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    Chest pain that mimic Heart Attack Symptoms

    I posted regarding this in the General Forum as well. I'm now wondering if something similar has happened to anyone else.

    I've been to the ER twice in the last six months or so with chest pain. The first time was not exactly pain. I thought I had tachycardia. I woke up in the middle of the night feeling like my heart was going 200 miles an hour. I got up and wandered around the house for a bit with it thumpety-thumping away like I had a trapped bunny bouncing around in there. Finally gave up and got DH to head to the ER. It turned out to be esophageal spasms.

    Second time was a couple of weeks ago. I called my DH and he picked me up at work and we went to the ER again. This time was a bit more troubling. My chest pain was classic for heart attack and waxed and waned. The pain radiate up into my neck and jaw and down the inside of my left arm and through to my back. After a multitude of tests, it was determined I had not had a heart attack after all, and my heart rhythm is perfect. I asked the ER doc if it could be spasms related to MS. He said it very well could be, but he wanted me to follow up with my PCP and get a stress test, which I plan to do. The pain gradually got better and went away after 3-4 days.

    Yesterday I started having pain in my right shoulder-blade area. When I lean against a chair back it feels like I have a twisted bra strap, or something poking me (I don't). Today it hurts even sitting straight up. I think it's yet another spasm!

    Luckily, I'm scheduled for a follow-up with my neuro next week. I was going to cancel, because it was to follow up my starting Gilenya, which I decided not to do because the best co-pay I can get (even with help from the manufacturer) is $500/month, which I can't afford. I have had difficulty getting my neuro to help me with symptom management; it's like he doesn't want to deal with me since I'm choosing not to take a drug which he can't guarantee me has ANY chance of delaying progression other than anecdotal evidence (there is not even much of that yet).

    Has anyone else had MS symptoms that mimic a much more dangerous health problem?

    #2
    I have chest pain from time to time that I dismiss as the MS hug or spasm or spasticity. Of course, I have already had the stress test, and EKGs. and they say my heart is fine, even though I can get tachycardia and BP spikes (the docs seem to be leaning toward autonomic dysfunction from a lesion as a cause)

    But back to the pain, MS makes it so hard to determine if there's an actual health crisis, or if it's just the MS acting up. I mean, many of us fit the classic description of "stroke" symptoms on any given day. Problems raising a limb, slurred speech, numbness, etc. and when they come on suddenly, like they can, we have to make the judgment whether to seek medical help or just chalk it up to MS.

    I will say, I have delayed treatment a couple of times blaming MS, when in fact I should have sought medical help. But on the other hand, if I went to the ER everytime I had that squeezing pain around my ribs or chest (the hug)...I'd practically be living there.

    It's also hard for doctors because a couple weeks ago I was in my GPs office and they sent me straight to the ER via ambulance. He thought an infection I was battling was now sepsis, when the truth is, all my vitals were off because I had ventured into the heat to get to the appt., was weak from recovering from surgery, and was just too "hot"...ER doc diagnosed me with MS fatigue because in the cool of the ER, all vitals returned to normal, and after a 4 hour rest, I was able to go home, no medical intervention needed.

    All that to say, I have no answers, just empathize with the situation you're facing. But if my neuro wouldn't prescribe symptomatic meds, I might be looking for another doctor. I have extra spasticity meds, and extra spasm meds I can take when my regular ones don't seem to be helping. You need symptomatic meds to deal with this disease!!!

    Comment


      #3
      ME TO

      I HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM THIS WEEK I WENT WEN .THEY DID EKG OTHER TEST . I TOLD HIM THAT IT FELT LIKE THE SPASAMS I GET IN MY LEGS . THIS DOCTOR SAYS HE DIDNT FEEL ITS MS. BUT I THINK SO NOW MYSELF . BUT LETS BE GRATEFULL IT WASNT A HEARTACK. THATS WHY I COULDNT FIGURE THIS OUT. MONEY LOW TO WASTNG AND ITS NOT HEARTACK .MS SO FUNNY M GLAD M NOT ALONE BECAUSE I WAS STRATING TO THINK IM CRAZY.

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        #4
        test

        I have had the issue of pain in my chest. Comes and goes. I went to a heart specialist and they did a test.
        The test consisted of taking a pill to get my heart pumping up since I cannot do a tread mill.
        Once this was complete the dr asked me what I was doing there since there was no problem in the heart. Something else, but I am not sure if it is MS or not.
        I think it is best to test the heart first and rule it out, otherwise you won't know for sure. Good Luck!
        Surfer

        Comment


          #5
          SHERP

          I have funny, not so funny chest spasms, feel like heart stuff but all docs say MS. not to worry. but I do

          Comment


            #6
            I'm not Primary /Secondary Progressive but I have the chest pains also, I always have them checked because I had a heart attact at age 35. Just before my last Flair I went to my PCP because of chest pains and Xray showed water around heart and a chest infection that I did'nt have any idea about, than before I could get to Cardio. I had a Flair I let that pass before I went for all the tests and they came back neg. but I'm still having chest pains and also have breathing problems they say is MS related

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by jcrain9663 View Post
              I posted regarding this in the General Forum as well. I'm now wondering if something similar has happened to anyone else.

              I've been to the ER twice in the last six months or so with chest pain. The first time was not exactly pain. I thought I had tachycardia. I woke up in the middle of the night feeling like my heart was going 200 miles an hour. I got up and wandered around the house for a bit with it thumpety-thumping away like I had a trapped bunny bouncing around in there. Finally gave up and got DH to head to the ER. It turned out to be esophageal spasms.

              Second time was a couple of weeks ago. I called my DH and he picked me up at work and we went to the ER again. This time was a bit more troubling. My chest pain was classic for heart attack and waxed and waned. The pain radiate up into my neck and jaw and down the inside of my left arm and through to my back. After a multitude of tests, it was determined I had not had a heart attack after all, and my heart rhythm is perfect. I asked the ER doc if it could be spasms related to MS. He said it very well could be, but he wanted me to follow up with my PCP and get a stress test, which I plan to do. The pain gradually got better and went away after 3-4 days.

              Yesterday I started having pain in my right shoulder-blade area. When I lean against a chair back it feels like I have a twisted bra strap, or something poking me (I don't). Today it hurts even sitting straight up. I think it's yet another spasm!

              Luckily, I'm scheduled for a follow-up with my neuro next week. I was going to cancel, because it was to follow up my starting Gilenya, which I decided not to do because the best co-pay I can get (even with help from the manufacturer) is $500/month, which I can't afford. I have had difficulty getting my neuro to help me with symptom management; it's like he doesn't want to deal with me since I'm choosing not to take a drug which he can't guarantee me has ANY chance of delaying progression other than anecdotal evidence (there is not even much of that yet).

              Has anyone else had MS symptoms that mimic a much more dangerous health problem?
              Yes! and I get this thing where my bronchial feel asthmatic? Like it kinda burns in my wind pipe when I take a deep breath. And I have sob,but it's not from my lungs. Wtf is it?

              Comment


                #8
                MS chest pain

                I have that chest pain too. Last year it was so bad I went to the ER with heart attack symptoms. Of course all the tests were negative but they said I did the right thing by going to the ER. One thing I noticed was that when they gave me oxygen in the ER it helped quite a bit. I told my neuro about this but he totally ignored my request for an rx for oxygen. If I can't get help for this pain when I go to next month's neuro appt. I'm going to try mj. I'm not in a mmj state, but I know where to get it safely. What else can we do? I'm also considering changing neuros, but he's supposed to be one of the best anywhere.

                Good luck to all of you with handling this MonSter.

                Comment


                  #9
                  I have had these chest pains as well. I've had them on and off since 2008. After test after test, I was finally diagnosed with 'nutcracker esophagus'. It mimicks heart attack pain and is when the esophagus spasms to the strength of a nutcracker. I have been taking meds for it ever since with some exceptions while I was pregnant or when it mysteriously went away (like it has now).

                  Since being diagnosed with MS this past February, I too have wondered if this really wasn't MS related. I have never had the pain going down shoulder or into the jaw. It has always been right on my breastbone area.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Hi ‘jcrain9663’,

                    I can’t tell you how relieved I was to read your post – though, of course, I am sorry for you!

                    Just over a month ago I went through something so similar to what you describe, except that - as I had coughed up blood (not much) the night before - I put it down to the lungs (i.e. a collapsed lung, aka pneumothorax)...

                    Then, later, I began to suspect heart problems – when the breathing got laboured, I kept feeling faint/dizzy, and then the worst (and I’ve had to buy a riser-recliner because of it – can’t get into bed): oedema...which, I think, might be spreading, upwards, from my legs.

                    The lung-collapse could have caused that, by moving the heart, apparently.

                    The lung-collapse, my son and I now believe (I don’t see doctors/neurologists – dread ever being looked at again [have been in the past – regretfully] by anyone from the medical establishment – I know they’d “write [me] off”!)
                    could have been caused by my scoliosis (curvature of the spine) which has got horribly worse since whatever this “crash” was...

                    And the scoliosis was probably brought about by multiple sclerosis (MS)...insofar as MS would stop neuron messages getting to the muscles, the muscles would waste away and the lack of “discipline” allow the bones to “twist”.

                    One can imagine that happening and then a rib to pierce a lung...and so on, for the above scenario (and just realized this might sound scary to some [it does to me]: I’m sorry if that’s the case but, hey, this is the PPMS/SPMS forum!)

                    So there you are, ‘jc’. Just to thank you for your post and let you know I empathize!

                    I hope you feel more relaxed about things soon.

                    Virginia

                    P.S. Forgot to mention that I use herbal remedies and my son works at a medical herbalist’s (haven’t had a doctor’s prescription since 1990). The great thing about herbs, I believe, is that – apart from all their other qualities – they keep you cheerful. That’s why I won’t see anyone else.

                    Must close: my carer just brought me a turmeric tissane!
                    "... take up [your] cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23)

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Chest Pain

                      I have had something similar on about four occasions spanning a period of three years. Its not exactly pain and it doesn't last very long, but what concerned me each time was that it was a classic heart attack symptom. I began to feel a tightness and squeezing in my chest and then tingling and numbness running down both arms. It lasts for approximately 15 seconds or so and then goes away.

                      My father had symptoms such as these for years and then had a massive heart attack. He did survive, but I didn't want to end up the same way. I also didn't want to dismiss it as another MS symptom, which for me has become easy to do. I don't want to become someone who runs to the doctor with every a little ache or pain or new and weird symptom presents, as we all know that MS is the master of weird symptoms.

                      I did make an appointment with my PCM who ordered a battery of blood tests. My cholesterol was very high so he started me on Lipitor and a daily aspirin and recommended I see a cardiologist, which I did. I had to do the chemically induced stress test and it was a bit abnormal but nothing that the doctor thought was a sign of heart disease.

                      I think it is important that when it is a symptom that could be life threatening as with your heart, it is better to err on the side of safety and have it checked out. Still, there is no guarantee after all that it won't eventually turn into a heart problem but at least you took the first step in identifying it and breaking the ice so to speak. Next time if it occurs and is possibly more severe you will have an idea of what you should do.

                      MS is such a insidious disease and a master of illusion in that so many symptoms that present could certainly be a myriad of worse problems which could be fatal. Not sure any of what I have said helps, but you are not alone.

                      Jim
                      MSJ

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Several years ago, I was having severe chest pain and thought it was a heart attack. Come to find out, the Provigil I was taking caused the chest pain. Once I stopped taking it, no more pain.
                        Joy is not the absence of suffering. It is the presence of God.
                        Cut aspartame from my diet in 2012 and my symptoms have slowly disappeared. Interesting!
                        Alpha Lipoic Acid (200 mg) + Acetyl L-carnitine (1,000 mg) = No more fatigue for me!

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Amantadine

                          I had this same reaction after only 3 days of amantadine - I ended up taking 1 g of Hawthorn Berry powder and about 2 leiters of water until I got my heart to slow and the pain went away. I stopped the amantadine immediately.

                          About two weeks later, I ended up in the ER thinking I had a blood clot in my lung - horrible pain in left front chest trying to take a breath - they said costochondritis - read my records and changed to MS HUG
                          Peace, Love, Laughter
                          michele - dx 2012, 1st sx 2000 - starting Copaxone 7/2012

                          Comment


                            #14
                            I checked myself into the ER about 6 weeks ago due to scary chest pains. All the blood tests, chest X-ray, ekg, and more turned out fine. The docs believe it's the monster torturing me again. I get that pain in that exact spot now and then, but no other chest area issues.
                            Dx'd on 10-17-11
                            Avonex since 10/28/11 - Tysabri since 1-26-12 - 18 doses, then Betaseron since 9/4/13
                            Don’t be ashamed to need help. Like a soldier storming a wall, you have a mission to accomplish. And if you’ve been wounded and you need a comrade to pull you up? So what? – Marcus Aurelius, Meditations Book 7

                            Comment


                              #15
                              I went to the emergency room because I thought I was having a heart attack. It was actually MS. It made my left arm a bit numb. Also I have trouble with nerves in my rib cage getting very sore and sometimes giving me a 'POW!', a jolt of pain right infront of my heart. So yeah.

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