GreekChat.com Forums - Heart problem?

Quote:

Originally posted by sairose
Okay, I'm posting this on here because I feel like no one will listen to me or take me seriously. Not my family, friends, not even my doctor.

Do you ever have some kind of gut feeling about something that won't go away??

Well..

See about a year and a half ago I started having severe chest pains. I wore a holter monitor(sp?) for a day and it turned up normal. I went to the ER once, but the pains had stopped by the time I got there and the EKG showed up normal. So finally, my doctor diagnosed me with chostocondritis. It's where, without warning, the muscles/cartiledge around your rib cage inflames and causes crushing pain.

However, everywhere I've researched, it says chostocondritis goes away! Mine hasn't. I still get the pains.

So see, from the very beginning I had this feeling it was heart-related. But no one will take me seriously. I guess my point in posting this is hoping someone on here has some kind of heart problem, or at least knowledge about it, and can help me out. If nothing else, some reassurance I guess. It's just worrysome.

Advice?

:confused:

Dear Confused....(ok so I couldn't resist)

I can echo's everyone's admonishments here...don't give up if you are still concerned about this. I have experienced symptoms you have described most of my adult life. My mother has a inheritable heart condition, so I have always followed up with annual checks with a cardiologist...especially now that I am not a spring chicken.

Some things this can be...

1) costalchondritis. I have it. I have it is for long enough the cartilage on my left lower quadrant is deformed. YES IT FREAKING hurts and yes it can be persistant. Long term anti-inflammatories are called for here.

2) Pleurasy. Nasty painful inflammation of the pleural lining of your lungs. Hurts so bad you literally can not move, breath, think etc. First time I experienced this I was expecting my first child. I thought I was dying...really I did. It came on SUDDENLY. as in minutes. My grandfather dealt with recurring bouts most Januarys of his life. I get it mostly in the winter during dry indoor air season.

3) Allergic reactions. I am allergic to codiene. To take a medication containing codeine brings on esphogeal spasms that mimic a heart attack. Took 3 trips to the ER, with normal EKG's to figure this one out. Dr did a review of everything I had consumed. Tylenol 3's were the culprit. My son has the same reaction.l

4) Acid Reflux. Again, once your esphogus gets irritated enough, it will annoy the crap out of all the organs surrounding it. A trip to the ER, with follow up scoping determined this was one of my problems.

My advice...keep track of what you are doing WHEN the pain hits. What you have consumed. Does stopping movement ease the pain. Usually with true heart involvement, it does not. Whbere exactly the pain is centered, does it radiate in any direction. Do you experience any associated anxiety, tingling etc. Keep pressing on...research shows that women heart patients take much longer to receive the treatment they require, mostly because their heart related attacks are less dramatic then men.

Good luck and keep us posted.