possible angina ?

[Westie2012]

Today I was rushing a bit more to get my daughter to school on time , it’s up a steep hill which is getting more of a struggle to walk up , I’m putting it down to age and heart health , I’m almost 49 and have a pacemaker for heart pauses and tachybrady.

I also have asthma .

Anyway this morning as I was walking uphill I started getting a sharp chest pain right in the centre of my chest , it eased off when I was walking back which is mainly downhill and I could go at a much slower pace . I’m waiting for a treadmill test as on occasion my heart races at 145 when I’ve been walking up the steepest part , cardiology saw it when they checked my pacemaker readings from the time when I could feel my heart pounding . Angina has been mentioned but I’ve never been given a diagnosis . Does something have to show up on a blood test to get diagnosed with angina ? I’m still in a bit of pain and I’ve been home around 40 minutes .

[Doublef]

I recently have had a pacemaker fitted and have had the same problems but have been told it is more likely to do with AF and LV dysfunction.

[BHFnurse_Julie BHF Nurse]

Hi Westie2012 - please do call our Helpline via 0300 330 3311 to speak with one of our cardiac nurses about your symptoms. I would suggest you also call your GP and/or NHS 111 to speak with a doctor (for your peace of mind). All the very best to you......

[Westie2012 in reply to BHFnurse_Julie]

thank you Julie , I called this morning and am waiting for a call back as all lines were busy

[Hidden]

Hello

I am really sorry that I don't have any answers but ask and get it checked out and let us know how you get on x

[Westie2012 in reply to Hidden]

thank you . I’m waiting on a call from my gp surgery

[Hidden in reply to Westie2012]

Let us know how you get on x

[Chickenlou]

Hi Westie

My fiancé’s initial symptom was a slight pain in his chest only when walking up hills, then he began to get pains in his arm (that could occur at any time and we didn’t even consider was heart related.)

He then had a “funny turn” at work and was diagnosed with angina. Blood tests or numerous ECGs never showed up anything heart related. (He had several large blockages in his coronary arteries.)

Please get your symptoms checked out, especially as you already have some heart issues. It’s always best to be safe. Hope everything’s ok.

[Zbignieva]

Angina can present very differently in women and can be hard to diagnose as chest pain can be quite a few things, from abdominal issues, musculoskeletal pain, lung or heart issues.

Please take your symptoms seriously and push to find out what it is as all too often women are brushed off as having ‘anxiety’ as a cause of chest pain.

[Westie2012 in reply to Zbignieva]

before I was diagnosed with heart problems that meant I had to have a pacemaker I went to hospital with chest pains , breathlessness and other symptoms , was told many times that I had abnormal ecgs but it was all just stress and anxiety . Eventually I had a heart monitor on for a week which showed the problems with my heart which was pausing and going fast then slow . I’m just glad I persisted in going to hospital but it’s wrong to be fobbed off so many times .

[Hearty77]

Hi I’m sorry I don’t have any answers but agree with the previous comments regarding calling 111 and speaking with an expert. I hope you’re feeling better today. Take care.

[Westie2012]

Thank you all for your replies and advice . I’m waiting for a call back from one of the cardiac nurses and I also spoke with 111 who have arranged for a gp from my surgery to call me back later today . I really appreciate your help x

[Hidden]

I hope by now you have had some good advice about what to do, from a health professional who’s call you were awaiting. I ignored chest and then arm pain on going uphill for quite a while. Turned out I had 92% blockage in a main artery! I was lucky it got fixed. Best wishes!!

[Westie2012 in reply to Hidden]

Gp finally called at 6.20, she thinks I’ll be ok at home , then she said about arranging me to go to a same day emergency clinic at the nearest hospital if I could get there before 7 to have a blood test but then changed her mind and said she’d just see me on Monday . Over the weekend I have to go to hospital if I get chest pain that doesn’t stop . I’ve been having flutters in my chest all day , out of curiosity I took an ecg on my watch and I’ve circled what it showed at the time I felt the fluttering

Ecg with pink circles to indicate areas

[santisuk]

When I went to a hospital clinic 3 years ago as a fit (I thought) 68 year old guy reporting a pain in the centre of my chest when I excercised (5km daily walk, no hills) I was taken into A&E for bloods, X-Ray and EKG.

I was told that high troponin levels in my blood suggested possible heart concerns. An echocardiagram was later added to the tests. I opted to be further assessed at a specialist heart unit rather than accept this hospital's proposed angiogram. The consulting cardiologist there gave me the third degree on lifestyle, diet, smoking/drugs/alcohol history and excercise and concluded I was low risk for heart disease. A coronary CT scan showed otherwise.

I had a triple bypass to replace the furred up arteries around my heart and have been on the usual drugs since. Of course it affects your life a bit but it's not something that you should dread if you are diagnosed with heart problems. There are millions of us out there around the world who are carrying on life as normal. The doctors are highly skilled even in second world countries like Thailand where I live and life goes on pretty much as before.