Indigestion or heart pain?

[Catwifie]

I'm 2 weeks post NSTEMI..resting as instructed..awaiting MRI. Woke at 3am last night with centralised chest "discomfort " ...wasn't sure if it was my heart or the few bits of chocolate covered marzipan I had scoffed in the evening! How can you tell?? Took gtn just incase...it eventually eased off.

[EU95PTM]

Please get checked out by a medical professional urgently, you will not be wasting their time.

[Catwifie in reply to EU95PTM]

Awaiting ambulance...NHS 24 nurse insistent I don't go by car..

[Yumz199725 in reply to Catwifie]

Hope it's nothing serious glad your getting checked over at the hospital x

[Catwifie in reply to Yumz199725]

Whisked to my local hospital..full work up, nothing amiss. Troponin 30 so all good. Home with strict instructions to rest..so it's Netflix and chill for me with some light knitting!!😊 Feeling my age and mortality 👵🏻

[Crazybanana in reply to Catwifie]

I’m glad your ok 🙏🏻I had the same and got it checked and thank god it was only reflux but so scary all this 😢

[Jetcat in reply to Catwifie]

Glad alls well. Get some films on and feet up.👍x

[Yumz199725 in reply to Catwifie]

Ahh I'm glad everything is ok x

[wischo in reply to Catwifie]

Ah you are only 65 ( late middle age), stay off the marzipan and you will be grand.

[Catwifie in reply to wischo]

Will do! 😁

[Survivor1952]

Exactly how I felt one evening - turned out it was a heart attack so talk to your doctor or go to A&E asap.

[Catwifie in reply to Survivor1952]

Awaiting ambulance...NHS 24 nurse adamant..

[Catwifie in reply to Survivor1952]

Whisked to my local hospital..full work up, nothing amiss. Troponin 30 so all good. Home with strict instructions to rest..so it's Netflix and chill for me with some light knitting!!😊 Feeling my age and mortality 👵🏻

[Lynn1966 in reply to Survivor1952]

Exactly the same with me. I thought I had indigestion for 5 days. Until I phoned 111 and they got an ambulance for me. I was blue lighted in and the surgeon was waiting for me with paperwork to sign.

[Hrty]

We become very "chest aware" following out heart events, I know I did post NSTEMI. It's understandable and doesn't help our fears and anxiety but having said all that I'm a great believer in getting things checked out. In the few weeks after mine I had a couple of trips to a&e. Thankfully I was fine but was reassured by all the staff that I had done the right thing in going to see them. Much better to be safe than sorry. Take care.

[Catwifie in reply to Hrty]

Rang NHS 24...Ambulance dispatched

[Hrty in reply to Catwifie]

Sounds sensible. Hope all goes/went well

[Lowerfield_no_more]

I had an NSTEMI heart attack nearly six years ago. I also have reflux disease which goes back longer. Last year I had chest discomfort and attended A&E twice believing it was heart related and the medical professionals reluctantly diagnosed the onset of angina, and I was treated for that. However several weeks later after things had settled down, I had stopped the angina meds with GP agreement, and an angiogram, the cardiologist agreed it was more likely gastro related. I have had no more similar bouts of this. So in my case it is very hard to distinguish between the two. My advice to you is to get yourself down to A&E next time you get an attack and let them diagnose what is wrong with you, rather than speculate as to the cause.

[Catwifie in reply to Lowerfield_no_more]

Have rang nhs24..ambulance coming

[Lowerfield_no_more in reply to Catwifie]

Hope you get sorted.

[Yumz199725 in reply to Catwifie]

Keep us updated on how your doing x

[Catwifie in reply to Yumz199725]

Whisked to my local hospital..full work up, nothing amiss. Troponin 30 so all good. Home with strict instructions to rest..so it's Netflix and chill for me with some light knitting!!😊 Feeling my age and mortality 👵🏻

[Lowerfield_no_more in reply to Catwifie]

Troponin of 30 is borderline Myocardial Infarction, and should be investigated, especially if the likely cause is several hours previous. I assume you were given umpteen tests to confirm that you did not have a HA. I spent four days in hospital after being admitted with a Troponin of 35, and was eventually diagnosed as having had an NSTEMI not a chest infection as I had suspected. More on this here as an example

nbt.nhs.uk/sites/default/fi...

[Catwifie in reply to Lowerfield_no_more]

I has a NSTEMI on the 9th November when Troponin was more than 9000...30 is an improvement! 2 samples were taken yesterday a few hours apart so no further damage thankfully

[Heyjude31]

Hi, this is a really interesting and always useful debate. For the past few weeks I have been experiencing worsening chest pain. I finally went to A and E a few evenings ago. Sixteen hours later, having seen 3 doctors, having an ECG, chest Xray and 3 lots of blood taken, the consultant I finally saw said it was very likely to be acid reflux. I think one of the worries for me is the more I have pain, the more I think it is my heart and the more anxious I feel which makes me feel worse, and in my head the pain worse. Since returning home, no more pain and discomfort. I wasn’t sure if it was my heart, reflux, a side effect of a new medication or following a fall, a bruised chest. When I last spoke to my cardiologist she said if I feel any chest pain I need to get checked out, and I am so glad I did, even though I worry about wasting the NHS time. It is 2 years since my CABG , and I am incredibly grateful every day. My rational side of my brain tells me I can do 50 step ups, basic aerobics and water aerobics, and walk often, so I should be okay. My blood pressure and bloods were all fine. However as the Cardiologist said if in doubt always get checked out! Please let us know how you get on. Jude

[Lowerfield_no_more in reply to Heyjude31]

If you are now experiencing the onset of acid reflux, whether occasional or not, you should speak to your GP about treatment, assuming you have not done so already, and the treatment may well include PPIs as well as diet changes etc. The consequences of not treating it long term can become serious including cell change within the oesophagus as I found out having struggled with it for years. I notice that you say you do aerobics. I found out by accident when decorating that bending my lower abdomen is one of my triggers since it must force stomach contents back into the oesophagus, so you could investigate this too, especially if you have the additional symptoms of a hiatus hernia. I had to stop doing yoga because of this

[Heyjude31 in reply to Lowerfield_no_more]

Thank you for you reply. I have spoken to my doctor and he has changed my ppi dosage. I am also having an endoscopy this week to see if anything is going on. Thank you also for the point about bending over, never thought of that! Judi

[seamaid]

snap. ended up in A &E sent by NHS nurse ( with me insisting it was indigestion ) had all the tests again ! and rather than a heart attack I was told it was Unstable Angina- gosh it was painful but I was glad it was that rather than my LVH sometimes I think we are our own worst enemies for not getting these things sorted out ! - I did have a lecture by the Dr in A & E to come back again immediatey if it happens again !

[Catwifie in reply to seamaid]

Yes..me too. Its hard to go from active to resting!

[jerry12953]

I wouldn't want to downplay your symptoms but try Gaviscon. It cures heartburn almost immediately. If that doesn't work suspect heart pain. You can also buy one of the PPI's over the counter which also works quite quickly for me and lasts about 24 hours.

Also from experience reflux related pain is very different to anything heart-related - at least it is for me. "Heartburn" as the name suggests is a burning sensation at the back of the throat (gullet?) as opposed to an actual pain.

[Catwifie in reply to jerry12953]

I'm taking Lansoprazole for a historic reflux problem. 😊

[jerry12953 in reply to Catwifie]

....so you know all about heartburn then...... perhaps the info I posted will help other people.

[Catwifie]

Yes I'm sure it will...this is a great chat room!

[Silvertail]

I can’t always tell except that my indigestion pains are far worse than my heart pains. GTN works for both -a doctor told me that. But it’s better to go to the ED and make sure.

I have had reflux disease for well over 20 years and am on a PPI, but still have severe pain from it. The pain is right in the middle of my chest in the same place.

Whenever I go to hospital with chest pains they always give me Gaviscon or similar to see if it’s reflux or heart.

[wischo in reply to Silvertail]

Yes same here and its very hard to know the difference so I generally wait and see which I know is dodgy but who wants to spend hours sitting in A&E. Hard to win really.