# Damn elephant sitting on my chest

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-elephant-sitting-on-my-chest/635883>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [September 26, 2012, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-elephant-sitting-on-my-chest/635883 "2012-09-26T14:12:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-elephant-sitting-on-my-chest/635883/21 "2012-09-27T01:46:20Z")

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I’m glad you had it checked out.

I am interested whether the doctor’s office heard your symptoms. Because if they did, it seems to me they were very careless.

StG

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**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-elephant-sitting-on-my-chest/635883/22 "2012-09-27T01:50:24Z")

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Sad but true. You have to be your own advocate.  
[Women with severe heart attacks are more likely to die in a hospital than men because their symptoms are not taken seriously.](http://www.medicaldiscoverynews.com/shows/heartAttacknotsSame.html)

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**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damn-elephant-sitting-on-my-chest/635883/23 "2012-09-27T02:25:32Z")

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I went through something similar in my late 20’s to mid 30’s. Many many trips to e r with heart attack symtoms, crushing pain in chest and in left jaw and arm. Pain was almost daily and getting so bad somedays I would head for ER. Problem turned out to be swallowing air and fix was very easy. If pain occured I inspected my saliva by putting a sample on my fingertip. If it was foamy I would simply start wiping my mouth instead of swallowing. Usually in less than 30 min symptoms would disappear. Once I got it under control it quit happening as the anxiety was now gone.

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