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What Causes Painful Spasms In The Chest?
Hello, I am a 57 year old female , four years ago I had 2 MI s at the time of recovery,I can honestly say that I felt fitter than I do now ,I feel extremely tired all the time , I have regular intense extremely painfull spasms in my chest mostly waking me up from night-time sleep. But my main concern is that my energy levels are extremely limited, usually resulting in pain in my upper back , do you think any of these symptoms maybe heart related? Thankyou for your time. Kind regards Carole Quinn.
Thu, 30 Mar 2017
Hello,
Welcome to Healthcare Magic.
I have read your question fully and understand your concerns.
Painful spasms in the chest and pain in the upper back and associated tiredness could be angina. The heart muscle is not getting enough blood supply due to either blockage or spasm of the blood vessels supplying the heart muscle. As you are getting the chest pain at night during sleep, it is more likely to be unstable angina. As you already had 2 MI in the past, this is more possible.
I would advise you to see your doctor as soon as possible to get a complete evaluation done. He may increase the dose of your anti-anginal medication (I guess you are on isosorbide mono/di nitrate etc.). The next time you get this sort of pain, you could also your Glyceryl Tri Nitrite spray (GTN spray) to see if the pain settles.
The other possibility could be acid reflux. Due to a lax sphincter at the junction of the food pipe and stomach, stomach acids enter into the food pipe when you are sleeping leading to heartburn. You could raise the head end of the bed and see if the symptoms settle. You could also take Lansoprazole 30 mg/Omeprazole 40 mg once a day in the morning on empty stomach, to see if the symptoms settle.
I wish you a speedy recovery.
I hope this answer has helped you.
Thank you
Regards
Dr Sunita Sayammagaru
Welcome to Healthcare Magic.
I have read your question fully and understand your concerns.
Painful spasms in the chest and pain in the upper back and associated tiredness could be angina. The heart muscle is not getting enough blood supply due to either blockage or spasm of the blood vessels supplying the heart muscle. As you are getting the chest pain at night during sleep, it is more likely to be unstable angina. As you already had 2 MI in the past, this is more possible.
I would advise you to see your doctor as soon as possible to get a complete evaluation done. He may increase the dose of your anti-anginal medication (I guess you are on isosorbide mono/di nitrate etc.). The next time you get this sort of pain, you could also your Glyceryl Tri Nitrite spray (GTN spray) to see if the pain settles.
The other possibility could be acid reflux. Due to a lax sphincter at the junction of the food pipe and stomach, stomach acids enter into the food pipe when you are sleeping leading to heartburn. You could raise the head end of the bed and see if the symptoms settle. You could also take Lansoprazole 30 mg/Omeprazole 40 mg once a day in the morning on empty stomach, to see if the symptoms settle.
I wish you a speedy recovery.
I hope this answer has helped you.
Thank you
Regards
Dr Sunita Sayammagaru
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