General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsI spent a very long day, today, in the ER and Cardiac unit.
I had excruciating chest pain at 4am. The ER was great. Got me back to the unit stat, and got the heart enzyme work done (X2), blood work, chest x-ray, and mid-afternoon, a stress EKG with Gamma camera before and after.
Good news: no heart problems found. Bad news, the severe chest and abdominal pain contines. More tests coming.
One of the worst nights/days of my life (70 years).
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,783 posts)unblock
(52,277 posts)Solly Mack
(90,778 posts)Please let us know how you're doing.
blueinredohio
(6,797 posts)Make sure to let us know what you find out.
Anon-C
(3,430 posts)Your recovery as you feel better.
Demovictory9
(32,467 posts)Aristus
(66,434 posts)It's not DU without you. I'm not kidding; I think we'd need to shut the whole thing down...
handmade34
(22,756 posts)no fun for you or us when you're not well
TEB
(12,863 posts)CaliforniaPeggy
(149,660 posts)That sounds awful, and scary to boot.
I am relieved to hear that your heart is OK. But what on earth could be causing the chest/abdominal pain?
Hope they find out pronto and get you some good and lasting relief.
Take care!
crazylikafox
(2,760 posts)Same thing happened to me 10 years ago
Tess49
(1,580 posts)TexasBushwhacker
(20,208 posts)They checked my heart out first. Then they did an ultrasound of my GB and BINGO! Then some blessed morphine and a visit from the surgeon.
Tess49
(1,580 posts)I saw patients who came to the ER with chest pain, who were cleared of cardiac issues, and sent to me to scan for gallbladder disease. Very common to find gallstones if chest pain is present with an absence of cardiac involvement.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)DemoTex's problem.
My husband turned yellow over time, Demotex,and we were terribly afraid for a couple days for a serious liver problem, but it turned out to be "only" his gallbladder. He likes to joke that he misses his gallbladder, but that's mostly just because he thinks it's funny.
Tess49
(1,580 posts)husband is okay.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)Tess49
(1,580 posts)Stonepounder
(4,033 posts)Chest pain. (Note: I did have open heart surgery for a triple bypass and a Maze procedure for arrhythmia about 15 years ago). Ambulance to the ER. Again, they were great but couldn't find anything. Heart was fine. A friend suggested they take a look at the gall bladder. Had it checked, gall stones, had it yanked, been fine every since.
H2O Man
(73,577 posts)Five years ago here.
Different Drummer
(7,626 posts)malaise
(269,106 posts)MineralMan
(146,320 posts)lapfog_1
(29,215 posts)heart? nope. upset stomach? nope.
worst pain I've ever felt. Even riding to the ER was torture every time the car made a turn (centrifugal force would feel like knives carving into my diaphragm ).
Anyway, gave me super anti-acid... no effect. Finally gave me Vicodin. Didn't fix anything but the pain went away...
I rested for a night and the next day I was sore but otherwise OK. Doc thought it was maybe gall bladder and wanted to yank it... I said let's see what happens.
Had similar pains a couple of times in the last 8 years. Treated with pain meds and sleep. Still not sure what it is.
livetohike
(22,156 posts)feel better soon.
Laffy Kat
(16,385 posts)MRI or CT in your future?
steve2470
(37,457 posts)gademocrat7
(10,665 posts)Take care.
kentuck
(111,106 posts)Take care of yourself.
jmbar2
(4,902 posts)A few years ago, a friend came down from Oregon to visit me in Houston. She loved southern cooking, so I made a pot of beans and a skillet of cornbread and we dug in.
In the middle of the night, I heard her moaning and checked in on her. She said she was in the most extreme pain she had ever experienced. I took her to the emergency room where they did all the tests, and kept her overnight for observation. They gave her a super anti-gas medicine, and her symptoms subsided.
She was released the next day, with no obvious problems.
Weeks later, she got a bill for $10,000! Fortunately, she was from Oregon and had full coverage, so she didn't have to pay it. If it had been me, a Texas resident, I would have been bankrupted by it. I later decided to move to Oregon.
We have since laughed so much about it. And now that I am in the same city as her, we periodically share a pot of $10,000 beans and cornbread. If it puts us in the hospital we are covered.
Get well soon!
PinkTiger
(2,590 posts)Ive had similar issues, been to ER twice in 15 years, but it was inconclusive.
woodsprite
(11,917 posts)My hubby thought he was having a heart attack at one point. They found out it was a kidney stone lodged high in his kidney. I've had both kidney stones, gall stones, and an umbilical hernia. Kidney stones were by far the worst pain, with gall stones running a close second.
Sending healing thoughts your way.
Ive had kidney, bladder and gall bladder stones.
Yes excruciating pain.
They will find it/ them if they are there.
Also look up costochondritis.
Feel better.
Alethia Merritt
(147 posts)Check for aneurysm or hernia?
Greybnk48
(10,168 posts)a kennedy
(29,689 posts)colorado_ufo
(5,737 posts)Gallstones
Aortic aneurysm
Pancreatitis
Esophageal hernia
Dislocated rib(s)
Pleurisy
Intestinal obstruction
Kidney stones
Be sure to get follow-up beyond the ER. They will check for the obvious cause of chest pain, but you definitely need more in-depth diagnostics.
Jane Austin
(9,199 posts)I've been to the ER for this in the past, and once I even had an episode while in the hospital for another reason.
Crashcart and every doc and nurse available came running and stayed with me for a very painful hour - on Thanksgiving Day!
Cardiologist ordered an angiogram for the following day which was great because it showed that my arteries were crystal clear and no plaque was visible anywhere.
My cardiologist thought it might be an electrical storm in my blood vessels possibly caused by Sudaphed.
The only thing the two episodes had in common was drinking black coffee and then lying flat on my back.
Both times I had jaw pain, chest tightening, left arm pain, left ebow pain (excruciating) - the works.
Whatever it was, it wasn't a heart attack., thank God.
Best to you.
Jane Austin
(9,199 posts)I just have to remember to remain upright after I eat or drink - especially coffee.
Pepsidog
(6,254 posts)I was getting bouts of V-Tach. Had to shock me 8 times over 2 days. Finally after 10 days in hospital and ablation fit as a fiddle. Hard to diagnose cause only occurred randomly
elleng
(131,028 posts)Glad for the good news, and that the 'remainder' is being attended to.
I'm 'working' on vertigo, newly sprung up yesterday, so consider us 'together.'
LiberalArkie
(15,722 posts)onecent
(6,096 posts)ismnotwasm
(41,998 posts)Glad you got good care
sinkingfeeling
(51,469 posts)raven mad
(4,940 posts)Consider yourself hugged.
williesgirl
(4,033 posts)Blue_true
(31,261 posts)lunatica
(53,410 posts)From the responses here it doesnt seem to be that uncommon. Take care.
Demonaut
(8,922 posts)tavernier
(12,394 posts)You had those Elvis fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches again, right?
No, I know you didnt, lol.
Laugh a bit. Breathe. Move out of Texas. *wink*
Nac Mac Feegle
(971 posts)Drove to the hospital myself and checked in to the E.R. with massive upper right abdomen pain.
From the pain, they were thinking kidney stones.
Heaving up bile, hard.
They took me in to x-ray. As I was getting moved around into position,
I asked "Which shoulder is it that hurts when you're having a heart attack?"
They got REALLY concerned looks on their faces, and said "The left one".
I said "That's good, my right one is where the pain is."
They looked at each other and almost in unison said "Gall bladder".
They moved the x-ray to the appropriate area and found them.
I soon discovered the wonders of Morphine. That is some Really Good Shit!!!!
Next day in Surgery, just after they gave me the initial dose of anasthetic, the pain suddenly goes away. I couldn't say anything, but the next day when the Surgeon was doing his rounds with the students, I hear him telling them that "Just before, or just as we were going in, the gall bladder burst, he had 4 very large stones jammed in the duct."
Just my war story.
mahina
(17,682 posts)Hoping you never have that again. Hugs and lots of aloha.
badhair77
(4,218 posts)Sending good thoughts your way.
spanone
(135,855 posts)Good Wishes....
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)serious. Take care DemoTex!
saidsimplesimon
(7,888 posts)We need you. I am a year older. Let's do this together, take a deep breath, relax. If this is the worst, it can only get better.
barbtries
(28,808 posts)hope the source of your pain is soon diagnosed and relieved.
MRDAWG
(501 posts)Cath was well worth the peace of mind. I was 70 at the time. You will continue to worry until you get that Gold Standard of heart tests.
Peace of mind is worth gold.
pdxflyboy
(678 posts)cilla4progress
(24,758 posts)Glad youre ok!
H2O Man
(73,577 posts)Positive vibrations.
Lifelong Protester
(8,421 posts)I hope you are at a good hospital and they can quickly diagnose the 'problem'.
sprinkleeninow
(20,254 posts)FuzzyRabbit
(1,968 posts)I know it's hard to remember when you are in extreme pain, but remember, the pain is temporary and will end soon.
oasis
(49,395 posts)drray23
(7,635 posts)Blood tests, EKG, the works and they ruled out a heart attack. I'm scheduled for a stress test and an echo cardiogram.
AnotherDreamWeaver
(2,852 posts)appal_jack
(3,813 posts)I hope that the rest is healing, and that the healing is quick and complete!
-app
calimary
(81,383 posts)So sorry to hear that! Glad you got help right away. Keep us posted, cuz otherwise we're gonna worry.
rocktivity
(44,577 posts)FailureToCommunicate
(14,018 posts)DemoTex
(25,400 posts)Headed in for RUQ ultrasound and CT scan on Tuesday. The severe pain abated somewhat, and the remaining symtoms suggest gallstones. I have slept most of the last 24 hours.
cstanleytech
(26,306 posts)my abdomen and chest since I hurt a nerve on the left side of my neck a few months ago as so far the doctors cannot figure out whats causing the pain.
Hekate
(90,755 posts)Your friends need you here.
MrModerate
(9,753 posts)I was on vacation in Germany at the time. (Actually fell over with similar symptoms while Visiting San
Souci palace outside Berlin.) Received excellent care, although translation was imperfect. They didn't charge me a nickel, due to a reciprocity deal with my insurer.
At least I hope that's the case. I'll check in with my regular doc when I return to the States tomorrow.
DFW
(54,420 posts)It's a great place to visit, but that's the old East Germany. You might have had better luck with the language problem in Berlin itself.
MrModerate
(9,753 posts)Potsdam's pretty much part of the Berlin conurbation.
DFW
(54,420 posts)But from an administrative point of view, Potsdam is in Brandenburg, which is part of the old East Germany, whereas Berlin is another administrative district entirely. It's just a 4 hour train trip, and we run over there a couple of times a year.
MrModerate
(9,753 posts)and spent some of her adult years in former East Germany, was convinced the hospital in Potsdam would want to keep me for days and days, just because of some compulsion to overdeliver that was buried in their past. I am no judge.
DFW
(54,420 posts)Last time I got driven to the ER, it WAS a heart attack, although it was so mild, my enzyme count took 10 hours to go up.
mnhtnbb
(31,399 posts)While you're waiting, stay away from news channels and any sight/sound of the orange one on TV because you don't need any more anxiety
or stress, right?
Let us know when they figure it out.
BumRushDaShow
(129,241 posts)Hope you can get this resolved and recover quickly!
Demsrule86
(68,620 posts)every once in a while...hurts like hell. The doctor has order a test for blockage which don't alway show up on traditional tests...there is heart disease in my family. Hope you feel better.
Pobeka
(4,999 posts)The pain was getting chronic, and I finally went back to see the chiropractor (not the normal type, this is an "advanced orthogonal" who can precisely adjust the atlas with a sound wave). Long story short the pain was referred because my vertebra in my neck where messed up enough to impinge the nerve. Cost for xrays and treatments was very minimal compared to a normal doc, and it worked beautifully. Maybe it's not your problem, but maybe it is?
Demsrule86
(68,620 posts)to pounce!
cpamomfromtexas
(1,247 posts)It gave me many wierd symptoms, including chest pain. Took several doctors before anyone tested for it.
An 80 year old Dr from Greece found it.
FailureToCommunicate
(14,018 posts)I had it. I opted not to have the surgery and have been okay for years since. Moral of the story for me was don't have three large, greasy meals in a row (vacation!)
Hope they figure it out and you feel better soon!
greatauntoftriplets
(175,746 posts)May the pain go away soon. Be well.
LuckyCharms
(17,450 posts)kanda
(175 posts)Sending you many good healing vibes.
ollie10
(2,091 posts)Which in turn could be caused by a stone blocking the shared duct that originated in gall bladder.
There are blood tests, as well as imaging that can check for causes of pain. Untrasound, mri, etc. I am assuming they will want to do more tests on you,
peacebuzzard
(5,179 posts)A definitive diagnosis and speedy recovery.
Keep us posted.
47of74
(18,470 posts)alfredo
(60,075 posts)Glad you are well enough to let us know of your scare.
trof
(54,256 posts)Man?
Keep us posted, OK?
DemoTex
(25,400 posts)Thanks trof!
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)DemoTex
(25,400 posts)Thanks Blue_true!