Clenching chest pain, ache down the neck and arm - anything to worry about?

ESBlonde

Lol'd R&RDave.
The problem for some of us men is that we are so used to pressing on and ignoring our bodies that by the time physical maturity (late middle age) springs itself upon us we find it difficult to comprehend that we are no longer immortal. Start to take your health seriously and you might hang onto it a while longer, waking up all cold and stiff can be terminal.
Also if you suspect you (or your significant other) has a tendency to heart probs, carrying an aspirin in your purse/wallet might be a shrewd move, it’s supposed to aid in the case of a stroke etc. and is unlikely to have a detrimental effect at times of concern whilst waiting for the ambulance.

relic245

That's a good point ESBlonde have a wisdom.

When my wife had chest pains a few years ago I called an ambulance and he 999 responder told me to give her asprin.

Emp_Fab

@mellowsun  Did you actually go to A&E ?

CloudNine

EricTheWeary said:

Our drummer had a heart attack during one of our rehearsals and I had no idea, not at all the dramatic thing I'd seen on the tv. He went to hospital and they confirmed what it was.

More evidence of how unreliable drummers are. Hope you replaced him quickly.

fretmeister

mellowsun said:

Thanks all for your concern.  Had another episode this morning, chest pain, hands and face go ice cold, pain down left side of neck and arm.

Heart rate, blood pressure and ECG all normal. It's a mystery.

Get a neuro referral to rule out a TIA. You don't want them! (Been there, done that).

Also - those symptoms which are very similar to heart attack symptoms are actually identical to a full length gastric spasm. I know this because I've had one and the consultants told me that even if a Cardio and a Gastric guy were in the room they would not be able to agree on the cause until the enzyme blood tests were done to rule out a heart attack.

boogieman

My wife was a cardio nurse up till a few years back. She says there are 9 other possible causes of chest pain besides heart issues, including stress, referred pain from the liver, musclature issues and nerve problems. If you get another incidence, don't muck about though: go straight to A&E.

SRich

As a salutary lesson....

Several years ago, I thought I was having a heart attack at work one day so drove to the nearest hospital to get checked out. I was deemed OK by them but I was referred to my GP the same day. Got a bollocking for driving rather than calling an ambulance into the bargain.

After many echo-cardiograms, I was referred to a heart specialist and was admitted quickly.

I'm now the proud possessor (well not really) of four arterial stents!

I am only too aware of how differently that could have gone.

Get checked out........ Don't Check out. 

Jimbro66

strumjoughlamps said:

.......I had similar things and you instantly think heart attack, especially when you get the heavy weight crushing your chest feeling but I have had bloods done and cameras in all places and it turns out I have a hiatus hernia so that pain can be had and it be not too serious.......

fretmeister said:

Also - those symptoms which are very similar to heart attack symptoms are actually identical to a full length gastric spasm. I know this because I've had one and the consultants told me that even if a Cardio and a Gastric guy were in the room they would not be able to agree on the cause until the enzyme blood tests were done to rule out a heart attack.

A cautionary tale: A very good friend of mine suffered frequent griping chest pains and was diagnosed with hiatus hernia. Frequently when we were out together he would clutch his chest and lean against something whilst looking quite ashen. It really worried me but he was the type who would go to a doctor only as a last resort. So he continued with this suffering whilst taking various pills for reflux etc. Last year he was experiencing a lot of extreme discomfort from his 'hiatus hernia' including pain in the jaw and arm so went to the docs who prescribed him stronger antacids. Two hours later he collapsed and despite CPR from two trained first-aiders he'd lost his life before the paramedics arrived. He'd suffered a massive heart attack. In retrospect it was obvious that this had been brewing for some time but, as they say, hindsight is a wonderful thing.

It seems to me that anyone suffering symptoms that could even hint at a heart attack should have themselves driven straight to A&E, as many here have already advised. Don't mess arround with GPs. If fact, don't mess around!

mellowsun

Emp_Fab said:

@mellowsun  Did you actually go to A&E ?

No, I went to the GP, he checked my heart rate and BP, sent me to Cardio outpatients for an ECG. All normal. I have a follow up appointment at a heart clinic.

My local A&E has closed (Chase Farm hospital, thanks Tories). The next nearest one is in complete meltdown: 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jun/14/north-middlesex-hospital-ae-faces-closure-on-safety-grounds

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jun/19/north-middlesex-ae-staff-describe-unit-as-unsafe-and-unsupported

so I have no confidence that if I went there I would do any better.

Nitefly

Pleased to hear you're OK at least - good luck with the follow-up.

blueskunk

Bad curry

Blaendulais

Jimbro66 said:

strumjoughlamps said:

.......I had similar things and you instantly think heart attack, especially when you get the heavy weight crushing your chest feeling but I have had bloods done and cameras in all places and it turns out I have a hiatus hernia so that pain can be had and it be not too serious.......

fretmeister said:

Also - those symptoms which are very similar to heart attack symptoms are actually identical to a full length gastric spasm. I know this because I've had one and the consultants told me that even if a Cardio and a Gastric guy were in the room they would not be able to agree on the cause until the enzyme blood tests were done to rule out a heart attack.

A cautionary tale: A very good friend of mine suffered frequent griping chest pains and was diagnosed with hiatus hernia. Frequently when we were out together he would clutch his chest and lean against something whilst looking quite ashen. It really worried me but he was the type who would go to a doctor only as a last resort. So he continued with this suffering whilst taking various pills for reflux etc. Last year he was experiencing a lot of extreme discomfort from his 'hiatus hernia' including pain in the jaw and arm so went to the docs who prescribed him stronger antacids. Two hours later he collapsed and despite CPR from two trained first-aiders he'd lost his life before the paramedics arrived. He'd suffered a massive heart attack. In retrospect it was obvious that this had been brewing for some time but, as they say, hindsight is a wonderful thing.

It seems to me that anyone suffering symptoms that could even hint at a heart attack should have themselves driven straight to A&E, as many here have already advised. Don't mess arround with GPs. If fact, don't mess around!

Well said.  An ECG can be perfectly normal in a heart attack.  The only way you can exclude damage to heart muscle is by blood tests in an initial time window.  

Hopefully they did these ( troponin..) if they didnt and the pain recurs GO TO A AND E.

Over 25 years as an A and E doc i lost count of the number of patients sent home with 'stomach pain' or  'spasm' who died!!!!!!!!!

Heart attack patients  (bizarrely) often get relief from antacids!!! Their chest walls are often tender so docs think its muscular but they have just rubbed they chest.

Best wishes

 

mellowsun

Blaendulais said:

Well said.  An ECG can be perfectly normal in a heart attack.  The only way you can exclude damage to heart muscle is by blood tests in an initial time window.  

Hopefully they did these ( troponin..) if they didnt and the pain recurs GO TO A AND E.

Over 25 years as an A and E doc i lost count of the number of patients sent home with 'stomach pain' or  'spasm' who died!!!!!!!!!

 

Thanks, but the message I am getting here is that A&E often send heart attack patients home with 'stomach pain' or 'spasm' but I should go there anyway?

tbh I have more faith in paramedics than the A&E triage process so I'll call them if it occurs again.

The last time I went to A&E it was 12 years ago, for stomach pains that turned out to be a burst appendix, I waited 5 hours to be seen and nearly died before they admitted me. Blood tests were all 'normal'.

Blaendulais

Yes you should go there. Your GPs not an expert in chest pain.

Alnico

Please go to hospital.

It's that simple.

axisus

tone1 said:

Yep..I had Costochondritus last year which had several of your symptoms..maybe worth a look

Yup, that was the best guess from the Dr's of what I had (twice). I seriously thought I was going to die. Both times took a year to get over it completely.

mellowsun

Alnico said:

Please go to hospital.

It's that simple.

I have been - twice! Got another appt on Friday

octatonic

mellowsun said:

Alnico said:

Please go to hospital.

It's that simple.

I have been - twice! Got another appt on Friday

Go make me a sandwich!

littlegreenman

octatonic said:

mellowsun said:

Alnico said:

Please go to hospital.

It's that simple.

I have been - twice! Got another appt on Friday

Go make me a sammich!

FTFY

lloyd

mellowsun said:

Alnico said:

Please go to hospital.

It's that simple.

I have been - twice! Got another appt on Friday

Have a celebratory cigar.