Concerned, Can Someone Help??? - Heart Disorders Message Board

CrazyLife414 · 03-18-2007, 08:35 PM

Hi..I am a 44 year old female, slightly overweight (working on that) and really concerned about my heart! I was recently diagnosed with high blood pressure(150/98) and my doctor started me atenolol 25mg and I am now controlled. Anyway, I keep having these attacks that cause me to have pressure in my chest and burping. I can burp louder than most men I know when I get this way. I have been under a lot of stress lately (terminally ill parent...) I did have my heart tested last March (echo, EKG, nuclear stress test) and my cardiologist said that he felt my issues were related to GERD and stress, not my heart. He told me that I can exercise, but I have been afraid to because I am so out of shape and am afraid of having on of these attacks. I also do have chest pain, back, shoulder and facial pain (not just jaw) when these attacks occur , which is actually almost daily. I don't think that I have felt "normal" for over 2 years. I have been told also that this is related to anxiety, but I have never actually been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.

I just keep reading so many posts regarding doctors missing heart disease until it is too late, I have 2 small children and really don't want to be a statistic!

Any thoughts or help would greatly be appreciated, thanks for your help!
CrazyLife

confused32 · 03-19-2007, 06:39 AM

I feel the same as you with not wanting to be one of the statistics that the doctors misdiagnosed. I started having issues last March and it sent me to the ER a couple times and to many doctors to find out what the problem is. I have off and on chest pain, shoulder pain, left arm and elbow pain, dizziness, some weird breathing issue, left sided jaw pain and palpatations.I get atleast 1 or 2 of these symptoms EVERY DAY. I was told its stress and anxiety. I now take anti-anxiety med's to help with this. I go back to my doctor in a few weeks and im asking for the testing again. I have had ekg's, echo's, nuclear stress test, the calcium test, chest xrays, and blood work...........all the doctors agree that my heart is fine, i was told a few years ago that i do have MVP but that it is nothing to worry about. I wish it was that easy to not worry when you have all the symptoms of a heart attack or you feel like they are warning you that something is wrong and no one will take you seriously. I have been labled a hypochondriac and i hate it. I havent felt normal in almost a year so i definatly know how you feel and its horrible. I sympathize with you and just know your not alone.

Seraph · 03-19-2007, 07:32 AM

Just keep having (annual) heart checks. It sounds pretty scary, what you have, but it also fits the symptoms of GERD caused by anxiety. If you had been having heart problems for 2 years as you have feared, you would probably have detectable heart damage by now, so get it checked, it will likely be clear, so RELAX. The pains you are having can also be caused by tension. Strangely enough, avoiding exercise is the opposite of what will make you feel better. Moving about and exercising loosens up all that tension and relaxes your muscles.

Lenin · 03-20-2007, 06:36 AM

CreazyforLife (gee, two VERY different ways to interpret that name

You need, like so many it seems, to make a judgement: Is that chest pain angina or GERD.
A LOT of good evidence can be gotten from a fast 5 or 10 minute run...I seem to be typing this a lot lately.

Angina will usually make it's ugly face known pretty quickly if your problem is cardiac.

On the other hand, GERD is usally improved MARKEDLY with a couple weeks of Zantac, Prilosec, Aciphex or even daily Mylanta.

Another good diferentiator is the ability of a dose nitrate/nitrite to stop angina pretty quickly on the spot...but they are usually Rx unless you know somebody with some poppers. THus nitrate can be a good diagnostic tool.

CrazyLife414 · 03-20-2007, 08:13 PM

Thanks everyone

...I appreciate the response. I am wondering just how accurate the testing is that the Cardiologist does? I had the EKG, Echocardiogram and the Nuclear Stress Test (where they shoot the dye in and take a million mri type pictures of your heart before and after the treadmill). My doctor said that since my "good" cholesteral was high and I am not "high risk" that he really doesn't think my heart is the problem. But then of coarse we read all of the articles stating that women are the most misdiagnosed population as far as heart disease is concerned. I will be 45 in April and was just diagnosed with high blood pressure 3 weeks ago (150/98) and was put on atenolol 25mg daily, so I guess that has prompted me to be more concerned. Sometimes it makes me so nervous that literally go into a panic type of attack and I know that is not good either. Anyway, thank you all again. I appreciate any input you all have!
CrazyLife