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What Causes Intermittent Crushing Chest Pain, Sweating And Breathlessness?
Question: Just a little over a year ago i had a pain in my chest just the centre of my breastbone that shot down my left arm and down into my middle finger it was like a lightning bolt and was severly painful and debilatating
Seconds later my chest began to feel like it was being crushed in a vice and i began to sweat
Natrually i went to the emeregancy room and my ecg showed a slight t wave invertion and my troponin level was elevated
I can not remember if it was 44 or .44
I was admitted to hospital and six hours later the troponin test was repeated
It had returned to normal levels of below 10 (.10?) and so the dr said we dont know what happened but you are fine and discharged me
Natrually i was unhappy and went to see my own gp who said it was a false positive but i am not inclined to agree
I had been feeling extremely tired and breathless for a few weeks prior to the event and then for me to actually feel the lightning bolt shot through my body from my chest down my arm and have crushing chest pain and sweating i believe something had happened and could not be a false positive
I explained this and was referred to a cardiologist who said i didnt need a stress test but couldnt explain what had happened to me either!
I was given a cardiac ct scan which was perfectly clear and discharged from cardiology
I have suffered nearly every day with chest pain moving into my arms and between my shoulder blades and into my neck and jaw
I have been breathless and cannot walk very far with being in pain with my chest and out of breath
My aunt suffered with endocarditis at a young age requiring open heart surgery and my father has had heart problems since his early forties
I have tried on many occasions to go back to cardiology but my gp says it is not required as i have had tests
I suffer with palpatations everyday and at night i suffer regular 'skipped beats' and constant flutters making it extremly difficult to sleep
Any advice would be greatly appreciated
Seconds later my chest began to feel like it was being crushed in a vice and i began to sweat
Natrually i went to the emeregancy room and my ecg showed a slight t wave invertion and my troponin level was elevated
I can not remember if it was 44 or .44
I was admitted to hospital and six hours later the troponin test was repeated
It had returned to normal levels of below 10 (.10?) and so the dr said we dont know what happened but you are fine and discharged me
Natrually i was unhappy and went to see my own gp who said it was a false positive but i am not inclined to agree
I had been feeling extremely tired and breathless for a few weeks prior to the event and then for me to actually feel the lightning bolt shot through my body from my chest down my arm and have crushing chest pain and sweating i believe something had happened and could not be a false positive
I explained this and was referred to a cardiologist who said i didnt need a stress test but couldnt explain what had happened to me either!
I was given a cardiac ct scan which was perfectly clear and discharged from cardiology
I have suffered nearly every day with chest pain moving into my arms and between my shoulder blades and into my neck and jaw
I have been breathless and cannot walk very far with being in pain with my chest and out of breath
My aunt suffered with endocarditis at a young age requiring open heart surgery and my father has had heart problems since his early forties
I have tried on many occasions to go back to cardiology but my gp says it is not required as i have had tests
I suffer with palpatations everyday and at night i suffer regular 'skipped beats' and constant flutters making it extremly difficult to sleep
Any advice would be greatly appreciated
Brief Answer:
Please, find detailed answer below
Detailed Answer:
Dear Ms,
I understand your concerns: you have problems and nobody suggest a solution.
I would like to share some thoughts with you
1. you have normal CT scan, it excludes coronary artery disease. You should know that our feminine hormones protect us from heart attack until menopause. You have clear arteries now, so you have almost no chances to develop a heart attack in ten years.
2. myocarditis is relatively rare disease, and it is not hereditary. If a person has myocarditis, there are usually ECG changes, slight troponin elevation, which doesn't decrease for days. So it is also unlikely. If have an echocardiography done, I'm sure, there will be normal heart contractility, which will rule out myocarditis, but believe me, there is no need.
3. usually in your age, chest pain and such complaints are caused by spine problems. I think, that first you had some spine problems, and as they weren't solved and you had fears and doubts, you developed anxiety, which worsened symptoms.
I would advise you to have your spine checked. The best test for spine is MRI, but you can start from the easiest, X Rays.
Nowadays many young people develop spine problems, it comes from the lifestyle , correct exercises help to solve such problems.
Hope I could help you
In case of further questions don't hesitate to ask
Regards,
Please, find detailed answer below
Detailed Answer:
Dear Ms,
I understand your concerns: you have problems and nobody suggest a solution.
I would like to share some thoughts with you
1. you have normal CT scan, it excludes coronary artery disease. You should know that our feminine hormones protect us from heart attack until menopause. You have clear arteries now, so you have almost no chances to develop a heart attack in ten years.
2. myocarditis is relatively rare disease, and it is not hereditary. If a person has myocarditis, there are usually ECG changes, slight troponin elevation, which doesn't decrease for days. So it is also unlikely. If have an echocardiography done, I'm sure, there will be normal heart contractility, which will rule out myocarditis, but believe me, there is no need.
3. usually in your age, chest pain and such complaints are caused by spine problems. I think, that first you had some spine problems, and as they weren't solved and you had fears and doubts, you developed anxiety, which worsened symptoms.
I would advise you to have your spine checked. The best test for spine is MRI, but you can start from the easiest, X Rays.
Nowadays many young people develop spine problems, it comes from the lifestyle , correct exercises help to solve such problems.
Hope I could help you
In case of further questions don't hesitate to ask
Regards,
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you for your reply
Ive already had a spinal mri and neck and hips and all were absolutly fine
I was given spinal mri due to rhumatoid arthritis
I do understand it is highly unlikey endocartitis like my aunt but the troponin level being raised is obviously a worry that i cannot get closure on because the dr at the hospital and my own gp cannot explain it
Ive been told renel failure can cause troponin leaks but this is not relevant to me
I suffer from gerd diagnosed by endoscopy and acid reflux but i know these cannot cause troponin leak as it has to be heart muscle damage for this to happen
I do believe i have anxiety but im not sure this could cause a troponin leak
Ive already had a spinal mri and neck and hips and all were absolutly fine
I was given spinal mri due to rhumatoid arthritis
I do understand it is highly unlikey endocartitis like my aunt but the troponin level being raised is obviously a worry that i cannot get closure on because the dr at the hospital and my own gp cannot explain it
Ive been told renel failure can cause troponin leaks but this is not relevant to me
I suffer from gerd diagnosed by endoscopy and acid reflux but i know these cannot cause troponin leak as it has to be heart muscle damage for this to happen
I do believe i have anxiety but im not sure this could cause a troponin leak
Brief Answer:
Welcome back
Detailed Answer:
None of conditions you describe, neither GERD, nor acid reflux , nor anxiety could cause troponin rise.
Your second troponin was decreased, so I think the first one could be false positive. Anyway, if there is a cardiac disease, which cause troponin elevation, then troponin levels will go up or at least remain steady for hours or days. If there is a injury of cardiac muscle, it couldn't be for a such short time.
So, I think there is nothing serious.
Try to fight your anxiety.
Take care
Welcome back
Detailed Answer:
None of conditions you describe, neither GERD, nor acid reflux , nor anxiety could cause troponin rise.
Your second troponin was decreased, so I think the first one could be false positive. Anyway, if there is a cardiac disease, which cause troponin elevation, then troponin levels will go up or at least remain steady for hours or days. If there is a injury of cardiac muscle, it couldn't be for a such short time.
So, I think there is nothing serious.
Try to fight your anxiety.
Take care
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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