Posted by Larry Hoover on December 5, 2003, at 9:47:30
In reply to Heart Pains???, posted by KelleyzGirl on December 4, 2003, at 7:13:23
> My question is this. For as long as I can remember, I have had occasional pains in my heart area. They are sudden and short, lasting only a second or two but they stop me in my tracks, and take my breath. Instantly, it's over. About 7 years ago, I finally mentioned it to my doctor and he did an EKG which showed zero problems. Because of these pains, my sister who is an RN doesn't want me taking effexor. She says it contains something that is a heart stimulant and is afraid it will aggrevate my condition, whatever that condition might be.
Do you get heartburn? Or those annoying little muscled twitches?
It could be that's all this is, an annoying little muscle twitch in the esophagus. There is no way to differentiate pain from an esophageal spasm from that of a heart attack without medical tests like an ECG and blood cardiac enzymes. The vagus nerve serves both the heart and the stomach/esophagus. Your brain has a great deal of difficulty distinguishing between the two regions, if it can do so at all. Chest pain should be treated as heart pain, until conclusively proven otherwise. I've passed out from esophageal spasm (vaso-vagal syncope). I've been admitted to the cardiac ward from esophageal spasm. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.
Considering the family history, and the fact that more women than men have "silent" heart disease, it would be prudent for you to have a cardiac stress test....maybe even the one using radio-opaque dye imaging. Just so you know where you stand.
Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:286446
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20031202/msgs/286799.html