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has anyone here had a mild heart attack?

dianeseattle

dianeseattle

Member
I'm wondering what it feels like to have one. Earlier today I suddenly felt a lot of pain radiating from my sternum, down a ways, up to my shoulders and upper arms. I was dizzy and this felt nothing like a panic attack for which I take sedatives as needed.

I laid down on a heating pad after the pain went into my back. I looked up heart attack symptoms & it didn't fit 100%, so I phoned my doc, who had just left. The nurse told me I had to go to the ER, but I was in too much pain to drive and an ambulance would charge me $2000, not covered by insurance. I didn't want to reach out to friends for a ride, and after about an hour, the pain was gone.

I do plan to go to an ER in the morning, as I was given an ultimatum to do so by two different people. Have to get a proper scan that shows the elevated levels indicative of heart attack. But I wondered if my symptoms sounded familiar to anyone. I'm completely healed from RYGB and in pretty good shape, according to all my tests from my last physical. A heart attack is really the last thing i'd expect, but since it was so different from a panic attack, I'm a little concerned.

Anyone who's read my posts in the last couple of days would see I've been through a lot of trauma, very suddenly. How that could affect my health is the x factor here.

Believe me, no matter what anyone shares here, I am still going to the ER in the morning, so I will be seeking a medical diagnosis. I'd still be interested in anyone's opinions, though.
 
dianeseattle said:
I'm wondering what it feels like to have one. Earlier today I suddenly felt a lot of pain radiating from my sternum, down a ways, up to my shoulders and upper arms. I was dizzy and this felt nothing like a panic attack for which I take sedatives as needed.

I laid down on a heating pad after the pain went into my back. I looked up heart attack symptoms & it didn't fit 100%, so I phoned my doc, who had just left. The nurse told me I had to go to the ER, but I was in too much pain to drive and an ambulance would charge me $2000, not covered by insurance. I didn't want to reach out to friends for a ride, and after about an hour, the pain was gone.

I do plan to go to an ER in the morning, as I was given an ultimatum to do so by two different people. Have to get a proper scan that shows the elevated levels indicative of heart attack. But I wondered if my symptoms sounded familiar to anyone. I'm completely healed from RYGB and in pretty good shape, according to all my tests from my last physical. A heart attack is really the last thing i'd expect, but since it was so different from a panic attack, I'm a little concerned.

Anyone who's read my posts in the last couple of days would see I've been through a lot of trauma, very suddenly. How that could affect my health is the x factor here.

Believe me, no matter what anyone shares here, I am still going to the ER in the morning, so I will be seeking a medical diagnosis. I'd still be interested in anyone's opinions, though.
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Diane!!! Get to the ER! To hell with the bill! What would you be telling any of us? My god, please go.
 
There was an anti-war rally in the Alaska Junction, a big historic part of Seattle, and I wanted to go to it, which is why I didn't go to the ER. I felt it was more important to gather and make some noise and I wasn't symptomatic of anything. Totally worth the trip, being surrounded by loving and caring neighbors. I asked if anyone wanted to chant & they didn't know, so I explained that I'd yell "What do we want?" and they'd respond with "PEACE," and I'd shout, "When do we want it?" and they'd shout "NOW!" so it happened and it was amazing. When my voice gave out, I asked if someone else wanted to lead it & this tiny thin young woman leapt at the chance. She kept up the chant until I felt I could leave, intending to drive to the ER. But when I got home, I was too scared to drive in the dark on the street where that poor little dog had died last night. So I checked myself & felt it was safe to wait til morning.
 
dianeseattle said:
I'm wondering what it feels like to have one. Earlier today I suddenly felt a lot of pain radiating from my sternum, down a ways, up to my shoulders and upper arms. I was dizzy and this felt nothing like a panic attack for which I take sedatives as needed.

I laid down on a heating pad after the pain went into my back. I looked up heart attack symptoms & it didn't fit 100%, so I phoned my doc, who had just left. The nurse told me I had to go to the ER, but I was in too much pain to drive and an ambulance would charge me $2000, not covered by insurance. I didn't want to reach out to friends for a ride, and after about an hour, the pain was gone.

I do plan to go to an ER in the morning, as I was given an ultimatum to do so by two different people. Have to get a proper scan that shows the elevated levels indicative of heart attack. But I wondered if my symptoms sounded familiar to anyone. I'm completely healed from RYGB and in pretty good shape, according to all my tests from my last physical. A heart attack is really the last thing i'd expect, but since it was so different from a panic attack, I'm a little concerned.

Anyone who's read my posts in the last couple of days would see I've been through a lot of trauma, very suddenly. How that could affect my health is the x factor here.

Believe me, no matter what anyone shares here, I am still going to the ER in the morning, so I will be seeking a medical diagnosis. I'd still be interested in anyone's opinions, though.
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I never had one but yes go to a doctor. You might have also had a mild stroke I had the same symptoms about 7 years ago and it turned out to be a minor stroke when I got to the E.R. Not trying to scare you but see your dr.
 
dianeseattle said:
There was an anti-war rally in the Alaska Junction, a big historic part of Seattle, and I wanted to go to it, which is why I didn't go to the ER. I felt it was more important to gather and make some noise and I wasn't symptomatic of anything. Totally worth the trip, being surrounded by loving and caring neighbors. I asked if anyone wanted to chant & they didn't know, so I explained that I'd yell "What do we want?" and they'd respond with "PEACE," and I'd shout, "When do we want it?" and they'd shout "NOW!" so it happened and it was amazing. When my voice gave out, I asked if someone else wanted to lead it & this tiny thin young woman leapt at the chance. She kept up the chant until I felt I could leave, intending to drive to the ER. But when I got home, I was too scared to drive in the dark on the street where that poor little dog had died last night. So I checked myself & felt it was safe to wait til morning.
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I gotta say you are one heck of a trooper
 
Of course I would go i I wasn't alone and didn't have to save up money for years to pay for the ambulance. Plus, I'm no longer symptomatic. Honestly, Brenda, I'm terrified at the thought of driving so far in this darkness and spending the whole night in an emergency room. I think I"m safer here and morning is just a few hours away. My neighbor is home and she will help me if anything happens during the night. But I'm not convinced it was a cardiac event though docs will still be able to see those t-waves in the morning if it was. I'm carrying such a huge load of trauma right now, which peaked last night when that little dog died in the street, while being walked by a young man named Avery. The fact that I could even eat or sleep after all that symbolism, was shocking. I still am in psychic pain because of it, and maybe especially because I was the one who picked up the dog and put him in a bag for his owner to see and bury, despite the fact that he'd been disemboweled. I could not get the feeling of blood off my hands though I washed them repeatedly. To me, this new physical reaction came out of trauma. I've been crying all day. But yes, always see a doctor. And I will. But I might get in a wreck tonight because night driving freaks me out so much. I feel I'll be safer in the morning, and I feel certain I'll survive the night and wake in the dawn, as usual.
 
Bill S. said:
I never had one but yes go to a doctor. You might have also had a mild stroke I had the same symptoms about 7 years ago and it turned out to be a minor stroke when I got to the E.R. Not trying to scare you but see your dr.
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I don't think it was a stroke. My dad has his first stroke at 59 and his father died from his first stroke at the age of 61. My lifestyle is so much better than either of theirs were. and I could still move my arm & fingers, whereas my dad couldn't even get his arm in the sleeve of his shirt before he realized it was stroke.

I'm really not stubborn. I'm trying to be rational about this and am monitoring myself in every way, based on what I know of cardio-vascular disease and all the people in my family who have died from it. I had RYGB surgery in order to have a shot at not dying like they all died. I'm taking a calculated risk here, but I suspect there is no risk and the ER docs are going to tell me that.
 
It's past my bedtime but I think what I experienced was angina. I have a faint recollection of being told by a doctor that I have the condition. I think that's what the ER docs will tell me tomorrow.

Although it's not harmless, it's often easily treated and tolerated. Here's a note from the Mayo clinic:

The goals of treatment are to reduce the frequency and severity of your symptoms and to lower your risk of a heart attack and death. However, if you have unstable angina or angina pain that's different from what you usually have, such as occurring when you're at rest, you need immediate treatment in a hospital.​
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The symptoms match precisely what I experienced. I feel a lot better knowing that it's probably angina and if so, it is treatable, even without medications.

I'll tell you more tomorrow. Please don't worry about me.
 
last but not least:

  • Many people do not use pain as a description for angina, instead describing the sensation as a fullness, tightness, burning, squeezing, or ache. The discomfort may be felt in the upper abdomen, between the shoulders, or in the back. The pain may be felt just in an arm, right, left or both, and may or may not be associated with other symptoms.
  • Angina is often brought on by exercise and other strenuous activities and gets better with rest. When the body requires the heart to pump more blood, the heart muscle is asked to do more work and that can cause it to outstrip its energy supply. When the body rests, angina should start to subside.
  • Angina tends to progress slowly over time and patients may not recognize that their symptoms are due to heart disease. It may be fatigue and exercise intolerance, the gradually inability to perform work or other activities that had once been easier to do. It may be shortness of breath with activity like walking up steps or uphill. It is worrisome when the pain comes on at rest or at sleep, since it means that little activity is causing enough stress to cause angina symptoms.
 
No heart attack and I haven't read anything yet (just walked in the door) about a diagnosis. They kept me there because of the emotional issues I talked about when they did the intake, regarding my son & recent events, wouldn't let me leave until my mental health case manager released me to go home. On the way home I stopped by Avery's house & sent him a text that I was outside & could he come out. He did and we hugged and said I love you but there was no sense of despair or regret or anything from his end. He said he was willing to forgive and forget, but I told him there was nothing to forgive (I didn't do anything) and it was a very serious event, so we needed to learn how to talk to each other. He was agreeable but kind of amazing how detached he is from what he did or why it was so serious for me. Like, "I'm fine, what's your problem?" He didn't say that but that's what it felt like. Almost wasn't worth the hug. But we go on and I've got to deal with my own self now and whatever is happening to me. I was totally freaked out when they told me they couldn't release me because of my age-old history of self-destructive urges & gestures. I didn't realize there was a law that they could keep me against my will. Sorry, newbies, you're coming in in the middle of a really long movie. I'm fine, safe, and home. I just don't know what to do next. I guess I'll do some writing about it, see if any clarity comes out of that.
 
dianeseattle said:
No heart attack and I haven't read anything yet (just walked in the door) about a diagnosis. They kept me there because of the emotional issues I talked about when they did the intake, regarding my son & recent events, wouldn't let me leave until my mental health case manager released me to go home. On the way home I stopped by Avery's house & sent him a text that I was outside & could he come out. He did and we hugged and said I love you but there was no sense of despair or regret or anything from his end. He said he was willing to forgive and forget, but I told him there was nothing to forgive (I didn't do anything) and it was a very serious event, so we needed to learn how to talk to each other. He was agreeable but kind of amazing how detached he is from what he did or why it was so serious for me. Like, "I'm fine, what's your problem?" He didn't say that but that's what it felt like. Almost wasn't worth the hug. But we go on and I've got to deal with my own self now and whatever is happening to me. I was totally freaked out when they told me they couldn't release me because of my age-old history of self-destructive urges & gestures. I didn't realize there was a law that they could keep me against my will. Sorry, newbies, you're coming in in the middle of a really long movie. I'm fine, safe, and home. I just don't know what to do next. I guess I'll do some writing about it, see if any clarity comes out of that.
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Thank goodness Diane! I'm really glad it wasn't your heart. Sorry to hear that Avery still doesn't get the impact all this has had. Sounds like his illness is definitely running the show. Please read up on your diagnosis and try to have a calmer evening. We were all worried about you.
 
Girl I’m so sorry I am late, but it sounded like a horrible panic attack. They don’t always feel the same way. I have been to the ER thinking I was having a heart attack and they gave me some meds and it calmed me down because of my history too and Everything was ok. I knew it wasn’t a stroke because I did have one of those when my sodium was dangerously low. Definitely the scariest thing in the world feeling your body lose control of itself and not being able to even form a word.
your kiddo needs to grow up because momma needs him! I know how you felt in the hospital. They won’t let me leave unless my husband comes to get me now. My psychiatrist is not 24/7 so it’s my husbands job to deal with it. Lucky me he doesn’t like hospital bills . I should add if I need it I do have a hospital I do go to. I have only had to go ones thankfully!
Hang in there girl! Something has got your son acting up. Can I ask how old is he?
 
He's 40, Meranda so completely out of my control. And I have panic attacks for which I have medication to take when one begins. But I'm quite sure what I experienced was angina. I am going to be following up with my doctor, but that's going to be tough because tomorrow I see my hand doctor for tests that might indicate I need a plate in my wrist, and on Tuesday, I am scheduled for surgery to implant a new tendon into my thumb because I can't use it. It just won't move because the tendon ruptured. I will probably be recuperating on Wednesday, unless we cancel the surgery in favor of a different date where both procedures can be done, and on Thursday I am scheduled for a phone session, with my mental health case manager. And while that is happening, I'm supposed to be contacting someone about conflict resolution for my son and myself. After seeing him on Thursday, and I felt much different toward him, and I don't feel so hooked into him. I am justifiably angry, but I'm just trying to take care of myself now.
 
Good I’m so glad your just worrying about taking care of yourself right now! Wow 40! I’m 42 and I could act like that smh!!! I really hope they get your hand fixed! That would drive me insane.
you know I don’t understand doctors that think we are supposed to know every time a attack is going to come on. I’m lucky I take medicine that lasts all day long now because I had that problem where I couldn’t figure out when one was coming on and I let my shrink know it! I have bipolar, ptsd, panic attacks, anxiety attacks. I can’t even list it all right now because I can’t think Because my son is playing me music. I had the rough life and then inherited some, go me . It’s a horrible thing to live with, mental illness. I don’t like the stigma. I’m a open book about it. I’ve been in a hospital for attempting suicide, which I attempted many other times, but my husband took care of me and so did my sister. They constantly were saving my life. My daughter threw away anything sharp in the house when she was about ten. Nothing a child should worry about. she and I are now extremely close after a long battle of I hate you mom for killing my childhood. She forgives me and loves me for helping her make her decisions in life. She’s now I’m college for a counselor to help others like I am.
I am doing great! I’ve been doing great for many years thanks to the right meds, doctor and counselor. If I ever felt that low again I would admit myself.
sorry I know you shared and I wanted you to see. I understand you. Keep worrying about getting yourself healthy!
 
dianeseattle said:
He's 40, Meranda so completely out of my control. And I have panic attacks for which I have medication to take when one begins. But I'm quite sure what I experienced was angina. I am going to be following up with my doctor, but that's going to be tough because tomorrow I see my hand doctor for tests that might indicate I need a plate in my wrist, and on Tuesday, I am scheduled for surgery to implant a new tendon into my thumb because I can't use it. It just won't move because the tendon ruptured. I will probably be recuperating on Wednesday, unless we cancel the surgery in favor of a different date where both procedures can be done, and on Thursday I am scheduled for a phone session, with my mental health case manager. And while that is happening, I'm supposed to be contacting someone about conflict resolution for my son and myself. After seeing him on Thursday, and I felt much different toward him, and I don't feel so hooked into him. I am justifiably angry, but I'm just trying to take care of myself now.
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Diane, I'm glad to see you felt not so hooked by him. I hope mediation can help some.
 
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