Latest visit and shortness of breath update.

[Smerblue]

Thanks to advice on here I started to contact my Doctor regarding my reducing fitness and shortness of breath. A bit to late after having a bit of a do on Friday and being blue lighted to the hospital. Whatever I had felt like a heart attack but far worse than the one I had last year. Change on ECG was 2mm on 1 and 1.5 mm on 2. The Docs have carried out 3 trop t tests, think that's what it is. 1st had a reading of 8, 2nd 12 and third 8 again but still marked as red. Does anyone know what these markers mean and if the rise and fall is why they are still keeping me in? Thanks guys, at least I had made docs aware before I had an issue. I have very little pain at moment just a real heaviness in my chest.

[Calliope153]

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

You might find this link useful.

Hope they get you sorted out quickly but don;t be too keen to leave without answers. Keep asking however much of a nuisance you feel. Best wishes.

[Smerblue in reply to Calliope153]

Thank you.

[Troilus]

Hi Smerblue, I had a similar thing last year. I had a big asthma attack, so was taken to hospital. My ecg was abnormal, but troponin was ok. However, they kept me in as they though I might have some kind of event, so I had 24 hour heart monitoring. They also did a heart scan and an angiogram. They thought I might have silent angina, but all was ok in the end. They just put it down to a strain on the heart due to my breathing difficulties.

To answer your question directly, from my experience, I think they are keeping you in just to check you are ok. This might involve further testing to see exactly what is going on.

As for the troponin levels they take them initially to see if it is a heart attack, then they repeat them to see if they are going up. In your case, they did, so they will have taken the third test to see if they are still rising or falling.

A cardio nurse once explained troponin as being your hearts tears. The more it is hurt the more it cries. I quite liked that as an easy way to understand it.

[Hidden]

Hi and so sorry you’re having difficulties.

My understanding of troponin is the same, it’s a chemical that is found in the blood when there has been damage to the heart muscle.

But it does not only occur in heart attack. If they confirm it is not a heart attack, that is obviously good, and that may be possible, as from my understanding, those troponin levels are not that high.

But if they confirm not a heart attack, don’t let them just discharge you without further investigation & diagnosis, as you have important symptoms.

I think you should ask about pericarditis & myocarditis. They may not have much experience of it, many docs don’t, so you may need to keep asking. I’ll try attach a doc that you may be able to show them.

They need to do an echocardiogram of your heart, & do it now whilst you are still symptomatic, not referred for later. Or at least a chest x-ray to check for fluid.

Your symptoms sound so like mine. Diagnosis is kind of by elimination & I think is based on having a few of these:

Shortness of breath.

Heaviness / tightness / compressed feeling in chest.

Discomfort or pain on breathing, esp inhalation.

Discomfort on laying down especially on back, or discomfort changes in different positions

Severe pain in typical “referred heart pain” places, neck, shoulders, back, maybe arms. Pain often feels like a heart attack.

Blood tests for having a virus or autoimmune disease (eg lupus) usually done, if they are negative then the pericarditis can be ‘cause unknown’ (idiopathic).

Pericarditis pain is from inflammation of the sack around the heart, which rubs & irritates or even threatens the pumping of the heart. Breathing & chest issues are from fluid collecting in the sack around heart, & possibly lungs.

My major learning is, don’t let them send you home till they’ve done echocardiogram, as without treatment, this condition can become chronic.

Caveat, I’m not a doctor, just learned a lot from self & other patients. Best of luck

[Smerblue in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for your reply. Your symptoms are exactly how iv'e described mine. My ECG is now normal as is my blood tests. But had about an hour and a half last night of chronic waves of tightness and pain. Consultant said he would ring me in 2 weeks to see how the low level betablockers are working. This was just before he went on holiday. The Doc that was with me last night thought it might be a slight blockage that's not showing the symptoms of Heart Attack but is causing the pain. My docs are now with the Cardiac dept so will find out. When they pop down and see me I now have some other questions. Thanks again..

[Hidden in reply to Smerblue]

Sounds like they may be investigating angina, which I think can include pain felt from partial blockage. My GP wanted to investigate for angina initially, it took the cardio docs to spot that it was something different. If they think it is a partial blockage, then I'd guess they'd need a CT scan to see your arteries?

Hopefully the cardiac dept will be able to get to the bottom of it. Fingers crossed.

[Hidden]

Here is some info you could show the medics if they haven’t come across pericarditis before, which happens to a lot of patients.

mayoclinic.org/diseases-con...