# abdominal pain, profuse sweating, rapid heart rate **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 11, 2013, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abdominal-pain-profuse-sweating-rapid-heart-rate/670946 "2013-10-11T03:29:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2013, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abdominal-pain-profuse-sweating-rapid-heart-rate/670946/21 "2013-10-11T11:56:49Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Any ideas what would cause this? Starts as abdominal pain as if one needs to go to the bathroom but then progresses to heavy sweating and rapid heart rate. Goes away in 10 minutes. > > Don’t need answer fast. Our ambulance dispatch guidelines may vary from your local guidelines. That said… Top priority for dispatch is any one of: [ul][li]Lower abdominal pain w/fainting or near fainting, patient \> 50 years old[/li][li]Ab pain with difficulty breathing[/li][li]Upper abdominal pain, patient \> 35 years old[/li][li]Lower ab pain, female patient 12-50 years old if also dizzy/heavy vag bleed, or fainting[/li][li]Ab pain with fainting/near fainting when sitting[/li][li]Ab pain with decreased level of consciousness[/li][li]Upper ab pain w/ hx of heart problems[/li][li]Ab pain (non-traumatic), patient \> 50years old[/ul][/li]The sweating (diaphoresis) sounds like it is a triggering of your sympathetic nervous system. As you describe it, I would consider a sign of near fainting and dispatch an ambulance at a top priority level. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2013, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abdominal-pain-profuse-sweating-rapid-heart-rate/670946/22 "2013-10-11T12:08:42Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Oh I will when I get the chance but without something to go on it’s pretty much a massive guessing game. Not to a doctor. You know, it is not necessary to know what is wrong before you go to the doctor. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2013, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abdominal-pain-profuse-sweating-rapid-heart-rate/670946/23 "2013-10-11T22:43:30Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Not to a doctor. > > You know, it is not necessary to know what is wrong before you go to the doctor. no absolutely, but going to the doctor without any current symptoms makes it more of a fishing expedition than if you were having them at the time of the visit. Which will be early tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![want2befree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3e96dc/32.png) [@want2befree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2befree)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2013, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abdominal-pain-profuse-sweating-rapid-heart-rate/670946/24 "2013-10-11T22:47:42Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > no absolutely, but going to the doctor without any current symptoms makes it more of a fishing expedition than if you were having them at the time of the visit. Which will be early tomorrow. But you described the symptoms in the OP. You don’t have to be having them right when you see the doctor. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2013, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abdominal-pain-profuse-sweating-rapid-heart-rate/670946/25 "2013-10-11T22:51:58Z")
Don’t forget, doctors can also run blood and urine tests (even in the office while you wait) that can tell you quite a bit. A few months ago I was in some of the worst pain of my entire life. So bad I really shouldn’t have been driving. I thought I slipped a disk. Turned out it was a kidney stone (which they could tell based on blood in my urine). ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2013, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abdominal-pain-profuse-sweating-rapid-heart-rate/670946/26 "2013-10-11T23:04:52Z")
Could be mesenteric ischemia, aka “intestinal angina”, a life-threatening situation, just like cardiac angina. See a doc. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abdominal-pain-profuse-sweating-rapid-heart-rate/670946/27 "2013-10-12T02:03:37Z")
I had gallbladder disease for about 5 years before it (the gallbladder) went belly-up (heh!). This sounds a lot like the early stages. But like a lot of others have said, SEE a DOCTOR! ---
**Author:** ![Kasper1014](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c89c15/32.png) [@Kasper1014](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kasper1014)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abdominal-pain-profuse-sweating-rapid-heart-rate/670946/28 "2013-10-12T02:57:11Z")
A couple of years ago, I had abdominal pain to the left side of my belly button. I was so sure it was something I ate. I popped some Advil and laid down using a heating pad. My hubby kept asking if I should call the Dr. I assured him I was fine. I just needed to lay down. No increase heart rate, no heavy breathing, no fever. Several hours later, I started vomiting what looked like coffee grounds. I was about to tell my hubby that I’ll still be fine when he said “Shut up, we are going to the ER” LOL Turns out my intestine ruptured. If I had waited any longe, I would have died. So, I’d rather be safe than sorry. Call your Dr. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abdominal-pain-profuse-sweating-rapid-heart-rate/670946/29 "2013-10-12T03:08:19Z")
Of course get ye to your doc. Meanwhile also … how fast is the onset and its stopping? How often has it been happening? Check your actual heart rate while it is happening. (Count for 6 seconds and multiply by 10.) A gradually rupturing [aortic aneurysm](http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000162.htm) is the biggest catastrophic worry, i.e. _can kill you_. Less worrisome is something like episodes of supraventircular tachycardia (SVT). Either way get in to your doc with some urgency. Editted to add - it is not your job to call your doc with a diagnosis man. (S)he’s the detective. You tell the story, answer the questions, let him/her do the exam and order some tests. That’s what you pay for. Get your money’s worth! ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abdominal-pain-profuse-sweating-rapid-heart-rate/670946/30 "2013-10-12T14:31:57Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > except for the sweating no other symptoms that suggest heart attack based on research. Definitely starts with lower abdominal pain. No constipation or diarrhea. Have you been feeling bloated? Could be a sign that your kidneys haven’t been getting enough blood due to your heart trying to shut down. [SO’s brother reported feeling very bloated then was dead within a couple hours](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=409257), he and his wife probably thought the bloating was from the all-you-can-eat buffet the night before. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abdominal-pain-profuse-sweating-rapid-heart-rate/670946/31 "2013-10-12T19:33:58Z")
Can we get an update on how you are, Macgiver?! ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2013, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abdominal-pain-profuse-sweating-rapid-heart-rate/670946/32 "2013-10-13T02:22:22Z")
Went to the doc. He wasn’t too worried. Will do some blood work and a lower GI look-see or an X-ray. Not too enthused about the procedure as I had one 5 years ago. His opinion is a sympathetic nerve event which I already gathered. This is so typical. I go to see the doctor and I’m the model of health. Blood pressure never looked so good. No obvious lumps or bumps. I’m going to start keeping a diary of what I do. Might just be running myself into the ground and it’s catching up with me the next day in a post-dehydration event. I did change my BP meds about the time it started because the last one was slamming me awake with serious rise in heart rate (much worse than what I’m talking about here). That was an obvious link that occurred a couple of hours after taking it. Stopped immediately after I stopped taking it. The blood work and other tests will determine direction to take. Thanks all for the input and concern. I’m following up on all possibilities. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2013, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abdominal-pain-profuse-sweating-rapid-heart-rate/670946/33 "2013-10-14T04:07:11Z")
Thanks for the update. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abdominal-pain-profuse-sweating-rapid-heart-rate/670946.md?page=1)