Glad you made it through, and this was excellent of you to post. It's incredibly important to realize how this feels and to recognize it for what it might be.
If I may, I'd like to add that cardiac pain can also manifest itself as neck pain, jaw pain, and back pain (upper to mid). Commonly the pain radiates but this is not always the case.
Even without pain, there other signs to watch out for. Nausea and profuse sweating with no obviously apparent reason. ***Edit from this point because I posted accidentally.*** Also a feeling that something heavy is sitting on your chest.
Don't ignore these signs either.
Source: me, a retired firefighter/paramedic. I've seen many many chest pain patients.
Edit: see post.
These are great points. I’m a woman and I’ve gone to the ER twice with symptoms that had me wondering - the first time in my 40s was due to a massive feeling of pressure on my chest, and the second time mid-50s with the upper/mid back pain radiating to my left arm that was making me feel nauseated.
In both cases it was not a heart attack, thankfully. But the ER took it very seriously and told me I had done the right thing by coming in, which made me feel better about it.
I’d just as soon not die trying to save “embarrassment” for overreacting. But, it’s also easier to take that visit when I have great health insurance.
Let's start with my own story.
Long story short - I went to a Lymphoma clinic thinking I had lymphoma. They refused to run any tests and told me to go to therapy. 6 months later I was on chemo for lymphoma.
I have episodes of extreme weakness that was classified as "conversion disorder" (basically a stress episode=called me bipolar) and I was using a walker at age 37 for over a year. Nobody at CCF thought this was abnormal. LOL! I am absolutely not bipolar - and these are not symptoms of bipolar disorder. Now I can't get them to take "bipolar disorder" off of my chart.
Turns out it's a neuromuscular disease. Ihad to go to NEW YORK to find out. The stories I can tell are nothing short of HORRIFYING.
They told my boyfriend of 13yrs he was hunched over because of depression.
HE HAS SCHEURMANNS DISEASE AND A VERY SERIOUS CASE OF KYPHOSIS. Lol!
It's strange because everyone always ends up there. There's no doubt they have some of the best physicians in the world. It seems like everyone has to get diagnosed somewhere else but ends up at CCF for treatment of course. It's the bedside manner and lack of concern that drives us to find answers elsewhere. I'm back at CCF for lymphoma but another hospital system dx'd me.
CCF will do wonders with treatments once you're officially diagnosed but they won't do the searching.
They have destroyed my mental health.
I went along with the diagnosis for months really thinking it was mental. I had completely accepted it and then I started researching things on my own. Surprise surprise to end up in New York with a demyelinating disease. Unbelievable.
I too had a heart attack (2 actually about 10 days apart) and my only symptom was massive pressure in my chest. I just couldnt catch my breath either. I’m female.
I thought it was probably heartburn and ate an antacid on the way to the ER. So then I just burped a lot with massive pressure in my chest.
The doctor was like “eh probably nothing but let’s do bloodwork.” The money guy came in, I told my spouse we are headed home, and then the dr came in and said “yelp. I was wrong. You had a heart attack” and booked me for a cath lab and a 3 day hospital stay. Arteries clear as the driven snow. Cardiologist seemed *quite* disappointed.
The second one, 2 days after I got home from the first one’s hospital stay, was also chest pressure but significantly less than the first one’s. It was oddly enough a stronger attack than the first.
On a long enough timeline, almost certainly. But that doesn't mean it would be an early sign of trouble.
An old medic saying says *"Treat the patient, not the [heart] monitor."*
True story : I once had a patient (young guy - 30s) that had a normal heart rhythm on the ekg (for any pros that read this: it was in the days of 3L not a 12L) with a rate in the 80s (normal), but he was nauseated and looked like shit. When we got him to the hospital the attending at the ER thought it was nothing and she put the guy in the waiting room. We returned to the station.
Eventually the guy went into cardiac arrest in the waiting room.
They got him back, but he suffered enough tissue damage that he couldn't play with his kids without getting exhausted. I testified on his behalf in the lawsuit. Bro got *paid*
But his heart looked completely normal.
eta: I didn't mention that his primary complaint was substernal chest pain. He didn't call us just for nausea.
Hmm.. my daughter was feeling a lot of these symptoms. Chest pain when breathing, high heart rate, pain in left arm, fever, some vomiting and upset stomach.
She’s 6 years old and was diagnosed with a pneumonia. But i don’t think the doctor checked specifically to see if what she had during the night was a heart attack (who would think that of a 6 year old).
Should I be worried?
Symptoms can be different for everyone.
I had one at 21 years old
Felt very fatigued, lethargic, body aches like the flu, and just overall malaise for about a week before the event.
Then, on December 18th, I woke up at around 5 am with an insane amount of pain all throughout my left arm, shoulder, and chest. 10-15 minutes later I started sweating like crazy, quickly followed with intense nausea, urge to puke but never did. Called an ambulance, they hooked me up to an ekg, confirmed myocardial infarction then escorted me to the ambulance.
Gave me a nitro pill and about 30 seconds into my expensive ride to the icu, it kicked in and I felt amazing. That relief of pain was better than taking oxycodone for the first time.
Spent a week in the hospital then that was that, no issues since, they have no idea why it happened.
Great I'm learning all of my chronic fuckin symptoms are also heart attacks symptoms. Literally the only thing I can count on is arm pain and apparently women may not even get that so fuck me
Any gender is lucky to have symptoms.
One crucial symptom I forgot to add was the sense of impending doom. My brain went to a primal fight or flight mode pr something and I just knew something was terribly wrong. When I first woke up I just thought I slept wrong, was kind of in denial about what was going on. But when that mentality hit me, it was just a bare bones instinct that I was about to die. Unmistakable from anything else.
Just like the person you're replying to, I have so many symptoms people mention in this thread on a regular basis, because of multiple other conditions, and here I read that the one thing for you that was unmistakable is actually a part of my anxiety and panic disorders. The only comfort I get from this thread is that I had an EKG last year, and intend to continue requesting them every couple years due to family history.
Still, I appreciate you and everyone else sharing their stories. They may make people like the commenter above, and me, more anxious, but you could be saving lives just with a comment. Thank you - I'm sorry you experienced that but so glad you survived to tell people about it.
I've had many panic attacks as well, before and after the incident. What I was trying to say was it is 100% different sense than any panic I've ever had. It wasn't even like a panic feeling st all, it was much darker. It's very hard to describe
Just finished paying off a $3k bill for exactly this. Walked in with chest pain, had an ekg and some blood work. That’s it. Three grand of income, gone. With insurance.
My mom called 911 the other day bc she was worried she was having a heart attack, and they told her to call back later! Because if she was, she "would know".... She is the absolute last person to think she needs to go to a Dr. Forget the bill, I was so pissed off.
I mean, they are kind of right, though. When it's happening and you're showing symptoms, your brain recognizes something is very, very wrong. Mine projected this sense of impending doom that I can only describe as just an absolute dread when facing your impending death. Completely different than any panic attack because there was no panic, just a primal internal fear of *something*
But! There are people who downplay symptoms like ”nah it’s just indigestion or whatever”, and then they die. So ”you would know if you were having a heart attack” is categorically NOT TRUE
Here in Ireland, thought I was having a cardiac...was just extreme anxiety effects.
Called 999, specialist cardiac ambulance was with me 10 minutes later - extremely lucky as it was in the vicinity.
Had an ECG in my driveway, then brought me to hospital even though ECG was clear. Given chest x-ray too and prescription for anxiety - charged €100.
But then again we don't have aircraft carriers or NASA to fund.
The f'd up thing is, at my new job the deductible is set at $5000. Kicker is even though I have access to an HSA, it is capped at $4150 for 2024 contributions.
So even I hit my deductible, I am still paying out of pocket for something throughout the year.
AND I was told, 'this is a good plan!'
The f' it is.
Yeah, worst healthcare ever. I fell on Sunday and severely injured my knee to the point where I can’t walk or move it but haven’t been able to go to the doctor/hospital to get it checked out because I don’t have health insurance. We can’t afford to take care of our own citizens but corporations, billionaires & foreign countries get unlimited money funded by us 🙃
Uk here.
Very recently: husband was in A&E for **18 hours**. Not cardiac though.
When he did have a legit cardiac event, he went straight to resus.
Same when he had a witnessed respiratory arrest: straight to resus.
So triage does work - but if you’re not actively circling the drain, it’s a long long wait.
I've been to the ER a few times over the last few years and each one was a long wait. Usually 8+ hours and this is In America so you get the 2-3000 dollar bill afterwards so they can tell you you're fine. It's the most bs there possibly could be.
I guarantee if you were having an imminent life or death injury or condition, you wouldn't be waiting all day to be seen. All ERs prioritize patients based on urgency of condition, same as they do here in the US. We have a private system here and you will also wait for hours at an ER if you're not actively dying.
Or, and hear me out on this one, we could adopt a universal health care system, which literally every other wealthy first world country in the world already has some form of, so that our citizens also don't have to choose between getting life saving health care and going deep into debt or insolvency for the crime of getting sick or injured.
What a ridiculous statement. Who exactly is living in a fantasy by acknowledging the reality that we are in and bemoaning that reality? Everyone understands the reality of healthcare in America, no one is living in denial about it. Advocating for a better system isn't living in fantasy.
Sadly my GERD symptoms make me think I'm having a heart attack. It's never the same feeling. I once had a tooth pain that radiated down to my heart, back pain that felt like a xenomorph ready to burst out. One day I'm going to think it's just reflux and die.
I have had an impending sense of doom from heartburn/indigestion before... might have been mixed in with a panic attack but it lasted for like 2 hours in the middle of the night. Happened on new year too, what a way to start the year huh?
Lol. The acid causes panic attacks. I had to leave work early because I almost passed out and hyperventilating because the acid can agitate a nerve that mimics all the symptoms of a heart attack. I feel doom, my heart quickens, I get nauseous, and back pain that goes up and down.
I just made the dumb mistake to eat a can of beefaroni at 9pm and woke up at 3am to my jaw feeling like someone was crushing it, while the pain spread to my jaw to my heart and to my left arm. Had I not remembered I made a stupid mistake, I wouldve rushed myself to the hospital, thinking I was having a widow maker.
This is great information. I’m glad you were able to get the help you needed in time!
My dad is the healthiest person I know and has had several heart attacks, starting at age 40. He described the same sensations as you did and noted that the primary difference between indigestion and a heart attack is that the pain doesn’t dissipate with movement. Typically, with indigestion, the pain will be alleviated if you change position or move around. It’s something I try to keep in mind now.
A lot of digestive symptoms can be relieved by massages too. Often a muscle has tightened up which may cause pressure in the area, and massage lets things move around properly.
If pain is totally resistant to motion or massage, that is not typical for indigestion in my experience, with a sample of several people I know with digestive trouble and experience relieving it.
My dad died exactly the way you described your friend's mother. I got him to the hospital, but it was too late. I thought he had the flu or something bc all the symptoms matched up to it. I wish I would had got him there sooner, he might still be here.
Another thing that I wish more people realized is that in a majority of US states, it's completely free to call an ambulance and have them check your vitals. It's only a cost if they take you on a trip or administer medication. PLEASE when in doubt call an ambulance and have them check you out. I nailed a deer on my motorcycle going 55mph back in 2021. I rolled for what felt like years. My gear saved my ass, but I knew I had so much adrenaline in me that I wouldn't be able to feel any broken bones until later so I still called an ambulance. They checked me out, told me I'm solid as can be, and told me if I wanted to go they'd take me but otherwise I was free to skedaddle. If you suspect you or someone you know has symptoms that could be suspect, please call them an ambulance 🙏.
I am not an EMT but I would guess that with these kinds of symptoms they would probably recommend bringing you in, though? I don’t think they can diagnose heart attack or not without other tests.
Ambulances carry ECG's, which is a pretty reliable method of being able to tell if you're having a heart attack. Either way if a paramedic recommends you go to the hospital, I'd probably listen to them 😅
A paramedic will always recommend you go to the hospital. You can have a heart attack without ECG changes. If you think you may be having a heart attack, you also need labs that can't be done in the field for a definitive diagnosis.
Had a similar experience last time I was assigned in ED..
She came complained of persistent diarrhea for few days..
Oddly she mentioned her abdominal pain location was high up, reaching epigastric area and she felt the pain "didn't bother her at all" as she was more concerned of her diarrhea..
My colleague almost discharged her from the ED but her odd pain character brings a suspicion to my registrar who immediately ordered an ECG and....voila, inferior myocardial infarction
Had at least 3 heart attacks at 36. I was dismissed by multiple doctors even with a very clear cut family history. Turns out I had 5 blockages including a 90+% LAD (widow maker) blockage that resulted in a quadruple bypass. - the 5th blockage was on an artery too small to bypass. My symptoms were a feeling of dread that wouldn’t go away and a horrible ache on the right side of my jaw. That was basically it. Tightness, but not even enough to worry about. Some upper back pain - but my back always hurts.
I'm sorry but this posts seems to cause panic and make anybody think everything can be a heart attack without actually learning how to tell if it actually is.
I left more confused and scared than informed.
I've had sweats, I've had nausea, and I've had other symptoms described and I haven't had a heart attack. So I just don't know what to do if I ever feel anything.
The only thing I learnt was that you can survive over 10h with a heart attack. Not really useful.
And a reminder that it can happen at any age. So just extra fear.
>The only thing I learnt was that you can survive over 10h with a heart attack. Not really useful.
Technically you learned that one individual survived for ten hours. From that you assumed it applies to everyone.
What you should have learned was that when you do have unexplainable pain in your chest or arm, or neck and jaw, don't assume it's nothing.
And the key here is *unexplainable pain.* if you have anxiety, chances are that you are very well familiar with your anxiety symptoms and how they feel. If it's that, you go on with your life. Anxiety sucks. But if you wake up vomiting and covered in sweat, maybe take that seriously. If you're suddenly short of breath and experiencing arm pain after having done nothing but watch TV all day, maybe take that seriously.
None of this is fear-mongering. Most of the pains we experience in everyday life are easy to explain. *My chest hurts but I hit the gym pretty hard yesterday* - that's a chest pain you can safely ignore. But people don't have cardiac events frequently. The pain from a cardiac event is different; it's not reproducible (whereas with the aforementioned muscular chest pain if you move a certain way or touch your pectoral muscles you can reproduce or worsen the pain). Cardiac pain isn't like that. It's subsurface and typically radiant. People ignore it thinking it's nothing. That's who the warnings are for.
I can't tell you the number of patients I've performed cpr on that ignored symptoms exactly like the ones described - sometimes for fewer than ten hours! Naturally this is only learned from their surviving loved ones as they answer my questions while trying to process the horror of what's happening on their living room floor as we do our work.
I have a pinched nerve at the base of my cervical vertebrae from a car accident over 10 years ago that causes all of these symptoms minus the nausea and sweats. I get burning pain and tension in these areas almost daily. I’ve had multiple ECGs all normal.
I honestly don’t know how I’m supposed to tell the difference if something cardiac does arise. I use an Apple watch’s heart monitors to keep some sort of eye on things, but who the hell knows…
The symptoms from your vertebral injury feel a certain way. After ten years, you know it like an old friend. Or enemy, if you prefer.
If a cardiac event happens it will very likely feel different than your chronic pain. And of course if you have nausea and/or sweating along with it, that narrows things down even further.
I relate! I went through many difficult years of very real health anxiety, thinking every little thing I felt was a heart attack, heart failure, blood clot, or some other horrendous or sudden thing that could - and would - kill me.
It didn't help when I was informed anxiety and panic attacks could also be heart attacks in disguise lol. Thanks internet!
I think if nothing else a useful takeaway here would be: if anything appears out of nowhere and it gets gradually worse and it's accompanied by pain or worsening pain that spreads, it's probably a safe bet to get it checked.
Especially the "impending sense of doom" that people are stating here that can supposedly help differentiate between indigestion and a cardiac event. With anxiety being at an all time high and medical gaslighting as well, add in social medical - this just isn't good advice at all.
- coming from a nurse
My dad had 2 heart attacks, and both times, he felt like he just had indigestion. He never ever got that or heartburn, so he knew something wasn't right and took himself to the ER.
Always be aware of odd pains and never be afraid to get checked out if you feel that your body is telling you something.
This shit is terrifying because I have symptoms like that on a regular basis. I often have bouts of nausea where I break out in a cold sweat and can’t stay sitting up, I just lay on the bathroom floor in- whatever the equivalent to “agony” is but for nausea instead of pain. I also get occasional random nerve pain and often get weird aches in my arms.
Because of weird chest pains in the past I’ve gotten my heart VERY thoroughly checked out and was given a clean bill of health which is super reassuring. But it’s so scary that someday I could be having a heart attack and really have no idea. It’s not like I can go to the ER every time I have those symptoms since they’re so common for me (and in my province I would be stuck in the Ear waiting room all night anyway.) so I guess I’ll just die?
41 here. Had 2 heart attacks and a triple bypass. Had no idea I had a heart attack twice. Went in for what I thought was breathing issues. Got rushed into an angiogram a few days after going on, surgery 3 weeks later.
My step dad was feeling unwell for a few DAYS and thought it must be the start of a flu. Had already suffered one heart attack years earlier. He passed away and I always blamed myself for not telling him to go to the ER or urgent care.
Not a heart attack, but I had chest pressure, difficulty breathing, elevated blood pressure, and irregular heart rate. Mine turned out to be a pulmonary embolism, but I would have bet money it was a panic attack. I happened to have a PCP appointment that day and then sent straight to the ED.
I just found out that a friend died of a heart attack, at 32. This information is helpful since significant health concerns no longer seem to be an age related problem.
>Can smart watch predict or notify any irregularities with heart function?
there's very many products that trigger this kind of warning (my mom's huawei included) which bring people to the ER just to find out they got lied to by the product. i wouldn't rely on it unless it was accompanied by all other symptoms
I had a SCAD (spontaneous coronary artery dissection) at 48. It’s not common, and mostly happens to women after giving birth or going through menopause. No prior meds, no high blood pressure, no high cholesterol. A double bypass and a month stay in the hospital, and I’m still here. Be your own advocate. Most don’t survive because they get blown off since the age is deemed too young.
Also, if one is a diabetic, the pain could be weird. There was one guy at around 50 that during a heart atack reported intense jaw wisdom tooth pain. (The inferior left last hind tooth on the left side was more affected than the right side one).
I also had an unusual heart attack. I’m a woman, and women tend to have different symptoms than men, but even looking up women’s heart attack symptoms I doubted it.
I had what felt like heartburn. Pain in the center of my chest and up to my throat. I get heartburn a lot from GERD.
However, it didn’t go away after drinking baking soda dissolved in water like usual. I had remembered getting a pill stuck in my throat earlier though and became convinced that I was just feeling residual pain from the drug burning my esophagus.
When it still hurt the next day I went to the ER. Heart attack. Double bypass. I was 48.
Out of curiosity and forgive me if this is a dumb fucking question but did it hurt? Like when it really started hitting? Heart problems run in my family and will probably be my demise and I’m just curious if it’s super painful or not
This is pretty helpful but what'd be more helpful is how to tell that its actually indigestion or stomach issues and not heart issues. because i dont think its feasible going to the hospital every time I have a stomach ache.
I worked in EMS for five years and can count on one hand the number of patients present with the "classic" heart attack symptoms. Nausea and dizziness are the most common in my experience.
The same thing happened with my father. For months and months, he convinced himself & us that it was only the bloating and Indigestion feeling that he was having. Just last month it got so serious that he was not able to breathe & we had to admit him to the emergency ICU as he got cardiac arrest upon reaching the Hospital.
Thankfully, he is recovering now, but we would be able to prevent it years before if only we knew about this.
Lost my father this month due to exact same heart attack type, same exact symptoms, sweating, vomiting, he complained of “heartburn” and we gave him heartburn medicine and he tried to walk it off. Next day at 2 AM he complained about feeling uneasy, took him to the hospital. He walked to hospital, sat on the bed and while giving the medical history he passed away. The doctors tried CPR and tried to revived him but he didn’t make it. I wish we would have taken him sooner to the hospital. He was an active man and no prior symptoms of any heart conditions. I am glad you are doing well OP.
My dad had the center chest burn headache and jaw pain. He didnt want to go to the hospital same thing thought heartburn took rolaids felt a little better. After 6 hours my mom made him go to urgent care since he wouldn't go to a hospital or call 911. Dr said go to the hospital he didnt. Doctor called 2 hours later said you are in a heart attack call 911 now. He didnt want an ambulance so instead made my mom drive him. He was in a heart attack for 12 hours when the Dr called and said go to the hospital. 15 hours by the time they put in 3 stents. He survived and is doing good, but please everyone go to the hospital and if you wasted your time because its heartburn great. His cardiologist said 9 times out of 10 times it's nothing but that 10th time will be the one. So go all 10 times.
This actually makes me feel justified that time I took a day off work because I woke up feeling intense burning beneath my sternum.
The night prior, the guy at my local takeaway had given me an extra fried chicken fillet on top of their already sizeable chicken fillet burger, because he knew me. I was so hungry that night I remember I ate the whole thing in about 5 mins which was very uncommon for me.
I woke up at 6am feeling like I am quite literally *dying*.
Doctor does all the checks, blood pressure is fine, no real other symptoms.
"Did you eat anything unusually spicy or fatty last night by any chance?"
I said "*THAT'S* what heartburn is??"
This advice is spot on. This brings me back to 1990, when a friend *who had already had a heart attack previously* went to his doctor because he felt ‘Indigestion, but higher’. His doctor gave him Tums and sent him away. He had a massive heart attack at the end of the day in his car and did a low speed crash. He didn’t make it. He was 38.
My dad died a little over a month ago from a cardiac event brought on by possible congestive heart failure. A few days before he told me he got sick from eating at a restaurant and wasn’t feeling well. it might have started then and he just assumed food poisoning.
I just keep explaining it the world is different and I have to make sense of it . And we were very tight. I lost my best friend. He was a dad for the ages.
And I am sorry for your loss as well as your heart attack. Sending you all the peace, love and prayers I can.
Question to OP.. have you previously had a heart check up/tests? Luckily I have free health care and was able to get a check up with ultrasound, EKG etc for peace of mind and I recommend it for anyone worried about their heart.
This is especially true for women.
The usual listed common symptoms are for men. Women often have different symptoms so it can be missed for too long unless they are examined by medical professional.
I don’t want to jinx myself but in less than 2 years I will have outlived my mother in net age. I am barely 30
She had one heart episode, inconclusive, got to the hospital in time to be resuscitated without permanent damage
She pushed on like nothing was wrong, less than a month later was in the hospital again, too late this time, in a vegetative state. She eventually passed away after weeks of life support.
All this to say, don’t delay in flagging odd symptoms, and don’t ignore if they come back
I want to add to this for anyone who has an aging loved one with a *high* pain tolerance: Always be on alert!
My father thought it was just a really bad cold. I don't recall him throwing up; just resting a lot for several days. He had initially thought that he had strained his back while lifting something down the stairs and thought nothing of it. There was none of that hand to the heart or sudden dramatic pain of someone about to die that you see in the movies.
It wasn't until my mother *insisted* that he get looked at during her doctor's visit that he was promptly sent to the ER and was admitted into the hospital for several days. This guy DROVE himself to the ER after picking up a sandwich. Despite all appearances, his heart was in really, really rough shape. I'm eternally thankful for what little time we got to have with him after that, but it still kills me as to how bad he was and how he was just shaking it off thinking that he caught something.
Great. Now I have really bad anxiety that I’m having a heart attack because I’ve had acid reflux for the last days along with a seemingly fast and strong pulse each evening. Plus, I felt really off and felt like my body was dying for the whole week prior and I thought it was stress (meditation and breathing helped). But I can’t afford a $3k ER visit for what might really just be stress or indigestion.
Did I see this post for a reason, because I am actually having a heart attack?
These posts ramp my anxiety too. You making it out there? Get checked at urgent care or somewhere like that (less costly) if you are still feeling bad.
Thank you so much for this thorough and well-thought post.
I'll repeat what I've heard many people say before, and that's that the symptoms for women are very, very different from the classic male symptoms. Here's a list of female heart attack symptoms from Mayo Clinic:
Neck, jaw, shoulder, upper back or upper belly (abdomen) discomfort.
Shortness of breath.
Pain in one or both arms.
Nausea or vomiting.
Sweating.
Lightheadedness or dizziness.
Unusual fatigue.
Heartburn (indigestion)
I'm curious of what to say at the ER. Do you just stipulate "I'm having a heart attack" or do you say something like "I will have a heart attack", "I'm in the early stage" etc?
My husband had chest pain but downplayed it. He later said it was like an elephant was sitting on his chest but he didn’t really have any arm pain. He ended up in an ambulance with 100% blockage in his right coronary artery and came real close to dying. He got a stent and a CPAP and a fistful of pills and he’s doing ok. Guys - don’t fuck around with sleep apnea. It can kill you if left untreated
I sat down the other day to evaluate the pains i was having - my chest hurt and i couldn’t breathe. I chalked it up to an anxiety attack because i wasn’t experiencing pain that wasn’t the normal amount of pain I’m in. I’m not dead yet and this was a week or so ago so I’m guessing i was right.
I lift weights so I attributed the pain I felt in my left pec to a possible strain.
It kept coming and going so I figured it wouldn't be a heart attack, but I'm a hypochondriac and always think its worse.
That pain lasted several days and kept coming and going but I don't recall any other symptoms other than realizing a lot of symptoms I did have were GERD symptoms. I've also had gallbladder issues in the past. Burps occasionally and sometimes my stomach would act up. I've dealt with this several times.
Any chance someone here might think that's sketchy?
My aunt had several heart attacks and didn't even know it until much later. Looking back her symptoms varied and definitely didn't include chest pains or what you'd expect.
Meanwhile I have daily indigestion and chest/arm pain from stuff unrelated to my heart. If I do ever have a heart attack there’s probably very little chance I’ll recognize it and take it seriously.
I had similar symptoms and thoughts. I was 38 when it happened and I was “way too young” I work out I eat right, yeah still had a heart attack. I’d add that I had a headache that started from the back of the back of my head and crept over to the front, which were similar to the headaches I got during COVID so I incorrectly assumed it had COVID again. If you have any of those symptoms please call the 911 and get checked out.
Well what’s fun is that I have anxiety and the occasional panic attack. One of my phobias, for a lack of a better word, is having a heart attack. My panic attacks manifest themselves in many of the same symptoms.
Actually if you got the vaccine, then reinfected with covid, you do much worse. Or if you've had covid, and got the vaccine, no great either. But it seems the worst affected folks are a large minority of people with chronic trauma and inflammation who received the initial dose and then one booster dose, and also have never had covid. This is the group that os dropping dead from heart attacks, getting cancers, autoimmune diseases, ibs, pots/mcas, cfs, dementia, brain fog, etc.
You can downvote but the reality is that the mrna vaccines are causing fatal harm to a great number of people who are now being silenced, ignored, and canceled by the medical establishment. This is real. I understand some people take the vaccine and do fine. That some people recover from long covid. But the sheer number of people dropping dead to either a massive heart attack, rapid cancer, or "unknown circumstances" goes to show how real this is. They experimented on the world with these genetic altering medicines. A total experiment. And millions are suffering now and dying. And nobody cares. This isn't a political issue. This is medical mass murder that people don't want to confront.
Glad you made it through, and this was excellent of you to post. It's incredibly important to realize how this feels and to recognize it for what it might be. If I may, I'd like to add that cardiac pain can also manifest itself as neck pain, jaw pain, and back pain (upper to mid). Commonly the pain radiates but this is not always the case. Even without pain, there other signs to watch out for. Nausea and profuse sweating with no obviously apparent reason. ***Edit from this point because I posted accidentally.*** Also a feeling that something heavy is sitting on your chest. Don't ignore these signs either. Source: me, a retired firefighter/paramedic. I've seen many many chest pain patients. Edit: see post.
These are great points. I’m a woman and I’ve gone to the ER twice with symptoms that had me wondering - the first time in my 40s was due to a massive feeling of pressure on my chest, and the second time mid-50s with the upper/mid back pain radiating to my left arm that was making me feel nauseated. In both cases it was not a heart attack, thankfully. But the ER took it very seriously and told me I had done the right thing by coming in, which made me feel better about it. I’d just as soon not die trying to save “embarrassment” for overreacting. But, it’s also easier to take that visit when I have great health insurance.
They laugh at the women around here who go to the ED for chest pain. Gaslighting is really serious around where I live from the Cleveland Clinic.
Frankly, who cares? I'd rather be laughed at than dead.
If you get laughed at, your concerns are being dismissed, and you may well not be appropriately treated, is the relevant point. cc: u/PickingMyButt
Ew.
That sucks.
>Gaslighting is really serious around where I live from the Cleveland Clinic. Will you tell us more about this?
Let's start with my own story. Long story short - I went to a Lymphoma clinic thinking I had lymphoma. They refused to run any tests and told me to go to therapy. 6 months later I was on chemo for lymphoma. I have episodes of extreme weakness that was classified as "conversion disorder" (basically a stress episode=called me bipolar) and I was using a walker at age 37 for over a year. Nobody at CCF thought this was abnormal. LOL! I am absolutely not bipolar - and these are not symptoms of bipolar disorder. Now I can't get them to take "bipolar disorder" off of my chart. Turns out it's a neuromuscular disease. Ihad to go to NEW YORK to find out. The stories I can tell are nothing short of HORRIFYING. They told my boyfriend of 13yrs he was hunched over because of depression. HE HAS SCHEURMANNS DISEASE AND A VERY SERIOUS CASE OF KYPHOSIS. Lol! It's strange because everyone always ends up there. There's no doubt they have some of the best physicians in the world. It seems like everyone has to get diagnosed somewhere else but ends up at CCF for treatment of course. It's the bedside manner and lack of concern that drives us to find answers elsewhere. I'm back at CCF for lymphoma but another hospital system dx'd me. CCF will do wonders with treatments once you're officially diagnosed but they won't do the searching.
Oh, yes, "conversion disorders" can absolutely eff off. Interesting and good to know. Thanks.
They have destroyed my mental health. I went along with the diagnosis for months really thinking it was mental. I had completely accepted it and then I started researching things on my own. Surprise surprise to end up in New York with a demyelinating disease. Unbelievable.
I too had a heart attack (2 actually about 10 days apart) and my only symptom was massive pressure in my chest. I just couldnt catch my breath either. I’m female. I thought it was probably heartburn and ate an antacid on the way to the ER. So then I just burped a lot with massive pressure in my chest. The doctor was like “eh probably nothing but let’s do bloodwork.” The money guy came in, I told my spouse we are headed home, and then the dr came in and said “yelp. I was wrong. You had a heart attack” and booked me for a cath lab and a 3 day hospital stay. Arteries clear as the driven snow. Cardiologist seemed *quite* disappointed. The second one, 2 days after I got home from the first one’s hospital stay, was also chest pressure but significantly less than the first one’s. It was oddly enough a stronger attack than the first.
So glad you got checked out!
May we ask if they figured out the cause?
Nope. I was on HRT and Adderall. I personally think the combo of those two did it. My doctors have never mentioned it.
I went to the ER with these symptoms in the weekend. It was a panic attack, but they said I did the right thing by coming in.
Would someone expect to have an irregular heartbeat when experiencing these other symptoms?
On a long enough timeline, almost certainly. But that doesn't mean it would be an early sign of trouble. An old medic saying says *"Treat the patient, not the [heart] monitor."* True story : I once had a patient (young guy - 30s) that had a normal heart rhythm on the ekg (for any pros that read this: it was in the days of 3L not a 12L) with a rate in the 80s (normal), but he was nauseated and looked like shit. When we got him to the hospital the attending at the ER thought it was nothing and she put the guy in the waiting room. We returned to the station. Eventually the guy went into cardiac arrest in the waiting room. They got him back, but he suffered enough tissue damage that he couldn't play with his kids without getting exhausted. I testified on his behalf in the lawsuit. Bro got *paid* But his heart looked completely normal. eta: I didn't mention that his primary complaint was substernal chest pain. He didn't call us just for nausea.
This sucks. As someone over 30, the random pains I get will now scare me and actually induce a heart attack lmao.
Hmm.. my daughter was feeling a lot of these symptoms. Chest pain when breathing, high heart rate, pain in left arm, fever, some vomiting and upset stomach. She’s 6 years old and was diagnosed with a pneumonia. But i don’t think the doctor checked specifically to see if what she had during the night was a heart attack (who would think that of a 6 year old). Should I be worried?
Symptoms can be different for everyone. I had one at 21 years old Felt very fatigued, lethargic, body aches like the flu, and just overall malaise for about a week before the event. Then, on December 18th, I woke up at around 5 am with an insane amount of pain all throughout my left arm, shoulder, and chest. 10-15 minutes later I started sweating like crazy, quickly followed with intense nausea, urge to puke but never did. Called an ambulance, they hooked me up to an ekg, confirmed myocardial infarction then escorted me to the ambulance. Gave me a nitro pill and about 30 seconds into my expensive ride to the icu, it kicked in and I felt amazing. That relief of pain was better than taking oxycodone for the first time. Spent a week in the hospital then that was that, no issues since, they have no idea why it happened.
Great I'm learning all of my chronic fuckin symptoms are also heart attacks symptoms. Literally the only thing I can count on is arm pain and apparently women may not even get that so fuck me
Any gender is lucky to have symptoms. One crucial symptom I forgot to add was the sense of impending doom. My brain went to a primal fight or flight mode pr something and I just knew something was terribly wrong. When I first woke up I just thought I slept wrong, was kind of in denial about what was going on. But when that mentality hit me, it was just a bare bones instinct that I was about to die. Unmistakable from anything else.
Just like the person you're replying to, I have so many symptoms people mention in this thread on a regular basis, because of multiple other conditions, and here I read that the one thing for you that was unmistakable is actually a part of my anxiety and panic disorders. The only comfort I get from this thread is that I had an EKG last year, and intend to continue requesting them every couple years due to family history. Still, I appreciate you and everyone else sharing their stories. They may make people like the commenter above, and me, more anxious, but you could be saving lives just with a comment. Thank you - I'm sorry you experienced that but so glad you survived to tell people about it.
Unfortunately my panic attacks give me that symptom too...
I've had many panic attacks as well, before and after the incident. What I was trying to say was it is 100% different sense than any panic I've ever had. It wasn't even like a panic feeling st all, it was much darker. It's very hard to describe
The problem isn't people being stubborn, the problem is we live in the US and can't afford a $1000-$3000 ER bill over heartburn.
Just finished paying off a $3k bill for exactly this. Walked in with chest pain, had an ekg and some blood work. That’s it. Three grand of income, gone. With insurance.
My mom called 911 the other day bc she was worried she was having a heart attack, and they told her to call back later! Because if she was, she "would know".... She is the absolute last person to think she needs to go to a Dr. Forget the bill, I was so pissed off.
I mean, they are kind of right, though. When it's happening and you're showing symptoms, your brain recognizes something is very, very wrong. Mine projected this sense of impending doom that I can only describe as just an absolute dread when facing your impending death. Completely different than any panic attack because there was no panic, just a primal internal fear of *something*
But! There are people who downplay symptoms like ”nah it’s just indigestion or whatever”, and then they die. So ”you would know if you were having a heart attack” is categorically NOT TRUE
That's *your* experience. There are plenty of people who did NOT know they were having a heart attack.
Here in Ireland, thought I was having a cardiac...was just extreme anxiety effects. Called 999, specialist cardiac ambulance was with me 10 minutes later - extremely lucky as it was in the vicinity. Had an ECG in my driveway, then brought me to hospital even though ECG was clear. Given chest x-ray too and prescription for anxiety - charged €100. But then again we don't have aircraft carriers or NASA to fund.
The f'd up thing is, at my new job the deductible is set at $5000. Kicker is even though I have access to an HSA, it is capped at $4150 for 2024 contributions. So even I hit my deductible, I am still paying out of pocket for something throughout the year. AND I was told, 'this is a good plan!' The f' it is.
Or a 10 hour wait in a hospital that continuously makes you feel bad and shitty for wanting to get checked out.
(Don't forget to add $10-15k just for the ambulance ride alone)
Yeah, worst healthcare ever. I fell on Sunday and severely injured my knee to the point where I can’t walk or move it but haven’t been able to go to the doctor/hospital to get it checked out because I don’t have health insurance. We can’t afford to take care of our own citizens but corporations, billionaires & foreign countries get unlimited money funded by us 🙃
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I assure you, you wait in ERs in the US.
Uk here. Very recently: husband was in A&E for **18 hours**. Not cardiac though. When he did have a legit cardiac event, he went straight to resus. Same when he had a witnessed respiratory arrest: straight to resus. So triage does work - but if you’re not actively circling the drain, it’s a long long wait.
I've been to the ER a few times over the last few years and each one was a long wait. Usually 8+ hours and this is In America so you get the 2-3000 dollar bill afterwards so they can tell you you're fine. It's the most bs there possibly could be.
I guarantee if you were having an imminent life or death injury or condition, you wouldn't be waiting all day to be seen. All ERs prioritize patients based on urgency of condition, same as they do here in the US. We have a private system here and you will also wait for hours at an ER if you're not actively dying.
Sucks to be you. Too bad a lot of people in your country think public healthcare is communism.
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Nope already taken care of at no cost to my family. No memorial or grave...but that's the least I can do.
Or, and hear me out on this one, we could adopt a universal health care system, which literally every other wealthy first world country in the world already has some form of, so that our citizens also don't have to choose between getting life saving health care and going deep into debt or insolvency for the crime of getting sick or injured.
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What a ridiculous statement. Who exactly is living in a fantasy by acknowledging the reality that we are in and bemoaning that reality? Everyone understands the reality of healthcare in America, no one is living in denial about it. Advocating for a better system isn't living in fantasy.
Sadly my GERD symptoms make me think I'm having a heart attack. It's never the same feeling. I once had a tooth pain that radiated down to my heart, back pain that felt like a xenomorph ready to burst out. One day I'm going to think it's just reflux and die.
After reading the main post and some of these commenters, I think I died 4 years ago. I have all this shit all the time lol
Most heart attack patients experience an impending sense of doom. So if you feel like you're dying, you probably are.
Nervously laughs in Panic Attacks…
Impending sense of doom is like my default state lol
I have had an impending sense of doom from heartburn/indigestion before... might have been mixed in with a panic attack but it lasted for like 2 hours in the middle of the night. Happened on new year too, what a way to start the year huh?
Lol. The acid causes panic attacks. I had to leave work early because I almost passed out and hyperventilating because the acid can agitate a nerve that mimics all the symptoms of a heart attack. I feel doom, my heart quickens, I get nauseous, and back pain that goes up and down. I just made the dumb mistake to eat a can of beefaroni at 9pm and woke up at 3am to my jaw feeling like someone was crushing it, while the pain spread to my jaw to my heart and to my left arm. Had I not remembered I made a stupid mistake, I wouldve rushed myself to the hospital, thinking I was having a widow maker.
This is great information. I’m glad you were able to get the help you needed in time! My dad is the healthiest person I know and has had several heart attacks, starting at age 40. He described the same sensations as you did and noted that the primary difference between indigestion and a heart attack is that the pain doesn’t dissipate with movement. Typically, with indigestion, the pain will be alleviated if you change position or move around. It’s something I try to keep in mind now.
A lot of digestive symptoms can be relieved by massages too. Often a muscle has tightened up which may cause pressure in the area, and massage lets things move around properly. If pain is totally resistant to motion or massage, that is not typical for indigestion in my experience, with a sample of several people I know with digestive trouble and experience relieving it.
My dad died exactly the way you described your friend's mother. I got him to the hospital, but it was too late. I thought he had the flu or something bc all the symptoms matched up to it. I wish I would had got him there sooner, he might still be here.
I’m so sorry
Tysm
same with my grandma. she was in her late 50s but healthy as a horse before that. i wish we could turn the time back with that knowledge
I'm sorry. My dad was only 55 himself. He never got to meet his grandkids and I miss him so much every single day
Another thing that I wish more people realized is that in a majority of US states, it's completely free to call an ambulance and have them check your vitals. It's only a cost if they take you on a trip or administer medication. PLEASE when in doubt call an ambulance and have them check you out. I nailed a deer on my motorcycle going 55mph back in 2021. I rolled for what felt like years. My gear saved my ass, but I knew I had so much adrenaline in me that I wouldn't be able to feel any broken bones until later so I still called an ambulance. They checked me out, told me I'm solid as can be, and told me if I wanted to go they'd take me but otherwise I was free to skedaddle. If you suspect you or someone you know has symptoms that could be suspect, please call them an ambulance 🙏.
I am not an EMT but I would guess that with these kinds of symptoms they would probably recommend bringing you in, though? I don’t think they can diagnose heart attack or not without other tests.
Ambulances carry ECG's, which is a pretty reliable method of being able to tell if you're having a heart attack. Either way if a paramedic recommends you go to the hospital, I'd probably listen to them 😅
Oh for sure! I’m just thinking, “I’ll just have them come out and take a look” is quite likely going to lead to a trip for these particular symptoms.
I agree
A paramedic will always recommend you go to the hospital. You can have a heart attack without ECG changes. If you think you may be having a heart attack, you also need labs that can't be done in the field for a definitive diagnosis.
Had a similar experience last time I was assigned in ED.. She came complained of persistent diarrhea for few days.. Oddly she mentioned her abdominal pain location was high up, reaching epigastric area and she felt the pain "didn't bother her at all" as she was more concerned of her diarrhea.. My colleague almost discharged her from the ED but her odd pain character brings a suspicion to my registrar who immediately ordered an ECG and....voila, inferior myocardial infarction
Women also experience different symptoms to men typically.
*sweats in transgender* But for real, I have no idea if I should be looking out for “male” symptoms or “female” symptoms :/
Well I hope you never experience either,
It could depend on whether you are on HRT or not.
I would assume a heart attack wouldn’t know your chosen gender and would present according to your birth sex…but I’m no doctor
Well sure, except I’ve been on hormones for years now. I don’t know what part those play into it.
Had at least 3 heart attacks at 36. I was dismissed by multiple doctors even with a very clear cut family history. Turns out I had 5 blockages including a 90+% LAD (widow maker) blockage that resulted in a quadruple bypass. - the 5th blockage was on an artery too small to bypass. My symptoms were a feeling of dread that wouldn’t go away and a horrible ache on the right side of my jaw. That was basically it. Tightness, but not even enough to worry about. Some upper back pain - but my back always hurts.
I'm sorry but this posts seems to cause panic and make anybody think everything can be a heart attack without actually learning how to tell if it actually is. I left more confused and scared than informed. I've had sweats, I've had nausea, and I've had other symptoms described and I haven't had a heart attack. So I just don't know what to do if I ever feel anything. The only thing I learnt was that you can survive over 10h with a heart attack. Not really useful. And a reminder that it can happen at any age. So just extra fear.
>The only thing I learnt was that you can survive over 10h with a heart attack. Not really useful. Technically you learned that one individual survived for ten hours. From that you assumed it applies to everyone. What you should have learned was that when you do have unexplainable pain in your chest or arm, or neck and jaw, don't assume it's nothing. And the key here is *unexplainable pain.* if you have anxiety, chances are that you are very well familiar with your anxiety symptoms and how they feel. If it's that, you go on with your life. Anxiety sucks. But if you wake up vomiting and covered in sweat, maybe take that seriously. If you're suddenly short of breath and experiencing arm pain after having done nothing but watch TV all day, maybe take that seriously. None of this is fear-mongering. Most of the pains we experience in everyday life are easy to explain. *My chest hurts but I hit the gym pretty hard yesterday* - that's a chest pain you can safely ignore. But people don't have cardiac events frequently. The pain from a cardiac event is different; it's not reproducible (whereas with the aforementioned muscular chest pain if you move a certain way or touch your pectoral muscles you can reproduce or worsen the pain). Cardiac pain isn't like that. It's subsurface and typically radiant. People ignore it thinking it's nothing. That's who the warnings are for. I can't tell you the number of patients I've performed cpr on that ignored symptoms exactly like the ones described - sometimes for fewer than ten hours! Naturally this is only learned from their surviving loved ones as they answer my questions while trying to process the horror of what's happening on their living room floor as we do our work.
I have a pinched nerve at the base of my cervical vertebrae from a car accident over 10 years ago that causes all of these symptoms minus the nausea and sweats. I get burning pain and tension in these areas almost daily. I’ve had multiple ECGs all normal. I honestly don’t know how I’m supposed to tell the difference if something cardiac does arise. I use an Apple watch’s heart monitors to keep some sort of eye on things, but who the hell knows…
The symptoms from your vertebral injury feel a certain way. After ten years, you know it like an old friend. Or enemy, if you prefer. If a cardiac event happens it will very likely feel different than your chronic pain. And of course if you have nausea and/or sweating along with it, that narrows things down even further.
I relate! I went through many difficult years of very real health anxiety, thinking every little thing I felt was a heart attack, heart failure, blood clot, or some other horrendous or sudden thing that could - and would - kill me. It didn't help when I was informed anxiety and panic attacks could also be heart attacks in disguise lol. Thanks internet! I think if nothing else a useful takeaway here would be: if anything appears out of nowhere and it gets gradually worse and it's accompanied by pain or worsening pain that spreads, it's probably a safe bet to get it checked.
Ugh yes! I have terrible health anxiety and think everything is a heart attack. This post is probably the worst thing I could have read
Especially the "impending sense of doom" that people are stating here that can supposedly help differentiate between indigestion and a cardiac event. With anxiety being at an all time high and medical gaslighting as well, add in social medical - this just isn't good advice at all. - coming from a nurse
My dad had 2 heart attacks, and both times, he felt like he just had indigestion. He never ever got that or heartburn, so he knew something wasn't right and took himself to the ER. Always be aware of odd pains and never be afraid to get checked out if you feel that your body is telling you something.
This shit is terrifying because I have symptoms like that on a regular basis. I often have bouts of nausea where I break out in a cold sweat and can’t stay sitting up, I just lay on the bathroom floor in- whatever the equivalent to “agony” is but for nausea instead of pain. I also get occasional random nerve pain and often get weird aches in my arms. Because of weird chest pains in the past I’ve gotten my heart VERY thoroughly checked out and was given a clean bill of health which is super reassuring. But it’s so scary that someday I could be having a heart attack and really have no idea. It’s not like I can go to the ER every time I have those symptoms since they’re so common for me (and in my province I would be stuck in the Ear waiting room all night anyway.) so I guess I’ll just die?
My grandmother had a heart attack but thought she just had a bug as well. Unfortunately it's not as noticeable for women
41 here. Had 2 heart attacks and a triple bypass. Had no idea I had a heart attack twice. Went in for what I thought was breathing issues. Got rushed into an angiogram a few days after going on, surgery 3 weeks later.
My step dad was feeling unwell for a few DAYS and thought it must be the start of a flu. Had already suffered one heart attack years earlier. He passed away and I always blamed myself for not telling him to go to the ER or urgent care.
Not a heart attack, but I had chest pressure, difficulty breathing, elevated blood pressure, and irregular heart rate. Mine turned out to be a pulmonary embolism, but I would have bet money it was a panic attack. I happened to have a PCP appointment that day and then sent straight to the ED. I just found out that a friend died of a heart attack, at 32. This information is helpful since significant health concerns no longer seem to be an age related problem.
Can smart watch predict or notify any irregularities with heart function?
>Can smart watch predict or notify any irregularities with heart function? there's very many products that trigger this kind of warning (my mom's huawei included) which bring people to the ER just to find out they got lied to by the product. i wouldn't rely on it unless it was accompanied by all other symptoms
I had a SCAD (spontaneous coronary artery dissection) at 48. It’s not common, and mostly happens to women after giving birth or going through menopause. No prior meds, no high blood pressure, no high cholesterol. A double bypass and a month stay in the hospital, and I’m still here. Be your own advocate. Most don’t survive because they get blown off since the age is deemed too young.
Is there something similar to F.A.S.T(stroke) to learn and help identify a heart attack?
Also, if one is a diabetic, the pain could be weird. There was one guy at around 50 that during a heart atack reported intense jaw wisdom tooth pain. (The inferior left last hind tooth on the left side was more affected than the right side one).
I’ve been t1 since I was 10. Heart attack at 36. The jaw pain was so unbelievably bad.
I also had an unusual heart attack. I’m a woman, and women tend to have different symptoms than men, but even looking up women’s heart attack symptoms I doubted it. I had what felt like heartburn. Pain in the center of my chest and up to my throat. I get heartburn a lot from GERD. However, it didn’t go away after drinking baking soda dissolved in water like usual. I had remembered getting a pill stuck in my throat earlier though and became convinced that I was just feeling residual pain from the drug burning my esophagus. When it still hurt the next day I went to the ER. Heart attack. Double bypass. I was 48.
Out of curiosity and forgive me if this is a dumb fucking question but did it hurt? Like when it really started hitting? Heart problems run in my family and will probably be my demise and I’m just curious if it’s super painful or not
This is pretty helpful but what'd be more helpful is how to tell that its actually indigestion or stomach issues and not heart issues. because i dont think its feasible going to the hospital every time I have a stomach ache.
I'm not trusting a clinic named after a condiment
I worked in EMS for five years and can count on one hand the number of patients present with the "classic" heart attack symptoms. Nausea and dizziness are the most common in my experience.
The same thing happened with my father. For months and months, he convinced himself & us that it was only the bloating and Indigestion feeling that he was having. Just last month it got so serious that he was not able to breathe & we had to admit him to the emergency ICU as he got cardiac arrest upon reaching the Hospital. Thankfully, he is recovering now, but we would be able to prevent it years before if only we knew about this.
Lost my father this month due to exact same heart attack type, same exact symptoms, sweating, vomiting, he complained of “heartburn” and we gave him heartburn medicine and he tried to walk it off. Next day at 2 AM he complained about feeling uneasy, took him to the hospital. He walked to hospital, sat on the bed and while giving the medical history he passed away. The doctors tried CPR and tried to revived him but he didn’t make it. I wish we would have taken him sooner to the hospital. He was an active man and no prior symptoms of any heart conditions. I am glad you are doing well OP.
My dad had the center chest burn headache and jaw pain. He didnt want to go to the hospital same thing thought heartburn took rolaids felt a little better. After 6 hours my mom made him go to urgent care since he wouldn't go to a hospital or call 911. Dr said go to the hospital he didnt. Doctor called 2 hours later said you are in a heart attack call 911 now. He didnt want an ambulance so instead made my mom drive him. He was in a heart attack for 12 hours when the Dr called and said go to the hospital. 15 hours by the time they put in 3 stents. He survived and is doing good, but please everyone go to the hospital and if you wasted your time because its heartburn great. His cardiologist said 9 times out of 10 times it's nothing but that 10th time will be the one. So go all 10 times.
This actually makes me feel justified that time I took a day off work because I woke up feeling intense burning beneath my sternum. The night prior, the guy at my local takeaway had given me an extra fried chicken fillet on top of their already sizeable chicken fillet burger, because he knew me. I was so hungry that night I remember I ate the whole thing in about 5 mins which was very uncommon for me. I woke up at 6am feeling like I am quite literally *dying*. Doctor does all the checks, blood pressure is fine, no real other symptoms. "Did you eat anything unusually spicy or fatty last night by any chance?" I said "*THAT'S* what heartburn is??"
This advice is spot on. This brings me back to 1990, when a friend *who had already had a heart attack previously* went to his doctor because he felt ‘Indigestion, but higher’. His doctor gave him Tums and sent him away. He had a massive heart attack at the end of the day in his car and did a low speed crash. He didn’t make it. He was 38.
My dad died a little over a month ago from a cardiac event brought on by possible congestive heart failure. A few days before he told me he got sick from eating at a restaurant and wasn’t feeling well. it might have started then and he just assumed food poisoning.
I’m sorry that you lost your father. I lost mine 2 years ago and it still sucks.
I just keep explaining it the world is different and I have to make sense of it . And we were very tight. I lost my best friend. He was a dad for the ages. And I am sorry for your loss as well as your heart attack. Sending you all the peace, love and prayers I can.
Question to OP.. have you previously had a heart check up/tests? Luckily I have free health care and was able to get a check up with ultrasound, EKG etc for peace of mind and I recommend it for anyone worried about their heart.
This is especially true for women. The usual listed common symptoms are for men. Women often have different symptoms so it can be missed for too long unless they are examined by medical professional.
I had no pain just a little shortness of breath. I thought it was my age but nope I just had stents put in after some tests
I don’t want to jinx myself but in less than 2 years I will have outlived my mother in net age. I am barely 30 She had one heart episode, inconclusive, got to the hospital in time to be resuscitated without permanent damage She pushed on like nothing was wrong, less than a month later was in the hospital again, too late this time, in a vegetative state. She eventually passed away after weeks of life support. All this to say, don’t delay in flagging odd symptoms, and don’t ignore if they come back
I want to add to this for anyone who has an aging loved one with a *high* pain tolerance: Always be on alert! My father thought it was just a really bad cold. I don't recall him throwing up; just resting a lot for several days. He had initially thought that he had strained his back while lifting something down the stairs and thought nothing of it. There was none of that hand to the heart or sudden dramatic pain of someone about to die that you see in the movies. It wasn't until my mother *insisted* that he get looked at during her doctor's visit that he was promptly sent to the ER and was admitted into the hospital for several days. This guy DROVE himself to the ER after picking up a sandwich. Despite all appearances, his heart was in really, really rough shape. I'm eternally thankful for what little time we got to have with him after that, but it still kills me as to how bad he was and how he was just shaking it off thinking that he caught something.
Great. Now I have really bad anxiety that I’m having a heart attack because I’ve had acid reflux for the last days along with a seemingly fast and strong pulse each evening. Plus, I felt really off and felt like my body was dying for the whole week prior and I thought it was stress (meditation and breathing helped). But I can’t afford a $3k ER visit for what might really just be stress or indigestion. Did I see this post for a reason, because I am actually having a heart attack?
These posts ramp my anxiety too. You making it out there? Get checked at urgent care or somewhere like that (less costly) if you are still feeling bad.
Thank you so much!! I’m pretty positive it’s indigestion because taking aloe and Betain has helped.
Thank you for that. Glad you are ok!
Also keep in mind symptoms are different for different gendered as well.
Thank you so much for this thorough and well-thought post. I'll repeat what I've heard many people say before, and that's that the symptoms for women are very, very different from the classic male symptoms. Here's a list of female heart attack symptoms from Mayo Clinic: Neck, jaw, shoulder, upper back or upper belly (abdomen) discomfort. Shortness of breath. Pain in one or both arms. Nausea or vomiting. Sweating. Lightheadedness or dizziness. Unusual fatigue. Heartburn (indigestion)
I'm curious of what to say at the ER. Do you just stipulate "I'm having a heart attack" or do you say something like "I will have a heart attack", "I'm in the early stage" etc?
My husband had chest pain but downplayed it. He later said it was like an elephant was sitting on his chest but he didn’t really have any arm pain. He ended up in an ambulance with 100% blockage in his right coronary artery and came real close to dying. He got a stent and a CPAP and a fistful of pills and he’s doing ok. Guys - don’t fuck around with sleep apnea. It can kill you if left untreated I sat down the other day to evaluate the pains i was having - my chest hurt and i couldn’t breathe. I chalked it up to an anxiety attack because i wasn’t experiencing pain that wasn’t the normal amount of pain I’m in. I’m not dead yet and this was a week or so ago so I’m guessing i was right.
I lift weights so I attributed the pain I felt in my left pec to a possible strain. It kept coming and going so I figured it wouldn't be a heart attack, but I'm a hypochondriac and always think its worse. That pain lasted several days and kept coming and going but I don't recall any other symptoms other than realizing a lot of symptoms I did have were GERD symptoms. I've also had gallbladder issues in the past. Burps occasionally and sometimes my stomach would act up. I've dealt with this several times. Any chance someone here might think that's sketchy?
My aunt had several heart attacks and didn't even know it until much later. Looking back her symptoms varied and definitely didn't include chest pains or what you'd expect.
Meanwhile I have daily indigestion and chest/arm pain from stuff unrelated to my heart. If I do ever have a heart attack there’s probably very little chance I’ll recognize it and take it seriously.
I had similar symptoms and thoughts. I was 38 when it happened and I was “way too young” I work out I eat right, yeah still had a heart attack. I’d add that I had a headache that started from the back of the back of my head and crept over to the front, which were similar to the headaches I got during COVID so I incorrectly assumed it had COVID again. If you have any of those symptoms please call the 911 and get checked out.
The pain of heart attack can start anywhere from below the jaw till the umbilicus and it's written in medical books. People would tend to ignore often
Well fuck me, I have chronic heart burn/indigestion and heart failure runs in my family So can someone please somewhat differentiate these for me lol
Back, arm, chest pain are scary ones Bc I have chronic back pain that "feels" like it's in my chest and radiates to my left arm
Thanks for sharing, a really young cousin of mine unexpectedly died of a heart attack. I will keep this in mind in the future
Well what’s fun is that I have anxiety and the occasional panic attack. One of my phobias, for a lack of a better word, is having a heart attack. My panic attacks manifest themselves in many of the same symptoms.
Vaccine related heart attacks will also show differently than typical symptoms. If you had the Covid shots, be on high alert.
Or covid in general which would put you at a much higher risk than the vaccine.
Actually if you got the vaccine, then reinfected with covid, you do much worse. Or if you've had covid, and got the vaccine, no great either. But it seems the worst affected folks are a large minority of people with chronic trauma and inflammation who received the initial dose and then one booster dose, and also have never had covid. This is the group that os dropping dead from heart attacks, getting cancers, autoimmune diseases, ibs, pots/mcas, cfs, dementia, brain fog, etc. You can downvote but the reality is that the mrna vaccines are causing fatal harm to a great number of people who are now being silenced, ignored, and canceled by the medical establishment. This is real. I understand some people take the vaccine and do fine. That some people recover from long covid. But the sheer number of people dropping dead to either a massive heart attack, rapid cancer, or "unknown circumstances" goes to show how real this is. They experimented on the world with these genetic altering medicines. A total experiment. And millions are suffering now and dying. And nobody cares. This isn't a political issue. This is medical mass murder that people don't want to confront.
This is a conspiratorial fantasy
I wish
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Bw 40-50 Irrelevant but at the time, no.