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I need help ..

molinad1985
0 Recommendations

I am 23 yrs old.. I recently about 3 months ago .. started with a weird ache in my heart not the chest but in my heart.. it makes me really angry that most cardiologist just say im too young but they dont know how I feel, those palpitations are so scary my heart starts beating so fast.. its scary Im afraid of dying and leaving my1 yr old daughter behind.. the Dr and insurance dont seem to think its possible sometimes i think i should just write my baby a letter to tell her how much i love her incase anything happens.. helppppp

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31 replies

batteryoperated

You are so right to ask for help - a very important step to take. I'm a heart attack survivor and have been in the hospital 4 more times since. 3 of the 4 trips turned out to be a verification that everything was OK after extensive tests. The 4th was angioplasty for what was termed a "near heart attack." I had been coughing and had choked on some food and had a mild chest ache. I didn't think it was serious but I ended up with 3 more stents in my heart. It is so difficult to know which symptoms are indicative of a problem even for the experts.

I now have two cardiologists in the SF Bay Area which has some of the best medical care possible. I've also had a cardiologist who patted me on the hand and told me to rest. They are talking about my life. I'm learning to tell both my doctors and the physician's assistants that I want to know everything I can. They seem to respond better when I tell them I have a technical background. I make a list of my questions and hand it to the doctor or P.A. so it is clear and to the point. Otherwise I wander and get sidetracked. A good doctor or P.A. allows a few moments for additional questions or comments. It's good to do a mental review to be sure I have covered everything in the appointment that I may later remember when i am driving home. These may be concerns that arise during the course of the appointment. Sometimes I need to jot down things while we are talking so I can listen to what is being said and not forget something that comes up.

I don't want to waste the doctor's time but I am there for life and death reasons and need to be given information and know I am listened to with all the professional curiosity and respect possible. One doctor told me his training included looking at the patient and carefully listening to what is said. Often the interpretation of symptoms is based on the context within which it occurs. I could have died had it not been for the astute questioning and observations of that last cardiologist. Sometimes I worry about every twinge and every ache and sometimes I dismiss things thinking they are due to muscle strain or other things. I am not the medical professional but I am the expert about how my body feels.

Anxiety and depression are so difficult to deal with. Depression and anger are known factors for plaque build up so they are critical issues, not something to dismiss with a wave of the hand or a pill or two.

I'm guessing that your anxiety about being able to provide for your sweet daughter and be there for her are overwhelming.

I suggest that you look at the multi-factored issues and address them all. Keep a journal of your symptoms and how you feel or what you did just before each one occurs. Everything matters. Emotional and physical.

While pursuing the physical part with all the diligence you can muster and with ongoing support from this site and other places available in your community you might also pursue stress reduction, yoga, meditation, etc. This does not even slightly lessen the need for the medical attention but it will help on both counts. Don't replace medical evaluation with these activities, but add them. They will help keep your mind clear for the doctor's appointments and will help your body heal and recover from whatever the physical problem is.

Right now everything is adding to your fear. Pay attention to the fear. Get someone to go with you for your doctor's appointments to be an advocate for you. Keep insisting that the P.A.'s, doctors, and every other technical person tell you everything they can and assure you they are looking at every possibility and doing research and collaboration with other specialists. Questions should not be left unanswered.

It is always better to go to ER and find out everything is OK than to not go and find out there was a problem. I hate going in but I cannot interpret everything myself.

Read everything you can but don't get bogged down in things that make you worry. Read positive material like Dr. Dean Ornish's book and other books that talk about thriving with heart disease.

Always, always remember that women's cardio problems present themselves in different ways from men and different from one time to another. I had no idea the coughing was related to my heart. The burst of energy I had after my angio was definite proof that there had been a problem. My condition may not be similar to yours at all but the important thing is to pay attention to all aches and pains and unusual feelings and make sure the doctor is doing the same.

It is hard but you can put yourself in charge. Pains such as you describe can't possibly be normal. Not only do you want to stay around for your baby but you need to set an example of how to solve a difficult problem.

Blessings to you and your sweet child. I'm so sorry you are having this problem at such a young age. It sounds overwhelming. Make sure you have a friend or two who are totally committed to understanding this and will help you through. It's hard to do it alone.

simpleshane29

molinad age is not the matter whether you are having a heart problem. it's all about how u feeling and try to get second opinion. it would be a big help for you.

i'm just being concern bcoz i was verry too younger than you when i felt those such pain.

hugs for you molinad!!!

shane

simpleshane29

hi to all heartsisters specially to molinad! i'm new here also and a filipino. and i was diagnosed w/ heart problems at the verry young age of 11.i was in grade 5 then. i've been rushed to the hospital that time due to 2 weeks of cough, cold, fever and hard breathing.at first, they did lot of test and my dr has seen nothing on my ecg. but she heard bad murmurs and my heartbeat wasn't good that time. she adviced an echo and there she has seen heart enlargement. that's the beginning of my nightmare... i was confined in the hospital for many times. and after several yrs, my condition became worse and need an immediate surgery w/ is mitral valve repair (supposed to be mitral valve replacement). stayed in the hospital for almost a month.3 months or so for recovery (but took a yr for full recovery).. i was 16 yrs old then. surgeons and other drs who performed the operation says that it was verry successful but actually not. bcoz it worsen my conditon again.. i got PNH (blood disease) after a month of the operation. i underwent blood transfussions for so many times. and still undergo at times. i almost commit suicide then. in my high school days. can u imagine, only a yr after the operation, they told me to get the second operation for replacement? if i wasn't mistaken, almost half yr after the operation... but i wouldn't take it take seriously then. my pain is not lying and is telling that i have to get it done. but i didn't want to. and now, o'm already 29 yrs old and still fighting and suffering to my diseases and my drs still convincing me to get the 2nd operation done. but still, my answer is no, i don't want to. that's why i need help from everyone who can give me some adviced, what shall i do... pls anyone???

hope to hear from everyone soon!
god bless us all! and hugs to everyone!!!

shane

Shae1961

Don't ever give up! Make them listen to you! You know what you're feeling and that's all that matters! Stay strong, keep contact with the board and God Bless!

dede118

Hi moli-Glad you are continuing to come back here to this site for support. You and your baby are a gorgeous pair!

Continue to persue your health goals and keep on pestering your cardiac doctor for continued help.

You know,a Holter monitor can be applied for more than just 24hrs. Sometimes heart problems don't act up on cue. There are many other solutions to diagnose cardiac problems. Also,at this point you may want to consult a gastroenterologist.

Cotinued support for your good health moli.

dede118

Jaynie-Thanks for your concern. I do feel very good about my girls getting the treatment and education they need to live life to the fullest with POS.

My youngest is now having regular periods after three months of taking Metformin.

Your Godson is very special indeed to be here with such loving parents who went past the full nine yards to get him here safely.

You are very effective on this site to be giving such wise and caring comments to all. Thanks.

martzj

Hey molinad,

" went to the bathroom and i couldnt even get up my heart was about 160 bpm for no reason im scared right now i feel my chest tightening up.. and pressure .. why does this have to happen to me? i feel terrible sometimes i wanna give up my self im gettin so depressed now "

I hear you sweetie. This is frightening stuff to deal with. Take some deep breaths and make sure your child is secure, then lie down with your legs up. Your bp of 160 is a little high and that is going to make you feel worse, no matter what is happening. A bp this high can cause headache easily if it stays 160 or over.

Just glancing at my calender I noticed you just posted this almost exactly 3 months to the day of your first post. I had the most tightness, soaring anxiety and streaking chest pains (and heart attack, 41) during monthly ovulation. Horrific headaches too. The PMS phase symptoms were more bloat related...shortness of breath due to lots of fluid retention and pressure throughout the body, deeply aching chest pains, heavy depressions, sluggishness and massive fatigue. Have you tried jotting down your symptoms on a calendar for several months.....to see how they track and if there is an identifiable pattern to them? It helped me tremendously to discover my body had a pattern and I could prepare for the roughest times during the kinder, gentler days (smile).

No giving up sweetie. You are the beautiful young mommy of a beautiful baby who needs you!! Lots of living ahead for you. Call 911 first if possible when you feel symptoms are spiralling out of control. 911 is your best chance of getting rolled straight into an ER cubicle. If someone drives you, you face more risk of symptom dismissal at check-in.

Let us know what is going on with you ok? Counseling would be a great thing to look into also molinad....you have a lot to deal with and may feel safer speaking with a professional, non-family member.

Hang in there sweetie!
Hugs to you and baby,
Jaynie

molinad1985

i have made my husband stay home from work for the past 2 days.. anxiety is killing me my heart has been ok no pain til today i had nasty palpitations and feel sort of a muscle twich going on in my heart area.. tomorrow im going to see a counselor hope that helps.. i feel scared that it might be my heart and the drs are just not paying enough attention because of my age.. sometimes i can hear my heart beat because its so fast and rapid .. sunday at my mother in laws house i went to the bathroom and i couldnt even get up my heart was about 160 bpm for no reason im scared right now i feel my chest tightening up.. and pressure .. why does this have to happen to me? i feel terrible sometimes i wanna give up my self im gettin so depressed now i dont even want to care for my own daughter alone.. i fear i can get an attack while im with her and panic and not watch her properly...

smokefreeme

Man...I am so sorry you are feeling this way. I know exactly where you are at. For the past couple of months I have had this horrible feeling in my chest. It is in my heart area. I have an extensive heart history with 2 heart attacks, 11 angiograms, lupus and so forth. I was sure the problem was heart related. So, the day after Christmas I ended up in the hospital. I had a nuclear stress test done as well as blood work, ekg, and other tests. I was shocked when they said everything was normal. They said the problem was stress, anxiety, depression. I didn't believe them. Something you said in one of your posts struck a note of familiar feeling with me. You said "I am feeling it now as I am writing this and had to grab my chest..." Occasionally I have to quit reading these posts because just reading them makes me feel symptoms. Crazy right!!! I was offered stronger anxiety meds to see if that would help the problem. I refused them cause I don't like how they make me feel. I decided myself to start a journal of when and under what circumstances the pain came. By doing this, I had a better idea what was activating the pain and things I tried to relieve it. Just that simple act has really helped alot. IF the problem is anxiety, you wouldn't believe how simple the triggers can be. I became afraid to do the things I used to do like walk across the campus where I work because it caused that feeling. Because I was scared of that, it caused anxiety to walk. If picking up your child caused pain, you may feel the pain picking up your child because you are worried about it. Anyway, after keeping this journal for a week or two, you can show your Dr. what you have done and it may help him or her offer some suggestions. My very best to you... Anxiety disorder can be very disabilitating and virtually change your life if left untreated. When people say "it is only anxiety" they obviously have never suffered from it. I would rather have a heart issue than anxiety because heart issues they can fix. This anxiety stuff where you feel like you cant breathe, and the spasams in your chest scare the crap out of you with no warning take all the enjoyment out of life. After my heart attack I was back to work within a few weeks and while being scared, I bounced back to a semi normal life. With this anxiety crap I never know when it is going to hit. I had an attack at Christmas being around my kids and grandkids which should have been one of the happiest days ever. I get attacks when conversing with strangers, i get attacks when I go to new places, I am afraid to travel. This is with anxiety meds. I can't even imagine what it would be like without them. If there is anything I can do to help or if you just want to talk about it you can reach me at smokefreeme1@juno.com. I live in Minnesota and my primary Dr.s are at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, By very best to you, Diane

molinad1985

my dr said the holter monitor showed nothing..ive done what i can & dont see nothing wrong you might want to try another dr... im so sad...cant believe he gave up on me... i feel like im going craazy cuz everyone thinks its all mental.. thank you so much you guys are the only ones who give me hope..

jeanncnc

if a doctor is telling you, you are too young to have heart problems, then this should be telling you i need a real doctor. go elsewhere

martzj

Hi dede,

" have two daughters ages 17 and 21 that I recently had checked out by an GYN doctor for this problem and both have been diagnosed with PolycysticOvary Syndrome. They are young enough to begin treatment that can stop them from ever progressing to severe consequences of this syndrome. Also,it can affect fertility as well as cardiac function."

I'm sorry you've been through such a long hard road with POS. My precious godson, now a college sophomore was born to his POS mom....after 8 years on those POS hormone shots and treatments. But he was so worth the wait!! I love him to death. Very sorry your girls have POS too but now it is almost no problem if it is quickly picked up on.....and it should be because the sypmtoms are blatantly obvious. Great to hear your girls have a very good shot a the normalcy you missed out on.

Take good care,
Jaynie

Hany

Hi Molinad

I feel for you . Going through these tests and dealing with doctors who keep saying nothing is wrong is torture and then getting it from your relatives or other people who really have no idea what you are going through. It is sooo tough. I have been in this situation myself for many years.
I think it is very dangerous for doctors to jump on the anxiety attacks as being the sole problem. As dede said sometimes it is a way of reacting to danger . I have also been labelled depressed and so doctors presume its a mental problem.
I just have to wait and wait. I will be having an MRI on the 26 Jan . They will be testing for ischemia. It does not test for prinzmetal though I dont think. So far they have ruled out heart rhythm problems with the holter monitor and valve problems or heart muscle problems with the echo. My running tests were o.k too.
How long have you had the pain , what do you think could have triggered it? Anyway best of luck to you.
You hang in there O.K? Cute baby by the way.

best wishes

Hana

dede118

Jaynie-Thanks for your reply.

This episode starting search for cardiac help started almost thirty years ago so most of those issues are moot at this point.

I was humiliated and frusrated at the attitude of the cardiologist who cared for me at that time and labled me "cardiac neurotic"

There is, unfortunately, still gender bias regarding womens health issues but much less than back then.

What I'm very concerned about nowadays is the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome widely sweeping affects on women that is underresearched and underfunded.

I have since in the last couple of years been diagnosed with this syndrome. Actually many years ago my ovaries were diagnosed as being polycystic-that was that. I was told I'd just have to live with the pain and have surgery if it became unbearable.No one told me about all the serious health problems that could arise from this seemingly inconsequential problem.

It's only recently I started doing research about it and found out it can cause heart disease and diabetes among other serious health concerns. There are treatments if started early enough can curtail the serious affects of P.O.S.

Please,ladies,look this up on the web and educate yourselves. It can be very important for you. Especially if you are young enough to begin treatment. It is too late for me,I already have continued heart disease and am an insulin dependent diabetic from the results of having P.O.S.

I have two daughters ages 17 and 21 that I recently had checked out by an GYN doctor for this problem and both have been diagnosed with PolycysticOvary Syndrome. They are young enough to begin treatment that can stop them from ever progressing to severe consequences of this syndrome. Also,it can affect fertility as well as cardiac function.

My girls are now on treatments for this and are doing well. They also found a couple of blood problems from evaluating the bloodwork done by the doctor for P.O.S. My girls are both on medication for this also which will prevent blood clots.

Please check this out. It has meant so much to me to be able to help my kids avoid a lot of health problems later in life.

Sorry to ramble but I guess you can tell I'm very passionate about getting out the word on P.O.S.

dede118

Hi Moli-Glad you are getting a cardiac monitor.
Should show up arrythmias.
I'm glad you are being persistant-keep on girl till you get the answers you need.

Please don't pay attention to family who think they know what is or is not wrong with you. Just smile and nod at them and blow them off politely say thanks for your thoughts.

Don't dismiss anxiety attacks either. They are your bodys way of saying-hey-something needs attention here!

You can easily be having cardiac difficulties along with anxiety attacks. Goes hand in hand and is perfectly normal. Regardless of what transpires with your heart diagnosis and treatment,any emotional issues need attending to. Having anxiety attacks or depression are separate from the cardiac issues and do not mean that in having these issues there is no physical issue going on simultaneously.

It is all part of being human-as you know mind,body and spirit and emotions are all strongly connected.

Wishing you the best of luck with your progress.

martzj

hi dede118,

"I was dismissed by my cardiologist at a young age as being a "cardiac neurotic". I took three months off from work because I was so sick from being a "cardiac neurotic." Eventually I went to another cardiologist who diagnosed a cardiac virus which ended up causing a lot of heart damage!"

Do you have documentation regarding the 'cardiac neurotic' stigma this cardio created? Get copies of your cardio records ASAP. You need to nip this in the bud, especially if this cardio is sharing your charts with any of your other doctors. This kind of gender bias is unfortunately mainstream US practice and you'll need to stay alert for it. Get documentation and begin to familiarize yourself with the terminology, the docs version of what was going on vs what you were experiencing and trying to explain as a patient.

Best wishes to you and have a good day,
Jaynie

LTLCS

From all you have shared I agree it sounds like anxiety or panick attacks. I know a LOT of people that have them and it sounds exactly like what you discribe. Sounds like you need someone to talk too also. We do have a way of talking ourselves into having serious health issues when we don't have them. Been there done that.

I am a lung cancer survivor and a heart patient.

Good luck to you, I'm sure you'll be fine.

molinad1985

hey guys i went in today and they put me on the halter monitor i go back tomorrow and see what they say so far to them its just anxiety sometimes i even believe it my self since everyone even myy family thinks so they just dont know.. but i wont give up ... ill update tomorrow and see whats new in this journey

dede118

Oh moli-Most important !!---I forgot to tell you to get your husband to take you to the nearest hospital ER(or EMT ambulance if someone isn't right there to take you) the very next time you have a bout of chest pain,heart pain or such. Don't second guess yourself. Bring your baby with you if there isn't someone there to take the baby immediately.
This is the fastest way to hook up with competent cardiologists and get cardiac testing done pronto. You pay for insurance and have every right to use it.
Acute chest pain is always an emergency priority no matter what a persons age is.
I was dismissed by my cardiologist at a young age as being a "cardiac neurotic". I took three months off from work because I was so sick from being a "cardiac neurotic." Eventually I went to another cardiologist who diagnosed a cardiac virus which ended up causing a lot of heart damage!

dede118

Hi molinad-Sounds like you need some support.

I know-I've been there too. Be persistant and realize you are your own best advocate. Don't let them wear you down or dismiss you. Keep faith that you will be helped soon. Frequently it takes more than one or two doctors to sort out these types of problems. Keep demanding the respect and care you deserve.

First of all,I assume you are seeing and being followed up by your primary care doctor or family doctor? That is your first line of defense. If this doctor is dismissing your concerns or even worse,"being mean" to you then rethink this choice of primary doctor. If you have a good relationship with your primary doc then write out all your concerns on paper,call for a visit and adress every one of your concerns to your satisfaction with your primary. If not then there are alternatives.

You have insurance-call the insurance and ask when you can change to a new primary doctor. Pick one close to you from the list they provide. You can also ask your OB GYN if they have any suggestions regarding a new primary. Also your OB GYN should be consulted about your depression and your care should be followed up with a psychiatrist.

If your OB and primary doctors don't refer you to a psychiatrist(preferably with post partum depression experience)then you'll have to call your insurance again and ask for instructions on how to proceed to get one that they will pay for.

This plan of action will get you started to recieve quality care.

Now,if you don't have confidence in the cardiologist you are seeing then there are easy ways to get another one. It may be well worth the bother for you to change.. Hopefully you have sat down with your current cardiologist already and discussed in detail all your symptoms and concerns and detailed interpretation of any tests you have already undergone.
The cardiologist should have an interest in caring for you. Have you had basic thyroid testing and testing for infection? Full blood panels to rule out anemia, which can ironically also cause wierd chest and abdominal pain? Any tests you have already undergone and history done by your doctors should be transferred to a new cardiologist if you do choose to change heart doctors and or primary physicians..

Please also ask your insurance company directly if they have a phone case management service you can participate in. This is a team of RNs (supervised by doctors) who will call you once a month or more to monitor your progress,give suggestions and support to you. They can help you find the fastest ways to cut through any obstacles to your care. This service is always free and you can disenroll at any time. I have used this and found it very helpful in times of crisis.

Hoping these suggestions can help you some.
Above all,don't give up. There are caring,helpful and competent medical people out there,it just takes a little searching sometimes to get hold of them.

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