Bit of a scare

Dburkhead · Post by **Dburkhead** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 3:40 am

Yesterday, while I was at work, I started having chest pains. Now, that could have been a bunch of things including a pulled muscle or bruise from Judo, but, of course, one particular thought came to mind--especially when later in the day I got further pain in my left arm.

Since I was alone at work, I was actually to the point of debating driving myself to the ER or even calling 911 (since if the worst really was happening, driving might put not only myself but others at risk). However, before I'd reached the end of that debate I "burped up" some sour gook in the back of my throat.

Looks like I was getting all worked up over heartburn/reflux. And while reflux is nothing to sneeze at, I'll take that over what I thought might have been happening.

BTW, my boss, who is also a friend, when I told him about this said that it's a high priority item to discuss with my doctor JIC.

Dotty · Post by **Dotty** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 3:43 am

I have a broken esophagus and hardcore gastritis. That pain is a common thing, and I never linked it to the acid reflux. You solved one of my many worries in life.

I appreciate that, because as frequent as chest pains are, they don't get any less worrying. :S

ChibiJess · Post by **ChibiJess** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 3:56 am

I've had that too.

Unfortunately - the first time I had it, I was alone, about 17, and my parents weren't answering their cell phones. I was scared. I had gotten to the point where I could not breath, or move, and my entire left side had started tingling and burning. It felt like I was having a heart attack.

My parents sauntered in about an hour later looked at me, and said "Oh - it's just acid reflux - go take some tums." My mom has been to the hospital before, thinking it was a heart attack, when it was realy just acid reflux.

But definately talk to the Doc about it.

Glad you're ok.

Rkolter · Post by **Rkolter** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 3:59 am

If you think you may be having a heart attack, you waited too long. The sooner you get medical intervention the better. There are literally hundreds of cases a year of someone driving themselves to the ER with the heart attack that later kills them.

Dotty · Post by **Dotty** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 4:50 am

How comforting.

Skylark King · Post by **Skylark King** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 5:19 am

Hugh Laurie has made me a little bit of a hypocondriac. Sure I used to watch ER and Scrubs but only until House came along did I start getting visions of a small pain in my foot turning into lung cancer or some crap like that. CURSE YOU HOUSE!!!

Dwight L. MacPherson · Tue Oct 10, 2006 5:27 am

I developed gastric reflux while in the Army.
Luckily, my condition is regulated with medication.

Jpac · Post by **Jpac** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 5:30 am

I remember having pains in my chest and when I went to the doctor I found I had an inflamed intrapleural wall (or something like that) that was putting constant pressure on my chest.

Those type of pains should freak anybody out and rkolter's right. If you ever don't know where that pain is coming from get it checked ASAP

Doll · Post by **Doll** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 5:32 am

I had a constant weird fluttering in my heart a while back. It went away on it's own.

Dwight L. MacPherson · Tue Oct 10, 2006 5:37 am

Doll wrote:I had a constant weird fluttering in my heart a while back. It went away on it's own.

There are so many things that can cause heart palpitations. Stress is the most common causative agent.
I experienced a few severe episodes while stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas.
The cause of the episodes was an ex-wife.
Needless to say, this problem was rectified three years ago.

Rkolter · Post by **Rkolter** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 6:14 am

If you really worry about your heart, request a stress test. They transfuse you with a chemical that fully dialates your arteries, and has a radioactive dye that they use to watch how your body reacts and how the blood is flowing. They have you fully monitored during the whole thing.

GAH is it awful. No, really, it's pretty fucked up - you sit there feeling like you just ran a marathon for six minutes. It doesn't hurt... the feeling was more of, "Oh god when will this stop??" But then they turn it off and you feel ok in a minute or so.

I was happy to find out that my arteries are clear and my heart is fine.

RemusShepherd · Post by **RemusShepherd** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 6:19 am

I have a hyatial hernia with reflux, *and* costochrondritis that is stress-induced. Chest pains happen to me all the time. They let me know I'm alive.

A heart attack will likely hit you more like a freight train than a nagging discomfort in your chest, and there should be pains radiating into your left arm. At least that's what I tell myself when I'm checking my pulse after a bad gas attack.

Dwight L. MacPherson · Tue Oct 10, 2006 6:21 am

I'm digressing, but with all this talk of flatus, I know I'm in the right place.

Rkolter · Post by **Rkolter** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 6:23 am

RemusShepherd wrote:A heart attack will likely hit you more like a freight train than a nagging discomfort in your chest, and there should be pains radiating into your left arm. At least that's what I tell myself when I'm checking my pulse after a bad gas attack.

Self-diagnosing heart attacks would be much easier if that were true. Unfortunately, the radiating pains and the pressure on the chest that people talk about don't happen all the time, or even a signficant majority of the time. Heart attacks, even major ones, can have very subtle symtoms, or come on light a freight train. If you get chest pains, and you want to ease your mind at all, you really need to speak to your doctor, who can have a workup done.

Noise Monkey · Post by **Noise Monkey** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 6:31 am

Dwight L. MacPherson wrote:I developed gastric reflux while in the Army.
Luckily, my condition is regulated with medication.

My wife and my father have that. I may have a touch of it, too, but vinegar seems to fix it well enough for me (so long as breath that smells like a dyed easter egg is what you would call fixed)

Dwight L. MacPherson · Tue Oct 10, 2006 6:33 am

Noise Monkey wrote:
My wife and my father have that. I may have a touch of it, too, but vinegar seems to fix it well enough for me (so long as breath that smells like a dyed easter egg is what you would call fixed)

If it works for you, keep it up, man.
You wouldn't believe the ton of medications I take daily...

Dotty · Post by **Dotty** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 8:53 am

Dwight L. MacPherson wrote:
Noise Monkey wrote:
My wife and my father have that. I may have a touch of it, too, but vinegar seems to fix it well enough for me (so long as breath that smells like a dyed easter egg is what you would call fixed)
If it works for you, keep it up, man.
You wouldn't believe the ton of medications I take daily...

Yeah I would.

Dwight L. MacPherson · Tue Oct 10, 2006 9:04 am

TdotOdot2k wrote:
Yeah I would.

Doctor Burgess? Is that you?

ChibiJess · Post by **ChibiJess** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 9:05 am

In high school - I was taking I think 6 pills every morning. Anti inflamatories for my ankles and joints. Allergy medication. Zoloft for the generalized anxiety disorder. Two kinds of stomach meds for the ulcers I'd worried myself into because of the generalized anxiety (those are from Middle school). And a vitamin. And eye drops atleast 3 times a day.

I was a very medicated teen.

Dwight L. MacPherson · Tue Oct 10, 2006 9:12 am

ChibiJess wrote:In high school - I was taking I think 6 pills every morning. Anti inflamatories for my ankles and joints. Allergy medication. Zoloft for the generalized anxiety disorder. Two kinds of stomach meds for the ulcers I'd worried myself into because of the generalized anxiety (those are from Middle school). And a vitamin. And eye drops atleast 3 times a day.

I was a very medicated teen.

Wow.
You doing better now?