Heart Problems?

[boobles]

Started feeling pretty rough 2 weeks ago with just a common cold type thing which then turned into feeling sick for a couple of days. That then turned into severe headache along with stiff neck (had this before though). Over the last 4 days I have had this shooting pain in my chest (heart area) & the feeling that my heart is pounding so hard which then makes me anxious & scared. I went to the doctor yesterday & explained all of these symptoms & she kind of put it down to some stress in my life recently ( I don't deal with stressful situations that well) & that I was possibly feeling anxious. My heart rate was slightly higher than it should have been but she didn't seem to concerned & prescribed me with Propronolol to be taken once a day. I started this medication yesterday morning but this chest pain is still there on occasion (almost like heart burn) & now I feel really tired & dizzy. Could this be the medication making me feel tired & dizzy & how long should it take for this medication to kick in? The only other thing I have noticed is I have been burping more frequently & not just after eating. I am able to sleep at night without any discomfort so could a lot of this be in my head & or worrying?

[boobles]

When you say you had something similar, what were your symptoms?

[boobles]

I am having an ECG done this afternoon at my doctors as this will be quicker than at A&E.

[boobles]

So thankfully my ECG was perfectly normal along with my examination. They are convinced that this is stress/anxiety that has been building up over the last few weeks & now my body is beginning to show the physical side of it. I haven't had any chest pain until about 11am this morning so fingers crossed this will remain this way. I do feel alot happier after getting a second opinion though.

[boobles]

Patch1875 said:

Good news! Now forget about it and get on with things.

Anxiety has an amazing impact on your body been/still have a few issues with it but it helps when you recognise the signs. Been through the heart thing mines felt like it was dropping in my body...weird!

The medication is making me feel really dizzy & sick so they had told me to stop taking it after today. I have to try controlling this as I still feel poorly & still have this feeling of it being something serious. I know stress/anxiety can affect you this way but I can't seem to control it.

[boobles]

Brave Fart said:

boobles said:

When you say you had something similar, what were your symptoms?

OK my symptoms, in detail were as follows:

• shortness of breath e.g. when climbing a flight of stairs (I'm normally perfectly fit and play sport)
• fluid on my lungs especially at night, so I'd wake up unable to breathe properly, which made me very fatigued
• no appetite, my abdomen felt full, and I was burping all the time
• heart rate of over 150 when admitted to hospital

I'm now on bisoprolol, ramipril, diuretics and anti-clotting tablets. My pulse is now normal, and the only side effect I'm having is a little bit of tiredness. My GP surgery thought it was a respiratory problem, despite my very fast pulse. Fortunately A&E spotted the real cause almost instantly. My experience leaves me with zero confidence in a GP's ability to understand an ECG - my GP did an ECG and said "let's keep an eye on it....."

Anyway, hope you get the diagnosis and treatment you need.

Thank you for this & really hope you will be fine now... I never really felt out of breath & was able to walk (approx 7 miles per day) at work & a lot of up & down stairs. I found I was eating more than usual & drinking more coffee (which I couldn't work out) My heart rate was slightly higher than it should be but they thought this was down to being anxious all the time. I have now stopped taking the propranonol as it was making me feel really strange & I am trying a more natural remedy from Holland & Barret so fingers crossed. I have had a lot of stress in my life since the new year so hopefully this is now the physical side of it coming out & attacking me. I know stress & anxiety can make you feel pretty ill.

[boobles]

Had a bad day yesterday which resulted in spending a lot of time in bed (just felt tried & no energy) I do seem to have an ache in my left arm (or like a burning sensation) & still have the headaches. I am getting bloods done for thyroid function so see what they come up with. In general I just feel down & depressed really.

[boobles]

I seem to feel so much better once the bottle of red wine is half empty. I know this is only masking the issue but I feel "relaxed" & the pain seems to go until the morning.

[boobles]

FlyingMeeces said:

boobles said:

I seem to feel so much better once the bottle of red wine is half empty. I know this is only masking the issue but I feel "relaxed" & the pain seems to go until the morning.

That sounds like very good grounds for an open chat with your GP. When I was a lot younger and going through tough times I got diagnosed with reactive depression - basically body & soul ran out of ability to cope with a load of really difficult stuff. There's nothing wrong with needing a helping hand to get through the hard times, although I'm aware that's a spectacularly un-well-built-directorlike stance.

The trouble is, I have openly spoken to my GP & other GP's about drinking up to 1 bottle per night 7 nights a week & have done for several years. They all seem to not really be that concerned about this. I know it's too much but when you feel like utter crap (like I have over the last few weeks) it seems to give me "release" from the pain & feeling that I am bout to drop dead. It doesn't make it right, I know this but it gives me a few hours of feeling "normal"

[boobles]

Thank you for this information & your kind support. I had a bloody good nights sleep (probably the wine doing that) but I don't hold out much hope of today being any different from the last 2 weeks.

[boobles]

Just an update - took really poorly this morning so went straight to A&E where another ECG was taken. I was admitted straight to Basingstoke hospital for further tests & thankfully after yet another ECG & blood tests and chest xray, all seems fine with my heart! They are more than happy with the results. I have more bloods booked for tomorrow back where I live for thyroid function etc. Feel bit happier that this isn't heart related, but something is making me feel really poorly.

[boobles]

One MoreDonkey said:

Having had a rather persistent chest infection over Christmas that has dragged on for some time, I was sent off for a chest x-ray to check all was clear. When I called my Doctors surgery to get the results I was told I would have to come in as it contained sensitive information.

When I saw my doctor he said my chest was clear and everything looked good. So when I asked why the receptionist had said there was sensitive information he replied

'Your x-ray indicates you have an enlarged heart, but I think it was just the angle the x-ray was taken so don't worry about it'!!!!!!!!

He wouldn't have even told me had I not probed him. I have since had an ECG which he says was fine and I am off for an Echocardiogram on Monday - all at my insistence. I'd rather know now and do something about it than leave it untreated if I do have heart issues. I'm a single parent and my child isn't very old.

Worrying times.

That is a strange way for the doctor to treat you. You do have to trust what you are being told but I agree about getting more tests. I have seen 3 different doctors in 2 different hospitals, so I am hoping they are not all wrong! The bloods were the definitive thing I was told which were all fine. (apparently)

[boobles]

markbe said:

Hi Boobles,

I found that red wine was a catalyst for a heart problem with me.

It would be worth stopping drinking for a week or changing to a light white wine like Chablis.

regards Mark.

I have started to cut back considerably. Half a bottle over two nights rather than 2 bottles. It's a start

[boobles]

Try to remain positive & good luck.

[boobles]

markbe said:

Hi Boobles,

It was not the amount, it was what was in it. I was on 1 glass a night.

That is why I suggest changing to white wine.

worth trying for a while.

Mark.

1 glass a night caused you harm? Really sorry to hear that! that is shocking as that isn't even drinking too much.

[boobles]

GrumpyTwig said:

Oddly going through all the same motions as you at the moment myself with similar symptoms, mutliple ecg's, chest xray, blood tests, even did an ultrasound today when I saw a cardiologist but nothings shown anything noteworthy.
Been on several different medications but now on ramipril, lansoprol...

It's all a bit crap tbh, but going back for a stressed ecg this week too, though given so far I don't really expect that to show anything either.

I really hope they can find out what's wrong. At least all of the major checks like mine came back fine. I have an appointment soon to try controlling the stress/anxiety that they still think it could be. I have cut down the red wine to 1 bottle per week with the odd pint of beer thrown in. That has to be better than 7 bottles of wine per week!

[boobles]

One MoreDonkey said:

Sonographer couldn't say too much obviously and I need to wait for the full report to be sent to my Doctor, but what she did say was 'You can relax, there was nothing of concern on your scan'.

So that must be good news then I hope, though I wont fully relax until the report has come in and I've seen my doctor to discuss it in full.

Really hope it comes back all clear for you! Make sure you keep us updated..

[boobles]

Just seen in the paper that doctors are missing warning signs in one in six people who go on to have a fatal heart attack!
That is shocking & more needs to be done to stop this from happening! I like to think that because I saw 5 different people (2 GP's - 2 A&E Nurses & 1 heart doctor)
that they couldn't all be incompetent !!!!!

[boobles]

I think a lot of it with me was feeling that I was about to drop dead at any minute & I was going to sleep thinking that I wasn't going to wake up! The whole cycle would start again as soon as I woke up. Thankfully apart from the odd headache which I have suffered from for years, I actually feel ok now & the world isn't a blur anymore.

[boobles]

One MoreDonkey said:

Supposedly finding out the results tomorrow. I have had to chase the results and ended up calling the clinic that did the scan as my Doctors said they hadn't received the results yet. Evidently they were sent last Tuesday!!!! I do wonder about my Doctors surgery at times.

Is there anyway of putting in official complaints? Who would you contact? I have now refused to see the doctor same doctor who talks to you like your a piece of st time & time again! She seems to be the doctor that they just dump you on rather than getting an appointment with your own doctor.