sudden chest pain and HR rise

[Manhattan1]

maybe silly question… walking upstairs in home accompanied by tight chest pain.. had a look at apple watch and noticed spike in HR to 179.. not the first time it’s happened.. at other times i’ve taken pulse manually to double check against watch and it’s verified.. wonder if i should be concerned?.. had angiogram late 2020.. some atherosclerosis of LAD.. but cardiology said not enough to cause angina.. also stopped anti anginal meds.. but told to keep taking prescribed aspirin as heart attack could possibly still occur due to ischaemic heart disease

[jeanjeannie50]

How long was your heart rate at 179bpm?

[Manhattan1 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

less than a minute Jean… lowest this week was 45..last week it went down to 40.. highest last week was 172

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to Manhattan1]

It's a fact that even people without any heart problems whatsoever and totally normal heart rates, will have a few missed or extra beats here and there. Let's hope that yours are those type of beats.

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Sorry, missed the bit that you were getting pain as well. Some people do, but any tight chest pain needs attention asap.

[Hidden]

Hello

Has it just happened the once or is it most times you walk up the stairs if it is the latter I would get it checked out as sometimes not always but things can change in 2 years from when you were last seen

I hope you get checked out and everything is ok x

[Manhattan1 in reply to Hidden]

doesn’t happen every time.. that’s why i’m reluctant and embarrassed to contact GP.. especially since Cardiologist moreorless ruled out angina

[Hidden in reply to Manhattan1]

Hello

But I presume it has happened more than once and that was 2 years ago when you were told you did not have angina ?

I would get it checked out don't worry what they think that is what they are there for x

[Manhattan1 in reply to Hidden]

yes December 2020..that’s when Cardiologist who carried out the angiogram said there was minimal atherosclerosis on LAD..also advised GP to stop anti anginal meds.. but also had a CT angio at FVRH at Falkirk in May 2020 showed mild atherosclerosis but Cardiologist there said to carry on with the meds as it gave most protection .. there you have it lol

[Hidden in reply to Manhattan1]

Hello

I know what you are saying but that as I have said was 2 years ago and things can change so always best to get checked out especially if we start developing different symptoms x

[fairgo45 in reply to Manhattan1]

i urge you to get an appointment with your cardiologist.

I had minor blockages for years then one day I took a reading on my Kardia device and it had inverted twaves.

I told my cardiologist he did an immediate ECG then an angiogram which showed 2 blocked arteries.

straight off to have stents so dont take chances be pro active

[HeartyJames in reply to Manhattan1]

I used to have quite a lot of chest pain but I spoke to GP over phone and he said try ranolaxine which is anti angina drug. After a short time my pain went and I now have them daily 350mg twice a day. GP said they would not do anything if not heart related, EG if rib muscles the pain would persist. Spoke to cardiologist on next appt and he told ne to keep taking them. Worth a try....

[Fleur57 in reply to Manhattan1]

hI, I definitely think you need to be seen ASAP. IHD doesn't go away. It sounds to me like you're having Atrial fibrillation...even if it's not that, you still need full investigations before this escalates. Good luck. P

[Hidden]

Sorry to tell you but its time to get this sorted and get some help, { you already know }

please keep us informed we are thinking about you.

[Manhattan1 in reply to Hidden]

thanks Blue x

[Manhattan1]

it only lasts for less than a minute.. they’d probably say if it begins to last longer to get in touch.. or dismiss it because it’s a reading on a watch lol

[Manhattan1]

how long did the raised HR last?

[Manhattan1]

yep tight constricting pain…. also got a scare on Friday night in bed.. out of nowhere heavy pain like a weight on my chest and a bit breathless.. went away after about 5 mins

[Hidden]

I suggest you make an urgent appointment with your GP. Tomorrow, first thing.

But if your symptoms worsen and persist go to A&E.

That's basically the advice from the NHS here

nhs.uk/conditions/chest-pain/

[Manhattan1 in reply to Hidden]

going to keep a really close eye on things over the next few days.. if the HR problem becomes more frequent and the chest discomfort gets worse i’ll go up to A&E.. less than 10mins away

[Allyboy1973]

i Wouldn't mess around around with chest pains , definitely get it checked out . I Had gradual pain then it got really bad over a few weeks resulting in a Heart attack.

[peterjones105]

i agree with the others, the HR spike in itself may not mean much but the chest pain could well indicate an impending cardiac event, two years is a long time,please get help now.

Good luck, Peter.

[Heartfairy]

Hello Manhattan1, please take everyone’s advice and simply get to A&E as you’ll have bloods taken and the troponine levels will provide the medics with an indication of what is going on with the heart. I am currently lying in a hospital bed waiting for an an angiogram with possible stenting as I ignored my chest pains on exertion for 6 days. I noticed a pain in my chest a week last Saturday then again Sunday so rang my GP last Monday who told me I was “low risk” of a heart attack based on a small heart event back in February when following an angiogram I was told I had a less than a 50% narrowing in my LAD and subsequently labelled with health anxiety as I had the fear of having a heart attack hanging over me. He said it was “probably a bit of unstable angina”. So that’s why I delayed and ignored the pain but hey chest pain is chest pain and when i did 111 online it told me to ring 999. I didn’t (only to save their resources) but I got here on Thursday night following 6 days of chest pain on exertion and medics found that troponine had increased and I’m now being treated for HA. I’m on quite a few drugs but am comfortable and being well cared for in a safe place. Please don’t ignore your chest pain, you know your body and you know changes to it. I wish I hadn’t listened to the GP and acted on my gut feeling but I wish I had just got myself here last Monday however it is what it is. Keep us up to date with your outcome and I hope you get sorted out asap. ❤️

[Manhattan1 in reply to Heartfairy]

so sorry to hear that news… olease feel better soon😘..

[Heartfairy in reply to Manhattan1]

Many thanks Manhattan1 - I’m determined to take advantage of all the help offered to me and bounce back from this. I was frustrated, scared, worried about everything but I’ve been reassured by the cardiologist that my heart can repair. But please if you don’t feel right, don’t delay in seeking help. ❤️

[fairgo45 in reply to Heartfairy]

hope you feel better

[Heartfairy in reply to fairgo45]

Oh thank you so much fairgo45. I need to get my positive head on and just get through the stenting procedure and hopefully with time I’ll feel as fit as a fiddle again. Thanks again - stay well ❤️

[Blearyeyed]

It would be a good idea for you to arrange an appointment with the GP ASAP to discuss these symptoms and get some tests to root out the problem.

Any condition can change in 2 years , and if it involves your heart rate or circulation it's sensible to get the problem diagnosed before it causes a larger issue. Heart rate swings and tachycardia can come on very suddenly and the can cause you to go dizzy or faint without warning , something you wouldn't want to happen when climbing the stairs.

There are many different Cardio issues that can cause these symptoms , not just Angina , Atherosclerosis, or AFib, or other Heart Conditions which may not show up in things like resting ECGs or on scans.

You mentioned that you have not just experienced very high heart rate (tachycardia) but low rates under 50 BPM too ( Brachycardia). These sorts of symptoms can happen with various conditions like Orthostatic Hypertension or Hypotension, P.O.T.S and other vascular conditions that cause the circulation to struggle when you get up and are active , or lie down to sleep. Check your heart rate at night whilst still lying down if you suddenly wake feeling breathless or like you have a weight on your chest , as it can be a sign of low heart rate when you lie down .

Even issues like thyroid problems , vitamin deficiencies, salt imbalance in the kidneys, hormone changes , diabetes and nerve or adrenal issues can cause tachycardia or heart rate swings , especially if you already have some heart related health issues. Even infections can cause these symptoms in a person whom already has some health conditions affecting the heart or circulation.

I would suggest you call the GP , speak to them in a phone appointment first if that is the earliest you can get , then request that you get some general blood tests and have the surgery fit you with their Holter test unit for 48 or 72 hours so you can have the results checked over , as this will hopefully show them the pattern that you have been experiencing and they can decide if you would benefit from a new Cardio referral. You have the right to request that these things are done on the NHS via a GP surgery.

Request for your liver and kidney function , full blood count , diabetes , iron , Vitamin B 12 , Folates and Vitamin D , and cholesterol blood tests to be done initially. If you haven't had any of these tests recently they will be of benefit in you maintaining you general health and your GP should be happy that you are being sensible and proactive in your own care.

Things like anaemia , high cholesterol , Vitamin B 12 deficiency, high sodium or low potassium can all cause swings between tachycardia and Brachycardia when you change position or exercise and whilst sleeping at night because they can effect the autonomic nervous system and its effect on how well your heart or circulation works.

Most of these things can be dealt with easily with little life changes or supplements that can stop these symptoms becoming dangerous or disabling and prevent a sudden heart event or heart failure. Deficiencies aren't always caused by the diet, some people , like myself , have a great diet but still suffer from poor absorption of nutrients from food or other health changes and need extra supplements or medication to reduce the tachycardia symptoms they have.

If your blood tests are clear , it proves that a Holter , and further specialist cardiology tests , are likely to be necessary to work out the exact cause and help you start preventative self care or medication to stop it happening.

In the mean time , keep checking your heart rate regularly , and try to pace your activity and use deep breathing techniques to try to reduce the symptoms when they happen. Good Luck.

[Manhattan1 in reply to Blearyeyed]

thanks for all that advice… i had bloods done 2 weeks ago.. ckd readings are down to 32.Efgr…Hba1c is 72 now on linagliptin.. liver function readings are up a little.also have hypertension. you can probably see i have a few health problems lol.. thing that is really holding me back regards the chest discomfort and HR fluctuations.. cardiology said 2 years ago i only have minimal atherosclerosis.. not enough to cause angina.. they’ll probably think i’m over reacting or a hypochondriac lol

[Blearyeyed in reply to Manhattan1]

Things change rapidly , especially with Cardiovascular problems , even if they are connected to a change in your nutrient level or dehydration or nervous system .

No good Doctor would accuse you of being a hypochondriac for having this probably checked out , especially if you have other health problems and the fact that the heart has not had a full check in a number of years.

I have a lot of health problems , but the cardiovascular issue is the one that finally tipped my whole system over the edge and has forced me to have very limited activity.

I have Chronic Dysautonomia caused by a genetic fault in the electrical current through the Sinus Node , something that would not be visible on any scan or in a blood test but that causes me massive swings in heart rate and tachycardia just between sitting and standing . I went from being a very active person to standing becoming my Cardio and the increase in pain and migraines from my other conditions was huge , just from a bit of poor wiring that nobody can see!

My symptoms got worse again with Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / PA and getting that in control was important for my heart health too , as that deficiency issue can finally cause a stroke or heart attack.

For these Orthostatic symptoms, I also have to be careful to drink more water , and unusually for heart conditions , eat more salt , and wear compression to prevent the symptoms from causing me to faint . Finally , the medication helps my vein strength which improves my circulation preventing the heart from having to work too hard to keep everything pumping properly.

Not all heart problems are cardiological or vascular at their origin , some are neurological, some even gastroenterological, but left unchecked the final outcome is usually the same and all of us would want to avoid that . Get to that GP.

[Fullofheart]

you already know this but adding my voice to the call for you to see a medic today. Get it checked out!

[Outandabout]

I would urge you not to keep waiting for yet another few days to pass. I know it's scary but I feel you have to be proactive, just to rule out anything bad if nothing else. If you have family who can help out at all I would just go for it today. At the very least ring the doctors. Good luck, I wish you all the best.

[DanniC88]

Friday night I was home watching tv and I felt uneasy. Hard to describe it really. All of a sudden my HR spiked to 153 and I felt dizzy and ill. My poor hubby panicked and rang 999 thinking I was having a HA. No ambulances anyway for 8 hours. So my neighbour took me to A&E. There they did bloods, a 20 sec ECG and a chest xray. Everything came back clear. They said it was probably viral because I'd had "Virus with a C" in the last 2-3 weeks. Im already on 2.5mg bisoprolol for sinus tachy anyway so they gave me another 1.25mg to take when it happens again. They will also write to my GP and Cardiologist.

Personally I'm not convinced it was C virus related.

[Manhattan1]

had to go to hospital in Feb with severe pain in left arm.. troponin was 13 but went back down.. went home after a few hours

[wischo]

I had an angiogram in 2017 and told 35% LAD blockage so take aspirin as no stent needed. In November 2018 while on holidays I had tiredness during exercise. Went to GP--- sent me to cardiologist who done a stress test followed by an angiogram and a stent inserted top of LAD. So 2 years can be a long time for some get it checked. My blockage second time was 85% but cardiologist advised stent due to the importance of the left coronary artery.

[Manhattan1]

thanks for that😊.. i was just told it was mild after the CT angiogram and minimak after invasive angiogram.. no idea of %.. also told to continue with aspirin and statins

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Manhattan1]

You can still have angina without blocked coronary arteries.

Microvascular or. vasospastic angina. More common in women.

Often overlooked, under diagnosed and under treated.

About 10 % of heart attacks can occur without any permanent blockages of the coronary arteries. Myocardial Infarction non obstructive coronary arteries, MINOCA.

I agree with everyone else. Please go to A&E at least contact 111.

Your troponin level when you went to A&E earlier in the year, indicates that something is going on.

[Manhattan1 in reply to Milkfairy]

thanks Milkfairy. i think because the troponin level falls on the second blood test to a lower level they’re ruling out anything cardiovascular .. was told by A&E doc they didn’t think i was having a full scale HA.. whatever that meant

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Manhattan1]

I often have small rises in my troponin blood levels along with ECG changes when I have a severe episode of coronary vasospasms.

There is research that suggests any troponin blood level above 5ng/L needs further investigation. Perhaps ask for a review by a Cardiologists who has an understanding of non obstructive coronary artery disease?

heart.bmj.com/content/107/2...

[Bicesterwhite]

HI Manhattan1

if it happens again forget gp head straight for A&E to get it checked, I did and found u was having a heart attack, albeit a mild one fortunately, justbover two weeks later I was back home having had a quad bypass. Feel so much better, fitter and healthier since. That was in June...... get it checked

[leach234]

why are you asking us? Call your Cardiologist ASAP and describe to him/her what you’re experiencing. Doesn’t sound good.