First my feelings will not be hurt if you tell me that I am crazy and there is nothing wrong with me. For the past few months I have been experiencing shortness of breath when I walk for short periods and believe me my dog is not happy about it! Our walks have gone from 30-45 minutes to 5-10, it is even difficult to tie my shoes because I also get dizzy I am 46 years old. I have had pain in my left arm and I have constant heartburn. I went to my Dr. of ten years and when I got there my blood pressure was through the roof, I was given a prescription for Lisinipril and told it take care of everything the pain everything, I took the meds and seven days later I had an allergic reaction to the meds on top of all of my other problems. I went back to the Dr. wwith my husband in tow he tells the Dr. that I am restless all night moaning and something needs to be done. When I was telling the Dr. I had pain in my back also along with the other problems, he was giving my husband looks as if i am crazy or it is in my mind. So now hear I am taking Maxzide with the same symptoms plus nausea, I have heart disease in my family. Any advice will be very much appreciated I am at my wits end.
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AM I CRAZY
- By buelahmae
- Posted November 21, 2008 at 11:32 am · 21 replies
- In Experiences with healthcare professionals
- Shared with the public
- Edited November 21, 2008 at 11:35 am
21 replies
- Oldest first
- Newest first
- By AlaskaGirl
- Posted November 21, 2008 at 12:13 pm
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For God's sake, find another doctor. When they do the things you've reported, they don't have your best interests at heart at all. You need to take action right away and save yourself. Do you have some sort of doctor referral system in your state? I'd check it out and see what you can find in your area. Alaska Girl.
- By gracie62
- Posted November 21, 2008 at 12:45 pm
- Report post
Please, please, please folllow Alaska Girl's advice and find another doctor. Please find one immediately. When a woman in under 60 presents with symptoms you have, we are inevitably blown off. If you read my profile, you will get an idea of my history. I was 39 when I developed symptoms of heart disease. I was sent home from the ER twice being told I was stressed out and to just relax. I went out and cut grass in 100+ deg weather. I couldn't walk across my living room without severe pain in my chest, shoulder and back. My left arm felt like it was going to blow up. My symptoms were ignored because I was female and "too young". Imagine the surprise of a cardiologist who had sent me home when he found a 98% blockage of my LAD during the cath I had to demand. I would not be alive today if I went home like a good girl and listened to the doctors.
Even after being diagnosed with heart disease, I had to fight for the heart cath that led to my emergency triple bypass surgery. You need to stress your family history. You need to make them realize how serious this makes your symptoms. My father died at 54 of a heart attack. Please don't worry about looking crazy. Don't worry about what anyone else thinks. You know your body and you know when something is wrong. In 2/3 of women with heart disease, death is the first symptom.
If the next doctor you go to blows you off, find another, and another if you have to. You will eventually find someone who listens to you and takes you seriously. I am on my 4th cardiologist in 3 years and am alive today only because I made my voice heard. I made them take me seriously and I got the tests that have saved my life over and over again. You need to let them know that being female and under 50 does not mean you can't have heart disease. Stress how severe your symptoms are and stress your family history.
Please take care and let us know how you are doing -
Dianna
- By joy2day
- Posted November 21, 2008 at 1:52 pm
- Report post
Due to long-term untreated high blood pressure, my heart was overworked and became enlarged. Eventually, I developed shortness of breath, difficulty sleeping, ....
Check out the Womenheart website (www.womenheart.org). The new website has a lot of great information, including a link on talking with your doctor.
http://www.womenheart.org/supportForWomen/livingHD/guideTalking.cfm
- By Patybluetx
- Posted November 21, 2008 at 3:24 pm
- Report post
OK first off...YOU ARE NOT CRAZY!!! OMGosh!! You need another Dr. When I was pg I had untreated preeclamsia and had congestive heart failure b/c of it! I nearly died and lost something very precious to me.
If your bp is through the roof you NEED to get it under control!! First, get rid of ANY salt in your life! And read the labels of the foods you eat, you want to aim at taking in less than 2100 mg of sodium...trust me it will change your life! Second, get a Dr to give you an echocardiogram, it's like a sonogram for your heart, it will let them know whether your heart has incurred any damage. They should then prescribe you a beta blocker, an ace inhibitor and if you are retaining water (which I'm sooo willing to bet you are!) a diuretic. Soon after that (4-5 mos. sooner if you're really good with your diet, meds, and exercise) you'll feel strong enough to take your walks with your dog :).
Don't take 'no' for an answer!! Good luck!
Martha
- By joy2day
- Posted November 21, 2008 at 3:50 pm
- Report post
Martha's experience is the same as mine. Low-sodium diet, similar drugs, ....
I was obsessive with my diet and exercise. I started cardiac rehab within a month of my heart failure dx. 6 weeks later, I was through cardiac rehab and in the gym for 30 minutes/day. Using what I learned in cardiac rehab, I slowly increased my time spent on the elliptical and reduced the treadmill. It took me about 3 months to start feeling better, and I've been able to increase my resistance and time since then.
- By Ecksunbeam
- Posted November 21, 2008 at 6:33 pm
- Report post
By all means, either get on the horn to your insurance company, or on their web site, and see if you can't find a new doctor. I did not have the SOB, but all the rest of your symptoms--especially the nausea and back pain. I was misdiagnosed three times before the Big One.
Sometimes you have to just shut out all the outside voices. Try to get yourself very quiet and throw your questions out to the Universe. Visualize God, Jesus, Allah, Yaweh, your mother, grandmother, or whomever/whatever has spiritual meaning for you, or someone who's opinion you respect. Then, listen. Whatever answers you get inwardly--go for it without question.
Good luck to you.
May the Blessings Be!
Sherrie
- By TIGGERBONN
- Posted November 22, 2008 at 10:46 am
- Report post
Get yourself to a cardiologist immediately. Try to find one that specializes in women's hearts. If you continue to have the symptoms you describe, get to an ER and don't take no for an answer.
with love,
Bonnie
- By Yatchzee
- Posted November 22, 2008 at 12:31 pm
- Report post
Your symptoms could be a heart problem. The sooner you find out the better. Can you go to a cardiologist on your own or do you have to be referred? It might be time for another doctor. Your health is very important and don't let anyone tell you it is all in your head.
Joyce
- By bdlund90
- Posted November 23, 2008 at 8:27 pm
- Report post
Please, please, please, see a caridiologist as soon as possible. Or better yet, just go straight to the emergency roo!
Please keep us posted and best wishes to you.
Debbie
- By MoonFairy13
- Posted December 3, 2008 at 6:54 am
- Report post
Hello dear, Just checking in to see how you're doing and to reassure you like the others that you are NOT crazy, the doctor you are seeing, well I'm not so sure about him. One thing I want you to keep in the back of your mind, especially since you are having a lot of problems at night is a heart disease that is very painful and happens a lot between midnight and 8 a.m. called Prinzmetal. Now it's not something doctors seem to know a lot about and certainly not something they immediately test for. As a matter of fact, many of the test that are done for normal heart conditions will be perfectly normal which is why someone with Prinzmetal is sent home so many times without a proper diagnoses or anyone believing that they are ill.
Don't take no for an answer if you believe something is wrong, you owe it to yourself and your health. Doctors are not God, they do not know everything and they also tend to many times try to put people into a little black and white box. Especially women who don't fit into the criteria of what they have been taught from years of only testing me and not women.
Hope you are doing well, check back often, there are many on here that will help you not feel so crazy and who have some great advice.
Dee Marie
- By buelahmae
- Posted December 3, 2008 at 10:32 am
- Report post
Thank You and thank everyone for their kind and very timely words. I have found an internist that seems to have a subspecialty in cardio (I found that odd) but I won't be able to see him until after the new year. I really wish I could find a female Dr. but the few in my area are not accepting new patients, I checked on the AMA website and found this new guy. I will let you know how it all turns out, I stopped taking the maxzide and I am not as dizzy and the nasea is not so bad. That other Dr. is toast , they haven't a clue about me after 10 years they have called asking to schedule a follow up. I wanted to the nurse to tell the Dr. to hold his breath I am on my way.
- By MoonFairy13
- Posted December 4, 2008 at 1:14 am
- Report post
I think you are making some very good choices dear, do not stop until you get your answers, you deserve them and deserve them to be correct and not passed off because you are female or your age or that it is symptoms that for years doctors have been blaming on female problems while they put so much research into men and their heart problems.
I remember when my husband was having heart trouble, they were falling all over him because he fit into their little diagnosis box. He was given the proper test, listened to and taken seriously from the start while I went through years of mis-diagnosis and horrible medications. I feel like I missed a lot of living a good life because of being over medicated on the wrong meds.
I would love to see more female doctors going into the field and taking a real interest in womens heart problems. I don't think they would ever have to worry about not having enough patients. It is almost like two different fields of study and the sooner they realize that, the better off we will all be.
Blessings,
Dee Marie
- By MMaslek
- Posted December 4, 2008 at 7:46 am
- Report post
Sweetheart, walk into an emergency room. I had those SAME symptoms for months when I was 29. I was diagnosed with everything from Asthma to pleursy to depression. Ended up have 2 MI's!!!!!! I had a doctor who finally did a stress test because I kept coming in. The test showed damage from an MI & then I had a Massive MI while having a cath. Do not pass go, do not collect $200!!!! Get you tush into a GOOD ER & insist the do a cardiac work up. Clutch your chest & tell them you think your having a heart attack. A month is way too long to wait for a new doctor when you symptoms are this strong. Trust me on this one!!!!!
- By buelahmae
- Posted December 4, 2008 at 10:21 am
- Report post
I forgot to tell you that everytime I go to the Dr. they try to push antidepressants my way as a matter of fact the physicians assistant offered them with the blood pressure meds. I told her I didn't need a happy pill I will be happy if I knew what was wrong with me. I have told them my dad died at 50 from heart disease and they have never batted an eye.
- By goingstrong
- Posted December 5, 2008 at 12:22 am
- Report post
I also would like to see you head to an ER and have a complete cardiac evaluation. Take a nice long brisk walk and then go in short of breath -
but in the meantime, if you notice ANY change in your symptoms, to include fatigue, you need to go in. Waiting until next year might cost you your life! Really!
Lynn
- By KatheM
- Posted December 7, 2008 at 2:06 am
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Do you know if there is a hospital that you can go to that has a good cardiac program? Where I am one hospital is the Regional Heart Center and when you go into their ER, and say 'chest pain/pressure' 'shortness of breath' - they don't even register you first, they've got you on a gurney and an EKG is slapped on you within the first 10 min or less. They deal with the paper work later. Your life comes first here, I wish every hospital was this way. But it's not...
But if I go to the 'other' hosptial, (close to my home) they do not have a clue. Chest pain/pressure, SOB, means nothing to them and god forbid if you a women, you'll be out in that lobby for hours before a nurse even looks at you. I found it was really faster to drive the longer distance to the Regional Heart Center, then to wait on these people to get around to me.
I kept getting told the same things you are hearing, take an antidepressent, it's in your head... Well, I was depressed because NO ONE correctly diagnosed my 100 & 75 % blockages in the LAD for over 2 1/2 years. Talk about crazy making, I knew something was wrong and no one would listen to me.
With your family history of heart disease I would hope that you would be getting better treatment! Your dad is a first degree relative. The ER Dr's seem to love facts, and I didn't know alot about my own family medical history. So I found out, high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetic... all those risk factors were running through just about all the relatives. Boy that sure got the ER Dr's attention, But I had to learn to be concise in describing family & my own medical history. I really hadn't known what was important and what wasn't. My tendency is to throw everything and the kitchen sink in - that's when they start pushing those 'happy pills'.
Listen to Lynn, she right. You taken a nice brisk walk before you go through those ER doors, and pick a hospital you feel good about.
If you are worried that your insurance won't cover you at another hospital, having heart symptoms is an emergency and insurance companies have to pay to have you evaluated wherever you are - (unless you are overseas then it's hit or miss) My insurance company has paid for ever hospital ER heart related visit, here at home or 700 miles away visiting relatives. If you are in California I can tell you where not to go!
US World & News Reports does a great job rating the nations hospitals on which one is best for which condition.
I'll be thinking about you, let us know how you are doing.
-Kathy
- By arizona1
- Posted December 7, 2008 at 8:03 am
- Report post
Looks like you are on your way.........the ladies did it again!!!
Kathi
- By Mo_Hicks
- Posted December 9, 2008 at 7:17 pm
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Immediately have an echocardiogram done to see if there is blockage. You are describing angina pain and heart symptoms. If you have been on blood pressure pills, they can create these side effects, too. Have your echo done. Do not confuse it with a regular stress test...it is much more thorough and definitive. Ask your doctor to prescribe one...the echo takes only about 30 minutes of your life...it saved mine. I was completely blocked---every artery...one had 15% left before it closed. I had a few silent heart attacks that the doctors found scarring from during my bypasses. SAVE YOUR HEART FROM DAMAGE or FURTHER DAMAGE and get an echo tomorrow! And make sure it is from a main hospital that has good equipment. I live in Alaska and have to have mine in Seattle. Good luck....your husband and dog deserve an echo, too....do it for you and your loved ones. If you are ok, at least you have begun a heart history to look back on. Doctors need these echos to learn more about the rate of arterial clogging....if its in your family, your doctor will give you a prescription. If he or she doesn't, change doctors today.....Keep me posted!
- By scarlettsmommy
- Posted January 8, 2009 at 7:13 am
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I am just wondering if you went to the new doctor... and how are you feeling? I am truly dumbfounded that doctors are still making women think they're stressed and depressed when these symptoms arise. I was "stressed and depressed" for a year and a half, then I had my heart attack. Good God.
Finding another doctor sets you free. I'd love an update if you time time... thinking of you,
Judi
- By afargelli
- Posted January 8, 2009 at 7:38 am
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Hello and you are not Crazy
1. Find a doctor that will listen my preference is a cardilogist
2. Insist that you are given an echo stress test
for your chest pain'
3. If you feel that uncomfortable go to the ER
4. You must be your own patient advocate
From WomenHeart
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