so worried and confused please help........

Diseases & Conditions Heart & Cardiovascular Disease
1
well so far i have posted in GERD...IBS and the ANXIETY forums.......it started 10 years ago wen i started having chest pains and shortness of breath....i went to see a cardioligist where i underwent a stress test and a cardiogram everything was found to be normal tho i did have high cholesterol..then i staarted experiencing a lump type feeling in my throat and constant chest pain and i wud get stomach gripes...my gp sent me to have a tube down my throat with a cam attached the doc says everything was fine a little acid reflux but nothing major......now that has eased off as wen i get it i relax and it eases which makes me believe that part is anxiety..i dont take any meds for this nor do i see any therapists (my doc is not very tolerant of me) but just this past week i have started getting palpitations .......wen i get the palpitations i dont experience any pain in my chest they r just like little flutterings around my heart area........my mum says its anxiety n stress as we r moving home at the moment.....but i am getting a dull ache in my left arm but the arm ache is not at the same time as the palpitations....a friend says it could be the start of a heart attack n now im real scared.......anyone else experience this or give me any advice?????? i know 10 years ago my heart was ok but i worry maybe its clogged arteries or something.......im such a worrier thet my bf thinks im producing these symptoms cos im anxious???????????
2
well even tho no one has given me any advice i will update u on my visit to the docs.....i went just an hour ago...he took my pulse which was 92 (a bit high) tho i was anxious going in so that may have something to do with it.........also my bp which he said was fine....now he is wanting me to fast for blood tests i assume this is for lipid and cholesterol checks(not looking forward to those results) 10 years ago my cholesterol was at 6.5 so lord knows wot they r now.........and friday i go for an ECG test.......trouble is im thinking dont ECG machines only pick up if u r having palps wen ur on it if u r having palps????????? wot i mean is do ECG machines pick up if ur heart is struggling at any time?????????????/
3
toriax, I just don't know what to say. I don't think you are about to have a heart attack though. The dull ache in the arm could be from your preparation for moving-packing up, lifting and moving things around.??? Do you get the dull ache when you are having the palpitaions? Do you get the dull ache in your chest? Are you taking medication for acid reflux? Palpitations and flutters are usually nothing but do need to be checked out. I've had palpitation for almost 6years this June. I hate them but they are benign even though most people can't accept this. Heck-most of the time I have a hard time accepting this and I've had them almost 6years now! What you describe can certaintly be caused by anxiety. Anxiety certainly makes palps worse usually. Good Luck and please let us know how the tests turn out.
4
thanxs hopes for responding.......i have had chest pain and a dull ache in my arm for about 2 years now on n off.......somtimes i get the aching in my arm on its own sometimes with chest pain....its hard cos its so random sometimes i do have aching in my arm with the chest pain sometimes i dont...usually with the palpitations tho i get the palps on their own then maybe a few hours later my arm may ache again????? i will let u know how i go on with the ecg......i guess im anxious but will the ecg pik up any probs with the heart??????????ie....if ur arteries r clogged will that show up on a ecg????????
5

toriax, I share the same symptoms. please read my post under new. 

I have that ache in my arm also. I also feel sick down through the center of my torso.   I am to the point that I wish they would do a catherization just to see if there is anything there. I also have high cholesterol. But it came down a little along with my triglicerides.  I am short of breath doing such little tasks.  And I too have had GI problems. As did my mom and sister.

Well if you read my post it may shed some light on the symptoms you are experiencing. I do know womens symptoms are so different from men. They have symptoms that are clear it heart attack. From what I have read and my doctor says women don't have clear symptoms.

I share your concerns.

back to square #1- off meds for now-Not been diagnosed as of yet.  Have a positive ANA. . Pain reliever. sublingual B-12 , Chronic sinus infections.  Asthma.
 
 

6
Hi toriax,
The ecg will tell your doctor a great deal about your heart and I'm sure you'll find the results reasuring. Often the problem with having symptoms is the stress of not knowing what the problem is.

Reading your posts, I notice that you write with some urgency and anxiety. Anxiety alone can cause the symptoms you are talking about if left unchecked even in perfectly healthy people. If you feel that generally you do suffer from anxiety it may be worth getting to the root cause of it and focusing on solving this at the same time as getting your heart checked.

Take care,

Chris
7

Chrissmithx

Sometimes it's harder to get results for some of us. Doctors are not listening and when you do suggest to check this or that, they pass you along to a specialist who you can't get in with for months. Then if you need a procedure you can't get if done for a month or two.

I experienced going to an ER last week, the ER  doc was told what all was going on, he then asked what I want him to do for me.  I said I need relief of pain.  I had severe diarrea for two months after starting plaquenil and lexapro.  I was told to go off of them after telling both doctors what was going on.  I was sick and off work for two weeks with what I thought was digestive problems. and pelvic pain which bowel problems run in my family, but I was to the end of my rob, being in bed for weeks isn't my way of life.  I wen to the ER and the doctor blatenly told me that if I didn't have a stroke, a heart attack or were in an accident, he could not help me.   I burst out crying got off the table and wanted to leave. He wanted to talk about something and I said if you don't want to help, I am wasting your time and my time and money.  I found out later that he is like that, he is from a big city ER and only comes there once a month. But the head of ER called me because of someone I knew  who knew what happened. By the way it's a newer hospital, they moved to another location and are struggling to get patients.  So I told her what happened, but I said I was very concerned for anyone who went in there when he was there because the state I was in  from dealing with pain and just getting passed around by doctors I could have very well taken my life if it were someone else..  She apologized very much, but it didn't seem like enough. I told her I was never so humiliated in all my life. I said someone with a migrane goes in and gets a pain shot and goes home with some relief.  That's all I was asking that day.  I told them how severe the pain was. 

So you see, some of us struggle for a long time to try to find a doctor who will help.  just amazes me to look at these doctor now days, the seem to be in it for the money. 

back to square #1- off meds for now-Not been diagnosed as of yet.  Have a positive ANA. . Pain reliever. sublingual B-12 , Chronic sinus infections.  Asthma.
 
 

8
Hi debimum,
                    I sympathise with your situation. We all need the right doctor for ourselves and some are luckier than others in achieving this.
 
If you are not happy with the service you get I wonder if it would be possible to utilize this and other forums for "recommended" doctors/clinics. Maybe you and toriax could place a request here, including your geographical location. You should probably do this on any forums in your area, too, to maximize exposure for your question.
 
If you receive recommendations for local doctors in your area of need you could try them out and guage their response to your condition. What do you think?
 
Chris
9

thank you for the info.  I had seen a Rheumy back in Nov. And Dec. He was not very helpful verablly what so ever. He would write down blood work and when I got out to the receptionist she would say where do you want to go for your blook work. Well I had no clue I was to have any.  I would have asked what it was for, what he suspected and etc.  So my family doctor asked me two weeks ago which one I see at the practice and  asked what I think about him.  I said sadly I don't care for his attitude. GP said some of his patients were coming back and complaining about the rheumy and were saying bad things about the GP.  So he told me to see the one female in the practice and I saw her last Friday.  She was very nice and did more physical tests then the male did in the fall. She told me out right that I have fibromyalgia and that the ANA is pointing to lupus.  But she said she wanted to do some other tests long with repeating the ones from the fall.  I had been on plaquenil and then the GP put me on lexapro because of dealing with all the physical problems.  I developed severe diarrea which I had for all but two months. And three weeks ago I just got sick, bad fatigue, no appetite, muscle weakness and tiredness. Was in bed all the time. Then the begining of this week I started with the pain in the chest and back and shortness of breath has been getting worse since January. And now I have this heaviness in my chest discomfort and into my left arm and up my neck sometimes.

   So I will wait to see how the new rheumy does 18th. But I see the gastro doc on Monday.  I guess I was hoping after I told the familydoc how bad I was he would put me in the hospital and have the tests done, like colonoscopy and endoscope and maybe even the cath.  I guess it's like pulling teeth.  But in the mean time I don't get anywhere with anything and no meds help. 

back to square #1- off meds for now-Not been diagnosed as of yet.  Have a positive ANA. . Pain reliever. sublingual B-12 , Chronic sinus infections.  Asthma.
 
 

10

Hi debimum,

                      Sorry to hear you have so much to deal with. Seems like you have a clear plan of action for yourself, though. If you have any good experiences with doctors, it might be worthwhile saying who and which practice they belong to. That way the word will spread about who to see. Better not name the dodgy ones, of course.

Best of luck on the 18th. Don't forget to go well prepared with questions that:

a. Show the doc. you know what you're talking about and

b. Make the doc. commit to a program that has options he/she can explain to you.

Take care,

Chris