I'm in the ER right now

[Smapti]

I was driving to work a few houts ago to check my work schedule for next week when I suddenly felt an intense stabbing pain in the right side of my chest. It was there and gone after a second. I thought nothing of it at first, but then it happened four more times over the next couple minutes. By the time I made it to work I hadn't had any more stabbing pains, but I was starting to feel pain on the other side of my chest and my right armpit. My pulse was about 100/minute and I was starting to get scared. I decided to turn around and drive to urgent care, but I got caught in rush hour traffic and it was starting to feel worse, so I turned around and drove to St. Joseph's hospital in Tacoma.

They've x-rayed me and done an EKG, and working on blood cultures. I'm lying in a hospital bed right now hooked up to a heart monitor waiting to hear what's going on with me. Pain is still there but not as intense as an hour ago.

I barely have any bars in here so my ability to check this thread may be sporadic. Will post again as soon as I know more.

[Rysdad]

They may give you a nitroglycerin pill. Tell us if it gives you a headache.

And, good luck.

[Oakminster]

Takes real dedication to notify the Dope of a possible heart attack in progress. Let's hope it's just gas, or otherwise a false alarm.

[phouka]

Geez, smapti, what have we told you about swallowing all those toothpicks?

(Seriously, I hope it's a false alarm. Good luck.)

[runner pat]

"Ask the guy who might be having a heart attack-need answer fast."

[Tom Tildrum]

Originally Posted by Oakminster

Takes real dedication to notify the Dope of a possible heart attack in progress. Let's hope it's just gas, or otherwise a false alarm.

Notifying us of gas in progress is awesome in its own way, too. Fingers crossed for a good result, Smapti.

[Taomist]

Good luck, Smapti! Glad you were able to make it to help; with my luck, I'd be the unconscious driver running stop signs. >.<

[Smapti]

The doctor says the preliminary results from my physical show no signs of heart attack, angina, tuberculosis, pneumonia, injured heart or lungs, or anything else major at this time. I'm running a mild fever and I have slightly elevated blood pressure, and I was showing symptoms of mild dehydration. They gave me some kind of pill (not sure what it was) and ran an IV before discharging me. The doctor said there are a number of things that could have caused the initial chest pains and the subsequent pain which could be signs of something i'll want to get checked out for, but nothing requiring immediate attention - they're going to run more tests tomorrow to double-check, and they want me to get a follow-up with my regular doctor in the next week. In the meanwhile, i'm supposed to rest and call them if the stabbing pains recur.

So thankfully, it seems, the worst thing to come out of this episode will be the bill (which, based on my insurance, should be between $100 and $1,000, hopefully closer to the former than the latter). I was almost certain I was having a genuine heart attack, especially because i'm in a high-risk category for one and it certainly felt intense. I'm still feeling some mild pain now, but it's dissipated and it seems to be going away.

I'm going home and ordering a pizza - I've missed lunch and dinner today and I am now starving

[flatlined]

I'm so happy that you weren't having a heart attack. I'm now wondering if you had a panic attack. Stress could cause that. I used to have panic attacks and thought that I was going to die because of all of the physical sympthoms.

Stress, work, traffic...all of these things could work together to set your "fight or flight" response off.

[Oakminster]

Originally Posted by Smapti

I was almost certain I was having a genuine heart attack, especially because i'm in a high-risk category for one and it certainly felt intense.

Better safe than sorry. Or dead. Glad it wasn't serious.

[Spectre of Pithecanthropus]

Originally Posted by flatlined

I'm so happy that you weren't having a heart attack. I'm now wondering if you had a panic attack. Stress could cause that. I used to have panic attacks and thought that I was going to die because of all of the physical sympthoms.

Stress, work, traffic...all of these things could work together to set your "fight or flight" response off.

Should someone named flatlined really even be in this thread?

[picunurse]

Originally Posted by Smapti

The doctor says the preliminary results from my physical show no signs of heart attack, angina, tuberculosis, pneumonia, injured heart or lungs, or anything else major at this time. I'm running a mild fever and I have slightly elevated blood pressure, and I was showing symptoms of mild dehydration. They gave me some kind of pill (not sure what it was) and ran an IV before discharging me. The doctor said there are a number of things that could have caused the initial chest pains and the subsequent pain which could be signs of something i'll want to get checked out for, but nothing requiring immediate attention - they're going to run more tests tomorrow to double-check, and they want me to get a follow-up with my regular doctor in the next week. In the meanwhile, i'm supposed to rest and call them if the stabbing pains recur.

So thankfully, it seems, the worst thing to come out of this episode will be the bill (which, based on my insurance, should be between $100 and $1,000, hopefully closer to the former than the latter). I was almost certain I was having a genuine heart attack, especially because i'm in a high-risk category for one and it certainly felt intense. I'm still feeling some mild pain now, but it's dissipated and it seems to be going away.

I'm going home and ordering a pizza - I've missed lunch and dinner today and I am now starving

Chest pain on the RIGHT side isn't a heart attack, unless you have dextrocardia.
It could be intercostal cramping from dehydration, it could be indigestion from eating crap, like pizza, or any number of other things for minor to serious, but not likely a heart attack.

[Robot Arm]

St. Joe's, eh? I'll be damned, my mom used to work there.

Hope you're feeling better.

[OttoDaFe]

Originally Posted by Robot Arm

St. Joe's, eh? I'll be damned, my mom used to work there.

Hope you're feeling better.

<SmallWorld>
As did both my parents (doctor & nurse).
</SmallWorld>

Second the sentiment about feeling better.

[Cinnamon Imp]

Well done on not dying!

What kind of pizza did you have to celebrate?

[lavenderviolet]

Originally Posted by picunurse

Chest pain on the RIGHT side isn't a heart attack, unless you have dextrocardia.
It could be intercostal cramping from dehydration, it could be indigestion from eating crap, like pizza, or any number of other things for minor to serious, but not likely a heart attack.

I agree it's not the most common way for heart pain to present, but I have heard from heart attack patients who did report right sided chest pain - especially females, who often have weird symptoms with heart disease.
Smapti: Good job taking it seriously and having it checked out. Too many people try to ignore scary symptoms until it becomes something awful.

[needscoffee]

Didn't you just the other day have an abscessed tooth? Be sure to mention it - it can lead to endocarditis, though presumably that would have been detected.

[Antigen]

You don't fuck around with chest pain.

I'm glad that you took it seriously, and extra glad that it wasn't anything serious. Hope you feel better soon.

[Johnny L.A.]

Originally Posted by Smapti

The doctor says the preliminary results from my physical show no signs of heart attack, angina, tuberculosis, pneumonia, injured heart or lungs, or anything else major at this time. I'm running a mild fever and I have slightly elevated blood pressure, and I was showing symptoms of mild dehydration. They gave me some kind of pill (not sure what it was) and ran an IV before discharging me. The doctor said there are a number of things that could have caused the initial chest pains and the subsequent pain which could be signs of something i'll want to get checked out for, but nothing requiring immediate attention - they're going to run more tests tomorrow to double-check, and they want me to get a follow-up with my regular doctor in the next week. In the meanwhile, i'm supposed to rest and call them if the stabbing pains recur.

So thankfully, it seems, the worst thing to come out of this episode will be the bill (which, based on my insurance, should be between $100 and $1,000, hopefully closer to the former than the latter). I was almost certain I was having a genuine heart attack, especially because i'm in a high-risk category for one and it certainly felt intense. I'm still feeling some mild pain now, but it's dissipated and it seems to be going away.

I'm going home and ordering a pizza - I've missed lunch and dinner today and I am now starving

Does anyone else think this post should have been truncated mid-sentence?

[Taters]

Glad it wasn't serious, Smapti. St Joe's has good staff.

[Smapti]

Originally Posted by needscoffee

Didn't you just the other day have an abscessed tooth? Be sure to mention it - it can lead to endocarditis, though presumably that would have been detected.

I did - no complications from the extraction so far, and i'm on antibiotics. The swelling has gone down and i'm scheduling a full exam so we can get working on the rest of my dental problems.

I'm beginning to think it might have been a panic attack brought on by the traffic, the heat (it was 95 degrees yesterday), and the lingering pain and stress over the tooth situation. My mother has had anxiety problems in the past so there could be a genetic aspect to it - i'll have to talk to her and find out what her symptoms are so I can see if what I experienced is similar.