Chest pain?

Question

Im an 18 year old female student (that means im unhealthy and dont know what exercise is!) I have been having random chesp pains for about a month. Ive had about 3 bad bouts. They stop me completly as the pain is that strong. It is a stabbing pain in center/left of my chest and lasts about 3 mins. I told the doctor who said intercostal muscles. The doctor did not ask about family heart conditions/medication I am on. My uncle died young of heart attack, aswell as other memebers of my family. Some of my family have heart problems also. I am on Ovenette (the pill!). The doctor didn't even examine me-should she have? Or atleast asked these questions?

I'm 5'5" and about 135lb. What weight should I be? As an 'ideal'?

Answer 1

Get a second opinion. It's your life and you are ultimately responsible for your health. Many doctors don't take women seriously. That is why more women are likely to die of heart attack and stroke than men because nobody takes their complaints seriously...even emergency room personnel! One of my best girlfriends died of a stroke at 32 years old leaving behind a husband and 3 small children, the youngest of which she was still nursing! She was young, healthy and fit. 5'5'', 120 pounds. Of course she didn't fit the profile. She had been suffering with severe headaches for 6 weeks prior. Had an MRI and everything. They didn't find anything. They told her she probably had a pinched nerve in her neck and sent her on her way to get xrays of her spine at some later date...no worries. Yeah, right. One week later she's dead from a blood clot in her brain. Way to go doctors! A needless death that could've been prevented. Get your second opinion and make sure they listen to your heart, your lungs, whatever. Get a complete physical including a stress test if you have to. Maybe it is just muscular, but let them rule out anything else first. Good luck!

Answer 2

Wow. It seems like your describing something similar to what I experienced as a kid and occasionally as an adult. I get those achy, sharp pain in my chest / rib area. Often the pain is mild but sometimes it's so bad I can barley take a breath. It also feels like it starts at the bottom of my rib cage and then travels up my side as it slowly goes away. I was told by my doctor it was "growing" pains. Then when I was older, I brought it up again and he said it could be a muscle spam. It's been months since I've had one. With me, the pain only last a few seconds and at the most a minute or two. They also only seem to happen once or twice in a day when i do have them. I would suggest that if they occur more frequently, multiple times in a day I'd see someone about it. It could be nothing or it could be something (kind of obvious answer).

Answer 3

Honey, find your self another physician and make him listen to you. It's not uncommon for young people to die of heart attacks and since you are on the pill and have a strong history of heart disease in your family I would find a cardiologist and tell him/her what you have shared here.
It could be reflux, hernia, ulcers or a number of things but it's always best to be sure than to always sit around and worry about something that you might not need to worry over. They can do a blood test to check for a specific enzyme in you blood that may suggest a heart problem and they can also do a Cardiac CRP test to see if you are at risk of a heart attack. Take care!

Answer 4

The answer lies in your question. It's a shame you don't know what exercise is. Start doing some exercise and take help of a professional as, if you start exercising on your own you may do something which actually might affect your health adversly. Just because you have a family history of heart troubles does not mean you are suffereing from it. However, you do have high possibilities of getting it, if you don't look after your health. You can not blaim others for your own mistakes and faults, so start looking after your health. Try to consult another doctor as well.

Answer 5

I can tell you from experiance that heart pains start in the centre of your chest and spreads around your body so it feels as though you have a steel band around you that is getting tighter, you will feel that pain up your throat. Then you will start to gasp and persons near you will think you have indigestion. Don't believe them and get to the hospital straight away.
If you have a history of heart problems this is all the more reason why you should seek medical help.
The doctor said my mums pain was indigestion, two weeks later she was dead from heart failure.
Don't believe anybody that says the pain will start in the arms because it will not, I was three minutes away from death when I got into the A&E.
My wife fortunately spoke to my GP and he said is that him gasping, when she said yes he immidiately sent an ambulance telling my wife he's having a heart attack.

Answer 6

You're too young to have an acquired heart problem(if that's what ur worrying about), even w/ ur family history or even w/ ur use of pill. So cheer up, ur heart's not a suspect.

Ur doctor could be right, ur pain could just be costochondritis---inflammation in ur ribs due to strain from all the muscles connected to ur ribs. This is a very common condition, no need to worry. It resolves by itself after sometime. Analgesics may help, just dont overdo it. Rest. And ironically if u exercise u might aggravate the costochondritis(remember the saying "no pain, no gain") because arm muscles are very much connected to chest muscles.

It could also be acid-reflux disease wherein gastric acid(very strong acid to aid in our food digestion) occassionally goes up from ur stomach towards your esophagus/throat giving you pain as the acid acts on the skin lining ur esophagus.

Best is observe ur symptoms, try rest/analgesic...and not to worry too much about it. After a couple or more weeks come back to ur doctor if pain persists...that time u will have much to talk about ur symptoms.

Answer 7

Change doctors. People don't expect someone so young to be having a heart attack. It doesn't happen often, but the dr should explore the possibility with a family history like yours. If you ever go to a dr who blows off your concerns, you need to find a new dr, or speak up. That is how serious issues get missed. They are not God and are not all knowing.

Answer 8

Your doctor did not take you seriously or is just a fricken idiot!! Yes she absolutely should have asked all those questions. That's just a proper assessment. At your young age it is most likely not cardiac but it truly can affect any age group. Considering your significant family history and the fact your on the pill yes a much more thorough exam should have been performed. Get a new doctor and good luck.

Answer 9

I'LL KEEP THIS ONE BRIEF.

YOU'RE TOO YOUNG FOR A HEART ATTACK THATS FOR SURE, EVEN WITH A STRONG FAMILY HISTORY.

HOWEVER, THE STABBING CHEST PAIN, ESPECIALLY IF WORSE WHEN BREATHING IN IS PLEURITIC CHEST PAIN AND IN YOUR CASE WOULD BE AN INDICATOR OF TWO THINGS.

FIRST AND MOST LIKELY IS A CHEST INFECTION.

THE SECOND, THOUGH LESS LIKELY, BUT FAR MORE SERIOUS, IS A BLOOD CLOT IN THE LUNGS KNOWN AS A PULMONARY EMBOLUS. YOU ADMIT TO NOT EXERCISING WHICH INCREASES YOUR RISK SLIGHTLY. HOWEVER, YOU'RE ALSO ON THE PILL WHICH INCREASES YOUR RISK OF THIS IMMENSELY. IF YOU SMOKE AS WELL, THEN THAT JUST ABOUT TOPS IT OFF FOR ME AND I'D BE SENDING YOU ON TO HOSPITAL FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION!

HOPE THIS ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.

Answer 10

Get a second opinion.

Like arch said webballs must not have ever had a heart attack. I agree. Also don't listen to drivel like that. Heart attacks affect different people different ways.