Hi guys! It's taken me a long time to get up the guts to post here. You all seem so nice and I'm afraid I'm going to come across as a mad woman.

About a year ago I started getting breathless, it was worse when I lay down. I had a few flutters in my chest and was getting worried. The doctor said I had anxiety. He didn't listen to my heart or anything, apparently anxiety is his favourite word. Around 5 months ago I started getting worse and one night I felt prickles on the top of my head and had a pain in my left arm plus pins and needles. I felt so faint and my heart started racing. I phoned for an ambulance and was taken to casualty. When I was there they found that my heartrate was 200 per minute and I was given all sorts of medication and a drip that contained medication for angina. The doctor came in and said she was certain I had angina. I was taken up to a medical assessment ward for the night. The next morning the consultant came around and disagreed with the previous doctor and said I was fine and could go home. I've since been diagnosed with chronic anaemia and am on waiting lists for an endoscopy (They think I might have an ulcer), gnyni because of possible fibroids and am also waiting for a 24 hour heart monitor. In the last few weeks I've been taken to casualty in an ambulance over 10 times with the same symptoms. Some docs saying they can see abnormalities, such as not enough oxygen getting to the heart etc. Everytime I get up to the ward, the consultant says I'm fine.

My blood level is back up to 10 now so it's not really severe enough to cause all these symptoms. They did find that my thyroid was overactive a few weeks ago, but then when tested again last week, it was back to normal. It was 7 something and now its 5.

I have felt really unwell all day today. Pins and needles in my head. Pain in both my arms (usually it's just in the left one), faint and sick. Blurry vision and fast heartbeat.

I went to the doctor again and sat there crying like an idiot, saying no-one was listening to me etc. He gave me proprananol. I took one a couple of hours ago and my heart has slowed down, but I still have a tight chest and feel dizzy and sick. I can't believe that it's not my heart. My mother suffers from angina, my grandmother suffered from angina, my grandfathers died of heart attacks and my 21 year old daughter has arrythmia.

I'm a single parent with two children to worry about. I can't afford to sit back and not push for them to find out whats wrong. I'm so afraid I'm going to die. That sounds so melodramatic, but that's how I feel.

If it's not my heart then why am I getting all these symptoms? Why the pain in the left arm each time? I hope someone out there's not afraid to talk to the mad woman because I'm really afraid and sitting here feeling very unwell again.
Suzanna

I don't know the answer to your question. Have you told the doctors that send you for tests that they're telling you it's nothing? Symptoms can vary so much. From our experience, I can tell you that the only way they found my husband's problem was for him to wear a heart monitor for several weeks. He was telling them what was going on but it still took "awhile" before they realized what needed to be done and these doctors have excellent reputations. Hopefully, you'll get some more responses.

Suzanna,

I agree with what bmd said. I would go back in to the doctor and ask for a stress test with Thallium injection/imaging prior and Sestamibi (Cardiolite - Technietium) injected during exercise and imaging after. That will usually catch any ischemia which produces angina. (Though as zip can tell you, its not 100%).

You mention the left arm pain and pins and needles, and now pain in both arms. I can remember that my left arm felt different than my right when I had angina, but everyone feels it different, and to this day, I still can't describe if it was pins and needles, or a heavier feeling. All I can say is "it felt different."

If you see some of Zip's posts, you will see that he had a burning feeling in his chest for years. He had to keep pushing to finally get his blockage found and taken care of. You have family history that seems to indicate a predisposition for CAD. True, a beta blocker (Propanolol) will help you by reducing the demand on the heart, but there still might be a true problem that does require intervention beyond medication.

I was just wondering, what exactly is angina, and what causes it? Also, would an EKG or echo show if you had angina? And lastly why did your husband (in the above post) have to wear an event monitor for weeks? What was it that showed up that they didn't pick up in other tests? Sorry for the questions, just trying to sort out my own heart problems. Thanks guys, Michelle

I was just wondering, what exactly is angina, and what causes it? Also, would an EKG or echo show if you had angina? And lastly why did your husband (in the above post) have to wear an event monitor for weeks? What was it that showed up that they didn't pick up in other tests? Sorry for the questions, just trying to sort out my own heart problems. Thanks guys, Michelle

Michelle,

Angina is the delocalized pain that some people can feel from heart muscle tissue being deprived of oxygen (ischemia). It can be felt in the chest, shoulders, arms, both arms...any two people can have two different symptoms. One expects angina to be felt with increased exertion when there are significant blockages present in one or more coronary arteries. The Holter monitor is used to monitor the heart to catch any irregularities with the heart beat over time.

An ECG can sometimes show if there is heart ischemia, but its not really that reliable. I had a heart attack and because of the location, my ECG trace still looks within whats "normal." During a heart attack, and ECG will also sometimes show the irregular trace. The stress test is slightly more reliable (treadmill, ECG monitor, imaging), but still does not catch all ischemia. Finally, catherization through the femoral artery (angiogram) is really a better way to detect if blockages are present, but its not the most fun process. Then again, its not the worst process either, all things considered.

Thank you for your response,
I am a 33 yr old female, had pac's and pvc's for the past 5 years. Worn a holter monitor 3 years ago, showed the pac's and pvc's. Dr.'s weren't concerned. I had many EKG's and an echo. They showed up normal. My echo showed a possible Mitral valve prolapse, probably mild it said. My Dr.'s not concerned, said that is not an actual prolapse.
I get the occasional pain in the chest, it hurts severly to breath in for about 5 minutes, then it goes away. Dr.'s aren't worried about this either.
In the last year, my heart rate now goes up to 130 every now and then, they always will cause lots of pac's and pvc's. Dr.'s still aren't concerned. They said only if it is 150 for a long time then they would worry. I have a history of anxiety attacks, so they attribute that to my skip beats.
Since this all started 5 years ago, my bp has gotten higher, the pac's and pvc's are now everyday, all day, instead of once a month.
I've seen 5 different doctors. They all say I'm ok. But in the back of my mind I worry that there could be something wrong that they can't see on a test. I just wonder if there should be more testing? All 5 Dr.'s say that further tests would be a waste of my time. Any comments? Thanks, Michelle

Speaking from experience the symptoms are a FAR better test of angina vs. heartburn vs. anxiety than an EKG at rest (or even on a treadmill.)

You PROBABLY have angina and a coronary artery blockage reducing the flow to a portion of the heart if:

1. Excercise quickly leaves you out of breath

2. When you push on further with the excercise you get discomfort of any kind in the chest, shoulders, arms, neck, or jaw.

3. This discomfort subsides in about 5 minutes when you rest!

4. Another "classic" for many (for me certainly)...a brisk walk into an icy wind produces discomfort....without fail.

All of the first 3 required! Fourth is for EXTRA CREDIT! ;) :D

(When I told my cardiologist my symptoms, he said I had just quoted the textbook on angina...LOL!)


If this scenario recurs many times, you really MUST have some sort of angiographic workup to look for a coronary blockage. Ignoring the symptom or taking ameliorative medication won't avoid an approaching heart attack sometime soon!

[Though an Internet diagnosis from a non-doctor is a silly proposition, I'm going out on a limb Susanna and calling yours angina- get a DEFINITIVE test for cardiac ischemia from the best cardiologist your insurance and your area will bear. If positive, FIND THE BLOCKAGE]

I just wonder if there should be more testing? All 5 Dr.'s say that further tests would be a waste of my time. Any comments? Thanks, Michelle

Hi Michelle,

To be honest, I am not that familiar with MVP or for example, treatments for PVCs and PACs. Possibly a beta-blocker, but I just don't know much about that area....

The reason I seem to know more about the CAD/CHD is because I have had to deal with it, have to deal with it and manage my health carefully now so that I can hopefully avoid further angiograms in the near future, or even more significant, coronary artery bypass grafts.