Heart Attack?

@patgalca (18164)
Orangeville, Ontario
March 23, 2017 8:52am CST
I haven't been around much and have a lot of catching up to do and create. I will start with one thing for now and hope I can get back on here later. I've been having chest pains, which is a symptom of fibromyalgia. So I tend to ignore them. I have two different types of chest pains. The other is what I feel is a twisted esophagus. Down gulps of water and it clears up. One morning I had that second pain and the water wasn't helping. The pain radiated around to my back. Then I had a sudden onset of indigestion, which is weird because I take medication for acid reflux. I panicked a bit because my brother died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 56 and I will be 55 this year. But I held off going to the hospital. I told my husband I would see how the day went. A couple of days later I read a woman's testimony about how her heart attack consisted of chest pains and sudden onset of indigestion. I freaked. I decided when I go for my physical (today) I will ask to go to the heart specialist again and get the full work-up (did that right after my brother died 13 years ago). The other kind of chest pain, which I relate to fibromyalgia, is in the sternum area. I was at the dentist two weeks ago when the pain kicked in. I was strongly encouraged to go to the ER, so I did. Everything checked out okay. I am being overly cautious because my father's family is riddled with diabetes, heart disease and stroke. There has never been any heart issues on my mother's side until last year when she had a heart attack. But she is 92 and bounced back in a week. However, two arteries were blocked but they could only stent one. With heart issues being on both sides of the family now I worry more. Worrying isn't going to help me, but I've been doing my best to eat healthy and keep exercising. I think that's all I can really do.
5 people like this
8 responses
@Kandae11 (53601)
23 Mar 17
When it is in the family, the best thing for you to do is eat healthy and have regular check ups.
2 people like this
@patgalca (18164)
• Orangeville, Ontario
23 Mar 17
And I just got back from the doctor and half way home I realized I forgot to ask her to refer me to a heart specialist for a stress test. But everything seems to be okay. I just have to keep eating healthy, like you said, and exercising.
@Morleyhunt (21598)
• Canada
23 Mar 17
Thirteen years ago my mother inlaw was living with us. We were in the middle of a blizzard so we held off calling an ambulance. Two days later we mentioned what had happened to the GP. The doctors told us in no uncertain terms if anything like that ever happened again we should dial 911 and get her to the hospital. Nothing happened but if it had, we had waited too long. Fast response is the key.
2 people like this
@patgalca (18164)
• Orangeville, Ontario
23 Mar 17
I know. It's hard though when you have fibro and it consists of sooooo many symptoms. You tend to brush off stuff as fibro or you go rushing to the doctor for every little thing. I am a member of the former group. But as I get older I shouldn't be so lax about it.
1 person likes this
@Fishmomma (11378)
• United States
24 Mar 17
Worrying is bad for all of us and its hard not to say the what ifs and feel worse when we get to the doctors office and admit to having chest pains in the past. My brother had a heart attack at 40, so understand that you will worry like I do at times. My brother survived and is on medication. He was told to lose weight and that hasn't been easy. He enjoys several foods with a lot of calories.
1 person likes this
@patgalca (18164)
• Orangeville, Ontario
25 Mar 17
My brother was big on barbecuing so he ate a lot of fatty red meat. I don't eat that stuff.
1 person likes this
@Fishmomma (11378)
• United States
25 Mar 17
@patgalca My brother did also. I try to eat healthy and lean meats like chicken.
1 person likes this
@Shavkat (136865)
• Philippines
24 Mar 17
I think you need to have a check up. Chest pain is a sign of having a heart attack.
@patgalca (18164)
• Orangeville, Ontario
25 Mar 17
I was at the hospital 2 weeks ago and had my blood drawn and an echo done. Everything is fine. I have fibromyalgia which consists of muscle pain so I have muscles in my chest that hurt sometimes.
1 person likes this
@Shavkat (136865)
• Philippines
25 Mar 17
@patgalca I think you need to have physiotherapy services for your fibromyalgia. That's really painful.
@PatZAnthony (14752)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
24 Mar 17
It is something to check out for sure. You know a heart attack can also kill quickly.
@patgalca (18164)
• Orangeville, Ontario
25 Mar 17
I went to the hospital 2 weeks ago and they took blood and did an echo... all is good. It's another one of those fibromyalgia issues that you don't know whether it is or it isn't. There are muscles in the chest area so they hurt sometimes.
1 person likes this
@PatZAnthony (14752)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
26 Mar 17
@patgalca That is understood. We have lost people who were told it was not their heart, when it was.
• Banks, Oregon
25 Mar 17
What a scary experience, and so young to be having heart attacks, I have chest pain but I to have acid reflux and bad heart burn.
1 person likes this
@patgalca (18164)
• Orangeville, Ontario
25 Mar 17
The thing is, I have acid reflux as well with heart burn and indigestion. If I don't take my medication I am feeling pretty bad come early evening. So to have an immediate attack of indigestion first thing upon waking when I had my medication before going to bed was a little unusual. The medication, twice a day, keeps it under control.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (45226)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
23 Mar 17
Well take it easy. Worrying doesn't help any.
@patgalca (18164)
• Orangeville, Ontario
23 Mar 17
The doctor told me just to keep eating healthy and I'll be okay.
@dramagirl26 (3259)
• Ringgold, Virginia
26 Mar 17
This is something you need to have checked out. Chest pains isn't something that should be ignored.
@patgalca (18164)
• Orangeville, Ontario
27 Mar 17
If you read the whole article you'd see that I went to the hospital and got checked out and everything is good.