I'm a 16 yr old female and for the last few weeks/months I have been having left arm pain that comes and goes.The pain usually starts at the shoulder and extends down to the hand/finger region. When I have these arm pains they usually last 3-30 minutes and I notice that *sometimes* moving around helps it. It is not a numbness or tingling pain. The pain is more like a sore achy feeling.
Anyways what I keep thinking is angina! because I have read that when some people have angina they don't have to have chest pain at the same time. They can just have a sore arm. The pain that I have usually happens at night. I am left handed so maybe this could contribute to the pain? I think though, what if it is angina.
So anyways I was wondering does this sound like angina?Am I too young to have something like this or can it happen at any age?Also does anyone have experience with angina-with arm pain and what did it feel like?
Once in a while I do get chest pain which lasts for maybe like 2 seconds and I have been told by doctors and read that it is nothing to worry about.
It sounds like a cervical or thoracic pinched nerve for the arm. A little chiropractic manipulation or some sort of neck traction would relieve it.
Usually it goes away by itself as mysteriously as it popped up.
Angina is hard to place exactly and can affect the arm (but very rarely ONLY the arm). Angina ALWAYS is made worse by excercise and relieved by rest!
Though it's POSSIBLE (as in "anything's possible") I think in your case angina is HIGHLY unlikely.
It sounds like a cervical or thoracic pinched nerve for the arm. A little chiropractic manipulation or some sort of neck traction would relieve it.
Usually it goes away by itself as mysteriously as it popped up.
Angina is hard to place exactly and can affect the arm (but very rarely ONLY the arm). Angina ALWAYS is made worse by excercise and relieved by rest!
Though it's POSSIBLE (as in "anything's possible") I think in your case angina is HIGHLY unlikely.
Thank-you for the reply zip2play
I have one more question can angina last for a full day?or is that unlikely?
I have one more question can angina last for a full day?or is that unlikely?
summer_lovin
Summer, It can last for a whole day, kinda/sorta. But if that is the case, then a heart attack is most likely coming very soon or happening.
Zip gave you some good advice. The consistent things that he and I noticed when we had bona fide angina is that upon exertion the "pain" or discomfort increases. That is classic. Your initial post said that moving around helps you. That is also a key that I use when I think I am feeling angina again. If I move and the pain vanishes when I start walking fast or running, my mind is at ease then because that is not what happens when you have bona fide angina.
Your age is certainly on your side, so CHD is probably not likely in your case. You asked what angina felt like in the arm. It honestly was hard to pinpoint where the pain was ( I could not point and say "here"). Also, it felt like someone was tearing both of my shoulders out of their sockets (well, closer to MI it felt like that). The discomfort radiated down from my shoulder to my left elbow and I did feel like my breath was a little short. I had no chest discomfort though.
I agree with Zip in that what you described sounds like something related to a pinched nerve than angina. Thats a good thing
Summer, It can last for a whole day, kinda/sorta. But if that is the case, then a heart attack is most likely coming very soon or happening.
Zip gave you some good advice. The consistent things that he and I noticed when we had bona fide angina is that upon exertion the "pain" or discomfort increases. That is classic. Your initial post said that moving around helps you. That is also a key that I use when I think I am feeling angina again. If I move and the pain vanishes when I start walking fast or running, my mind is at ease then because that is not what happens when you have bona fide angina.
Your age is certainly on your side, so CHD is probably not likely in your case. You asked what angina felt like in the arm. It honestly was hard to pinpoint where the pain was ( I could not point and say "here"). Also, it felt like someone was tearing both of my shoulders out of their sockets (well, closer to MI it felt like that). The discomfort radiated down from my shoulder to my left elbow and I did feel like my breath was a little short. I had no chest discomfort though.
I agree with Zip in that what you described sounds like something related to a pinched nerve than angina. Thats a good thing
Thank you for the reply ubernier. I have read other posts by both you and zip2play and I just wanted to say that you both are very knowledgable! Thanks for your help!
ubernier I was just wondering how long did your angina start before your MI like were you having the pain for months years etc?
Thank you for the reply ubernier. I have read other posts by both you and zip2play and I just wanted to say that you both are very knowledgable! Thanks for your help!
ubernier I was just wondering how long did your angina start before your MI like were you having the pain for months years etc?
Thanks again!
My first recollection of it was around January 28-29, 2002. I had eaten a huge meal (all you can eat prime rib and lobster) and had a mixed drink (which I never really do). We got home and I felt like a spear ran through the back of my shoulder blades through my sternum. My shoulders were a bit "sore" and I felt like I needed to catch my breath. I went to bed and it subsided by morning. I remember moving furniture during the next week and feeling the the symptoms I described above, where my arms and shoulders ached in a way. That continued, even at rest, and kept getting worse in terms of number of times throughout the day of onset, duration and pain intensity. The night prior to the MI was March 14, 2002. I was in a good deal of pain, as I stretched out on the floor trying to get some relief to my shoulders. I thought it was muscular still. Well, when I got the sweats, chills, tunnel vision, felt faint, turned pale white, and threw up on the next day, I figured something worse was the case.
So, to answer your question, 1.5 mos of unstable angina is what I felt. I might have felt stable angina earlier, but, I was totally sedentary
Not everyone progresses as fast though. If you look at Zip's posts, you will see that he had to persist with it for years. One difference is that Zip does have collaterals to help (these come on with age and exercise). I am in a race to develop collateral arteries to help me also--thats one situation where youth is not on our side.
My first recollection of it was around January 28-29, 2002. I had eaten a huge meal (all you can eat prime rib and lobster) and had a mixed drink (which I never really do). We got home and I felt like a spear ran through the back of my shoulder blades through my sternum. My shoulders were a bit "sore" and I felt like I needed to catch my breath. I went to bed and it subsided by morning. I remember moving furniture during the next week and feeling the the symptoms I described above, where my arms and shoulders ached in a way. That continued, even at rest, and kept getting worse in terms of number of times throughout the day of onset, duration and pain intensity. The night prior to the MI was March 14, 2002. I was in a good deal of pain, as I stretched out on the floor trying to get some relief to my shoulders. I thought it was muscular still. Well, when I got the sweats, chills, tunnel vision, felt faint, turned pale white, and threw up on the next day, I figured something worse was the case.
So, to answer your question, 1.5 mos of unstable angina is what I felt. I might have felt stable angina earlier, but, I was totally sedentary
Not everyone progresses as fast though. If you look at Zip's posts, you will see that he had to persist with it for years. One difference is that Zip does have collaterals to help (these come on with age and exercise). I am in a race to develop collateral arteries to help me also--thats one situation where youth is not on our side.
So sorry to hear that you went through that experience!
Thanks for your reply I really appreciate it
So sorry to hear that you went through that experience!
Thanks for your reply I really appreciate it
Summer_Lovin
I have no regrets
Without it, I would have never made all the positive changes in my lifestyle to improve my health. I was on a downward spiral and this was really necessary to yank me back into reality.
heat related?angina? 
