Had a crushing pain in my chest, that then went all the way up to the top of my neck! Angina? or indegestion?

[tingles]

I am a bit worried, I have been to the doctors on friday evening. but on thursday I was just shopping in Lidl, pushing my trolley, when I suddenly had a very intense crushing pain in my chest that then went all the way up my neck. It lasted about 8 minutes and I was so concerned that I rang my boyfriend as didnt know what to do.

anyway it passed and I put it down to indegestion. but the following morning felt it may have been more serious, so made an urgent doc appt.

she did bloods on monday and an ECG (normal)

I am worried as my hypothyroidism went undiagnosed for about 6 years!!!! and I know that that can cause damage to ones arteries

Anyone any ideas or had something similar?

Thanks for looking

[PinkNinja]

I haven't experienced this but if it happens again, get yourself straight to the hospital. Hopefully it is nothing to worry about but at least if you get straight there they will have more chance of working out what is happening. If you go to A&E with chest pains, you usually get rushed straight through to be on the safe side. With chest pains, it is ok to call an ambulance. They'd rather you do that and it turn out to be nothing than you wait and it turns out to be something serious.

My father in law has hypothyroidism and has also had a quadruple bypass (a long time ago). Last time he had chest pains they thought he probably was going to need another op. It turned out he was very anaemic and had low sodium levels. I think this is something worth getting checked. If you can ask your GP to check your sodium and potassium and also your serum iron and ferritin (stored iron) that might reveal something. If you get these tested, let us know the results. I'm sure he'll want to check other things too.

Hopefully everything is ok, but it's as well to get it checked out.

Carolyn x

[tingles]

thanks Carolyn

the doctor did tell me if it happened again to ring 999. she has also done an urgent referral to the chest clinic.

I really dont know if she was checking my potassium and sodium but I will have a look at the blood results and see if they are on there. x

[MaryF]

Go to the hospital next time...don't hang about, to be on the safe side, at least they might catch what is going on..MaryF x

[Heloise]

There is something else that causes that sort of pain called chostocondritis. It can cause a fierce cutting pain and is more of an arthritis of the sternum. It's difficult because many people do think they are having a heart problem. Of course, gerd, or indigestion can be the source as well. But if you have been tested and they can find nothing wrong with your heart, I would say to relax unless you have other symptoms. You can bring it on by lifting and tugging activities and it can feel difficult to breath as well. Anti inflammatories can help if you can tolerate them.

[Jackie]

Hi It does not sound like Angina, but important net time to go to out patients, ambulance, no way of knowing without a specific blood test for MI s However, usual way of telling if it is the heart is if the pain stays the same when exhaling and inhaling.

Best wishes,

Jackie

[Hidden]

One of the reasons you should "call an ambulance" next time if there is one is because if it is the heart you need to be quickly assessed and there is a blood test that is done to see if you have had a "silent" heart attack or a normal one by looking for a certain hormone in the blood which will be there for some hours afterwards. You might ask your Dr (perhaps over the phone) if she tested for that hormone and what the results were so that it will put your mind at rest while you perhaps continue with any other checks for arterial problems.

[hairyfairy]

It`s very confusing, chest pain, I had an scary thing happen the other day, I put my arms behind my head, & got this weird pain starting at the point of my right shoulder blade, moving up to the right side of my neck. It felt like someone was sticking a screwdriver through my chest on the right side. I was thinking " could this be a heart problem" but the pain never comes on when I do something strenous, like carry heavy shopping upstairs, so I guess that it`s just a recurrance of a shoulder problem that Iv`e been having recently. I just wish that it was easier to tell whether pain is down to heart problems, or just muscle or tendon pain, It would certainly save a lot of unnecessary trips to the doctor or A&E!

[teisibell]

Hi tingles

I have had what you describe and at first I thought it was a heart attack! While I would not ignore the above advice you could try just drinking some cold water and see if that helps. It turned out that what I was experiencing was an esophageal spasm, harmless but very uncomfortable. Now I carry water with me all the time just in case......I am also hypo but I THINK I have that under control. BTW it had nothig to do with the thryoid as far as I know.

Hugs to you I hope this helps.

[tingles]

Thanks very much for all of your considered replies. I will have a good chat with the people at the chest clinic xxx

[sandrad]

Hi Tingles, I had something a little similar. I went to my GP several times with chest pain, even had a normal ECG. Told (as usual!!) you're stressed, nothing wrong with you, and got a go away yet again. Worried, I went to a private GP in Glasgow and was referred to a cardiologist who a noticed a murmur straightaway. He instructed an Echocardiogram and a 'Bruce (Fitness) Test'. The echocardiogram clearly displayed a mitral value prolapse (I too had undiagnosed hypothroidism for many years - fobbed off time and time again) which he was not overly worried about but wished to keep an eye on.

This may have nothing to do with your symptoms but basically I say - don't take no for an answer if you have chest pain ask/demand to be referred for an echocardiogram/'Bruce Test'/24hr BP check from your GP. xxx

[tingles]

Hi Sandrad, thanks for that very good advice, I think I will see what they say at the chest clinic and ask about an echocardiogram etc. If they don't listen I may very well see a private GP. My dad died of a massive heart attack at 58 and my grandad at 41 so theres a family history there x

[shaws Administrator]

I hope you get your results soon.

If all your tests prove clear, keep in mind that some of us with hypo can get low stomach acid which doctors usually treat as being high acid as symptoms are very similar but treatment differs.

empoweredsustenance.com/hea...

[tingles]

Thanks Shaw, what a great informative site x

[tingles in reply to tingles]

saw an nhs cardiologist today, he basically said I have angina and coronary heart disease. (had 2 thallium scans and an echocardioram and a 24 hour heart monitor) Ive got to have an angiogram in 4 weeks. feeling quite sad and overwhelmed

[cheryl3245]

I had both those symptoms before being diagnosed as hypo, feeling the same a t the moment, think my thyroid is playing up