Chest Pain Input Please

[Crankin]

Go to the emergency room!!!!!

[Kano]

I don't want to minimize the possibilities -- the bad stuff that's been mentioned is NOT to be ignored, but:

You say there was a long bus trip. I had an assortment of not-so-long airplane rides this last week, and ended each day of flying in some wicked pain too. Home since Tuesday night, things are finally starting to feel much more normal. Yup, over a week...

DH has decided he prefers window seats on airplanes. He seems to have decided that I really like center seats.

I'm not small enough to be comfortable sitting between two people who are larger than me. It's hard to spend a couple of hours at a time sitting with one's arms crunched tightly at one's sides as though FIRMLY duck-taped to the rib cage with no expansion space allowed for breathing. Oh, and in that curled position that those evil airplane seats force me into -- also aids in the reduction of breathing space...

It was seriously painful to lay in the strange bed at night, for the whole trip, and yes, the first couple of nights at home too -- so I have to ask:

Did you also enjoy the pleasures of not enough personal space during your trip???

Karen in Boise

[KnottedYet]

Your HMO is full of BS.

And I had minimal transient chest pains and NO difficulty breathing, so GET YOUR BUTT TO THE ER RIGHT NOW, DAMMIT and get the d-dimer test.

Do not pass go, do not collect $200, do not complain about it, just DO IT.

Once a clot issue is cleared, then you can have fun taking your time exploring other options. A clot problem can KILL YOU. It can turn YOUR BRAIN TO LIFELESS MUSH if a clot decides to spend quality time in a cerebral blood vessel. (that's what's known as a stroke)

Go to the ER, get the test your darn doc can't be bothered with, and let us all stop worrying.

It's all about us, you know!

BTW: a stress test could blow chunks into your heart/lungs/brain. I think your doc is being horribly negligent not clearing you for clotting issues before running a stress test. Sue his buns off. Or tell your next of kin to do it.

[Torrilin]

Mom has had multiple pulmonary embolisms. Always very exciting :P because she looks and feels perfectly normal until she's in *really* dire shape. Get the test. You can't tell by looking, unless you've got a CAT scan machine at home.

[maillotpois]

Torrilin - you're mom's got to be a coumadin lifer, right? Bummer. That's my fear. If this happens again, I am a lifer. Fortunately, I think we nailed and eliminated my risk factor. And I'll be shooting up (w/lovenonx) before any long flights, just in case.

I agree a stress test shouldn't be the place to start. It's funny they'd rather run a complicated and lengthy procedure instead of a $50 blood test. Whatever.

Just remember: It's your body, not your doctor's. I am sure your doctor has good intentions, but PE is the leading sudden death killer for a reason - it is often mis-diagnosed or just plain missed.

ETA: In case there's still some perception of wolf crying here - I had an interesting discussion with an old friend of my in laws who is a pulmonology researcher at Scripps in SD. He developed some drug or something that allows premature infants to breathe. Which is cool. Anyway, he was asking questions about my episode and was just amazed that I was okay. He says that the PEs can not only simply cause you not to have enough air, but they can actually cause some sort of neurological reaction that shuts your heart down.

As said, we all hope you don't have a PE and you probably don't. However, the 5 - 10% chance that you do isn't worth messing around with and waiting for a doctor to figure something out.

[li10up]

Wow, I certainly appreciate all the concern. I didn't go to the ER and I've not had any pains over the weekend. I probably should have gone just to make sure. If it happens again I'll go...but right now I'm feeling fine. Rode yesterday and today with no problems. I'll feel really stupid if it's just "gas" or something like that. I will keep an eye one it. Thanks everyone.

[Torrilin]

Torrilin - you're mom's got to be a coumadin lifer, right? Bummer. That's my fear. If this happens again, I am a lifer. Fortunately, I think we nailed and eliminated my risk factor. And I'll be shooting up (w/lovenonx) before any long flights, just in case.

IIRC she's not a lifer. The first one they nailed down some of her risk factors, and eventually weaned her off coumadin. The second one happened while she was in the hospital for shoulder replacement #2. Sorta hard to keep her mobile enough with major surgery involved.

li0up, don't feel stupid about getting tests and coming back negative. There are a lot of cheap and simple tests that make life much easier for doctors (and patients!). Much better to use them if it's called for.

[li10up]

I finally got scared enough about the chest pains that wouldn't go away and went to the ER yesterday afternoon. I told them I had been told to ask about this test and the dr. asked if I knew some doctors or something...just told him I had some knowledgeable friends (thanks everyone). Anyhow after talking with me he seemed to be concerned about the possibility of PE and ordered the d-Dimer. It came back "high" and so then I had a chest x-ray and then a CT scan of my chest. I'm happy to report that those came back negative. I'm happy that a serious medical condition like PE has been ruled out but I'm still wondering why I continue to have these chest pains. He still wants me to have the stress test on Tue. He's starting to think that it may be gastric and gave me an Rx. I'll try that and see how it goes.