Hi all looking for advice, I do not wish to upset or be insensitive but what does it actually feel like to have a heart attack??
I have had sharp stabbing/cramp like pains under my left breast since Saturday, have been to A&E had ecg/bloods/chest X-ray all normal & no other explanation other than muscle spasms I am so scared I literally daren’t move at the minute for fear of the pains coming back! Can anyone help?
Hi Doris
I think if you have had all the tests , you can relax about it being a heart attack .
Your ecg and bloods would have been abnormal if you were having a heart attack.
I appreciate that chest pain is frightening , but it looks like it is muscle spasm that you are having x
Rest assured you’re ok ecg and bloods would definitely tell if you had an heart attack
Thank you! I’m 1yr post ablation for SVT & have not felt “normal” since the procedure yes SVT has gone but it’s replaced with endless tightness, diaphragm pain & in occasion these awful stabbing pains, I’m back to the cardiologist in May but from what I’ve read on here I’m the only person who severely regrets having the procedure done😢
What's ablation and SVT? I have had stents fitted after angina symptoms and an angiogram. After 1.5 years I have never felt right. I am considering ditching all of the medications and following the Paulus regime of high doses of vitamins
Hi it’s Super-ventricular Tachycardia (abnormal fast heart rate) caused by extra electrical pathways in top chamber of my heart, the ablation (similar to angioplasty) lasers the pathway away so no more runs of SVT can occur 97 % curative so felt I had no choice but to have it done as SVT was so debilitating. I couldn’t tolerate the meds so went for the cure! Biggest regret of my life now & hard to confess too as sooooo many people on here are having the procedure not just once but several times! 😢
You do not elaborate on 'not feeling right', but whatever that might be the complete rejection of current medical practice and reverting to a debatable vitamin regime is surely high risk (See Trash_Pandas reply for example).
As far as I am aware stents do not cure your underlying issue and you must follow this up with a combination of drugs and lifestyle changes to make the most of the opportunity the stents have given you.
I had two stents fitted after complaining of angina. I had a further angiogram to ensure that the stents were working which they were. When I skied he cardiologist why I was not feeling great he just shrugged his shoulders and said he did no know but keep taking the pills. Another cardiologist sent me for a myocardial perfusion scan and said my heart was pumping 52% which was good I asked him why I was not feeling great he just shrugged his shoulders and said keep taking the pills. 18 months have passed and so I have decided to try the Paulus approach (see other posts on atorvastatin) if it doesn't improve my wellbeing I will go back to the drugs and put up my feet and do nothing all day. It's got to be worth a try as I am always exhausted and suffer from brain fog. Sorry to be a bit pessimistic but it's worth a try
Heart attack (or Myocardial infarction) is a catch all expression for any disruption of the blood supply to the heart.
It can manifest itself in many different ways according to which area of the heart is affected.
At worst it can be immediately disabling or it can just be a feeling of tiredness or shortness of breath.
You have done the right thing and had an ECG and blood test which will show up any obvious heart issues. It is important to have any chest pains etc. checked out without delay as the heart can suffer permanent damage to the muscles if the blood supply is disrupted for any length of time.
Thank you for your reply I know I did the right thing in the end but this is 6 trips to A&E now in a year! I feel like the boy who cried wolf! Obviously relieved they can’t find anything cardiac related but at the same time frightened & confused because no other diagnosis for the pain (which steadily gets worse) other than stress & im doing it to myself!😢
I suffered from Atrial Fibrillation after a heart attack 5 years ago.
It is under control now, but I bought myself a Heal Force PC-80B hand held heart rate monitor (£85 on Ebay) to check if I'm ever back in Afib.
It gives a heart rhythm trace which although not as detailed as a professional ECG, does give a clear indication when something has changed.
It is very reassuring when I have the odd chest pain or feel under the weather, and saves me trips to A&E.
It is simple to use, I just hold it under my breast bone and it takes about 30s to give a trace, and if there's a change in the shape of the trace I know there's a possible problem.
It works for me, but Afib is not a heart attack, it's a heart rhythm disturbance which is not immediately life threatening, and I would never suggest self diagnosis would ever replace professional diagnosis, but it can provide some much needed reassurance in times of stress.
Have you been checked out for acid reflux or gallstones they both can cause chest pain just a though wish you all the best
Your blood test and EKG definitely would have revealed a heart attack if you had or were having one... you’re ok.
Hi Doris
In my case the pain was in the center of my chest... so i decided to visit my doctor to get an appointement only to be told i was having heart attack and was rushed to hospital... three stents got fitted and now i am off work...
Its important to put your trust in the medical staff they are the best at their job x
In my case, it was merely a somewhat irritating achy left arm, with a bit of minor indigestion type pain. Which I'd experienced several times in the past, and which had always gone away fairly quickly. When they didn't, this time, I thought I'd follow my own advice (I'm a first aider) and dial 999 as I was on my own, late of an evening. One stent later, all is well.
If "they" say you've not had a HA, based on the tests you've described, then you're probably just fine. But, as with all things, better to be safe than sorry.
Feels like your chest is turning inwards very tightly, I was trying to pull my chest bone back out to right position, very uncomfortable, Rapid heartbeat, very distracting, frightening, went on a long time. Very lucky as I had the 1st stent, had a tear, ended up with 5 stents. Consultant said well done after proceedure, I told him well done to you, that I'm talking to you, LOL.
Hi there. I can only speek for my self but the pain was unbelievable in the chest arie and back.The pain spread to the jaw and difficult breathing. Jay 😫
Myocardial Infraction means death of the heart muscle cells. Troponin rises when heart muscle cells are damaged or die.
Women tend to have lower levels of troponin and that's why the more specific troponin blood tests are better at picking up the subtle changes in women.
Sometimes an ECG gives no or only small changes. The ECG depends on the skill of the person performing the test and it's interpretation.
Medicine is not an exact science it is an art.
A good doctor will listen well to their patient and have an open mind.
If in doubt always seek help.
I have had 3,each time it presents itself in a different way, sometimes it feels like indigestion, in females it can they can present not in the well-known way
Hi Doris, When I read your story, I thought my goodness, she sounds like me, about nine years ago, like you I kept getting pains in my chest feeling weird, symptoms of a heart attack, only it wasn't, all the tests Blood, ECG, X Rays, all normal, so it was decided it must be muscle spasms, however, I continued to get pain and feel uncomfortable in my chest, went back to see the cardiologist who again did an ECG, Blood Tests, X Rays and again all normal, nothing untoward, because I was insistent that there was a problem, the Cardiologist put me on Beta Blockers and said he would see me every 2 months and repeat all the tests, this went on for 4 years and for 4 years nothing had shown up on the ECG, Blood Tests, and X.Rays, he wanted to discharge me, I said no there is a problem, so he said the only thing he could do was refer me to Cardiac Thorasics Specialists, came the day of my appointment to see these Specialists, these people are Specialists higher than your Cardiologist, saw this lovely Professor, he sent me to have an ECG, X.Rays and Blood Tests and yes they all came back normal, he said the only thing that is left is to put your heart under stress in theatre conditions, a day was arranged to do this, I was taken down to the theatre, found myself in a room full of machines and Doctor's all masked, I was told what they would do, they gave me an epidural in my back, which enabled me not to feel anything, they put a tube in my groin to travel to my heart, they told me that I would feel a little uncomfortable as they put my heart under stress, however, a Doctor came over to me and said you have a very interesting heart, I said really, then after a while, a Professor came over to talk to me and explained that they had found that, I have 5 electrical faults in my heart, so I said, so I didn't imagine how I was feeling, he said you certainly didn't, he did tell me that they will repair 4 of them, but the 5th one was too dangerous to repair, given where it was, I later found out what they did was a Heart Ablation and the Condition I had was SVT - Super Ventricular Tachacardi, they repaired the 4 they could, I spent only two days in the Hospital, the Professor came to talk to me and told me to go and enjoy my life and that if I get any other symptoms, then to go back to him, sorry to be so long winded with this story, but problems with your heart don't always show up as mine didn't for 4 years, so I think if you are still having pain and symptoms, then bother them, until they find out what it is. Only you know how you are feeling, I am not saying you have the same problem I had, just that not everything shows up on Tests they do. Hope this helps !
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