Hello All, I have been looking around for a couple of days and decided to post after I went to the doctor yesterday! I hope someone can help me. Sorry so long!

I am a 31 yr old female that has been having chest pains off and on for approx. a week...it first started out as a pinching type feeling...for a week prior to these pains I was having spells of shortness of breath while doing little things (making the bed etc...) The pains first started out while I was doing house work and would ease up but not go away with rest..I am also having bouts of s.o.b and some nausea with the pain. then they just started to come on for no reason. Yesterday I was hurting in the morning then I was ok a couple of hrs later, well yesterday afternoon it hit again, but the pain was different more of a pressure I was having dizzyness, sob, and mild nausea and shaking. I went to the doctor, my pulse was 90 (usually runs 60-70) BP was 130/88 (norm. in the 100/60 range) resp 18. they checked my O2 sat and at first it was 91 then she checked it again a few min later and it was 100 she said the first reading was and error.my ekg came back norm. blood work was ok..I have a very stong family history of heart prob. the doctor said he didn't think it was my heart and for me to try some anti-inflammitory meds and b/c of family history and fact that this has been going on for a week he thought I should see a cardiologist. I am confused as to what may be causing this (heart related of something else) and if he doesn't think it is my heart then why Cardiology? Thanks in advance for any help...Missy

Missy it is very important that you follow up with the cardiologist. The fact that you are a female and only 31 may make you doctor feel that it is something other than heart related symptoms. Your symptoms are classic warning signs.

Thank you for the response Cutup...they were suppose to call and make an appt for me but they never called me back so I think I will just call one on my own, come tomorrow...I have a really stong family history of heart problems...mom had hardining of the arteries, enlarged heart, mitral valve prolapse, CHF she died at 40 from a auto accident, but all of these problems were found on autopsy, she had been to the doctors with chest pain and they told her she had colitis.?dad,heart attack at around 50, gma and gpa on both sides had heart attacks and triple bipasses. uncles have high blood pressure. So there is alot of problems on both sides of my family..Missy

Missy, family history is a very important factor. The doctor evidently thinks that your symptoms are suspicious or he would not have recommended seeing a cardiologist. I would take it a bit easy until you get in to see the cardiologist. Good luck hon.

Well I went to the cardiologist today and he did a stress echocardiogram, he said he didn't see much change from 2 yrs ago when i had one done, but did have on my diagnosis CP NOS and palpitations,and he said that a vasovagal response may be why i get dizzy, and that he didn't see a problem, all looked ok...he said my BP was ok.. in the 130/90 range...pulse good...but i did start to have CP and hurting in my arm and dizzyness while doing the treadmill test..but he didn't think it was related to my heart? but told me to come back as needed? I wasn't hurting before the test and it has been about 2 hrs and I am still having some discomfort...any ideas??? All of this is confusing..also found out later that my MIL who had a quadruple bipass 5 yrs ago went to this doctor a day before her heart attack and he told her all of her tests looked normal..how is this possible? Thanks in advance....Missy

[This message has been edited by justmissy (edited 10-07-2003).]

Missy it sounds strange to me that he wasn't more concerned with the pain that you were having during the treadmill test. Your youth and the fact that you are female probably has alot to do with that. I don't know what your insurance situation is but I think I would go for a second opinion if I didn't feel comfortable with this doctors opinion.

Missy it is possible that the tests on your MIL did not show a problem. Sometimes the problem is with the interpreter of the tests.

[This message has been edited by cutup (edited 10-08-2003).]

Thank you again cutup, I appreciate the input...Missy