88

What type of pain was it? There are so many ways of describing chest pain, to quote Greg House, "each one diagnostically useful". If it was a burning pain, which happens to me, it's probably a bit of acid reflux. The fact that you were laid down, then reached further down makes this a likely possibility. I'm guessing it hurt, you sat up, and it went away?

If it happens again have a drink of milk before you go to bed, or whenever it happens - should be enough to prevent it.

McG

Reply 5

OP

McGJunior88

What type of pain was it? There are so many ways of describing chest pain, to quote Greg House, "each one diagnostically useful". If it was a burning pain, which happens to me, it's probably a bit of acid reflux. The fact that you were laid down, then reached further down makes this a likely possibility. I'm guessing it hurt, you sat up, and it went away?

If it happens again have a drink of milk before you go to bed, or whenever it happens - should be enough to prevent it.

McG

It felt more like an electric shock. I've had heartburn in the past but it definately wasn't that. I only stretched my arm over and then I felt a sudden tightness on my left side of my chest, almost as if someone had grabbed me. It was really scary.

Reply 6

McGJunior88

Any shortness of breath? What had you been doing prior to reading (keep it clean :wink:

)?

Reply 7

OP

McGJunior88

Any shortness of breath? What had you been doing prior to reading (keep it clean :wink:

)?

Just on the computer for a few hours, on msn and TSR. I'd finished an eight hour shift at 6pm and have been really sleep deprived and stressed lately. No shortness of breath, but at work I have to stand around for 6 hours at a time and sometimes I feel lightheaded.

Reply 8

McGJunior88

The lightheadedness isn't really an issue, most people get that if they're standing about - blood can't get from your feet/legs back up to your heart, so your blood pressure drops.

Are you stressed much?

If it happens again, jump back on here and tell us all about it :p:

Reply 9

*knowitall*

pre cordial catch syndrome?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precordial_catch_syndrome

Reply 10

Segat1

16

*knowitall*

pre cordial catch syndrome?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precordial_catch_syndrome

Yeah, I get that. It's weird .

Reply 11

Phantom Phoenix

Hey, I get that too but I didn't know it was called that! TSR is a wonderful teacher :biggrin:

Reply 12

Philosoraptor

18

Heh, yep! I posted a few months ago with the same problem, I thought it was something like a heart attack after all those adverts. But yeah it's just that thing.

Reply 13

Miss. B

10

Yeah! I get them too and they are pretty scary when it happens the first few times and they really do hurt I think the worst thing about it is the fact that it feels like it's coming from your heart (well with me!) anyway you'll be alright

Reply 14

*malteser*

Yeah! I get them too and they are pretty scary when it happens the first few times and they really do hurt I think the worst thing about it is the fact that it feels like it's coming from your heart (well with me!) anyway you'll be alright

I don't think this is a good attitude - chest pain isn't really something to be taken lightly... people die because they make themselves believe that they're going to be alright.

Reply 15

*knowitall*

Yes people do die....but usually not teenagers - although it is always a faint possibility.

I think if you have had this precordial catch thingy it's so characteristic that as soon as you read a descriptioon you suddenly know that's what you've got and feel reasured. And if you haven't you can't understand what we're talking about!

However if you have any other symptoms you could always see a doc.

Reply 16

Sidhe

I'm not a medic but I've seen teenagers ask the same question before and herd a response from an intensive care physician, it sounds like the PCS thing, I've had that before, it is acutely painful. And like described it's like an electric shock very intense but not long lasting.

I'd be more worried if you had a few of these symptoms or qualifiers.

You were at least over 30
You had accompanying nausea
You had shooting pains up and down your left arm
it was more chronic ie it lasted for some time at least a few minutes
You had an inability to breathe
after it had passed you felt a bit weak

Like you say though get a "second" or should I say first opinion, if your going to see the Dr anyway.

Reply 17

Miss. B

10

lucho22

I don't think this is a good attitude - chest pain isn't really something to be taken lightly... people die because they make themselves believe that they're going to be alright.

I meant the OP will be alright if they've got that PCS thing because it usually happens with young people and teenagers and if it is that then there is no cure for it and it's not harmful - if it isn't that then obviously go to the doctors

Reply 18

OP

I've looked up the information and yes, it does sound very much like what I experienced.

Reply 19