Jaw Pain

• By gracie62
• Reply 62721
• January 28, 2008 at 8:29 pm
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Jean:

Please, please, please call your cardiologist. Better to be checked out and everything be okay than to find out too late that it was something. I had triple bypass surgery on Dec 30 2007. On Wed. Jan .16th I told my husband that my teeth hurt. It was a strange that they all ached. The next morning my jaw was hurting. That afternoon I had a heart attack. I will never ignore this possible warning sign again.

I would much rather spend a few hours in a doctors' office than another few days in cardiac ICU.
Please follow up for your health and for your own peace of mind.

Dianna

• By 1spudcat
• Reply 62722 · In reply to 62721 by gracie62
• January 28, 2008 at 10:42 pm
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Jean, heed what Dianna is saying, I too had jaw pain predominantly on my right side. The pain grew over time and traveled from my jaw, down my right arm (my elbow throbbed), to my finger tips. This occured along with a pain that burned across my chest to my right side. This was initially angina pain but progressed to a serious heart attack over a couple of weeks...Because everything was happening predominantly on the right side I thought it was acute indigestion, possibly my gallbladder. I have a high tolerance for pain and I was fooled by believing since my left arm and side weren't involved it couldn't be my heart. Please see your cardiologist!

Take Care, Ruth

• By scarlettsmommy
• Reply 62723
• January 29, 2008 at 5:51 am
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Once you get it checked out... it could be something - it could be nothing!

The day I had my heart attack - I had 2 very sharp pains on the right side of my jaw that I could deduce to two teeth... later that AM, on my way to work, I had my heart attack... and no tooth pain after...

• By Marilyn48
• Reply 62724
• January 30, 2008 at 10:40 am
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Jean,

My first indication of a problem was right jaw pain that I felt on exertion. Even walking to the building from the parking deck caused it. I told my PCP and wound up with a triple bypass a couple of weeks later. Before the surgery I was told to do "nothing" and not to exert myself in any way.

Please get this checked out ASAP.

Marilyn

• By parcan
• Reply 62725
• January 30, 2008 at 12:17 pm
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Hi Jean,

I just wanted to let you know that I experienced jaw pain DURING my heart attack. Pain from my back traveled up and into my jaw. Heart attacks are often more fatal for women since we tend to ignore our small "nuisancy" warning signs. Go get checked out...worst case is that you feel a little silly for going to see the doctor!

michelle

• By Melicious
• Reply 62726 · In reply to 62722 by 1spudcat
• January 31, 2008 at 1:49 pm
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Hi Ruth

I suffer from coronary vasospasm, Prinzmetal angina. I am on medication, calcium blockers, nicorandil, GTN spray and statins. Just recently I have had jaw ache in my right jaw. I suffer from angina, but never linked the jaw ache to the angina. Is it part of the angina pain or is it more sinster? Will the medication that I am on protect me? Sorry if I'm asking impossible questions, but it gave me a bit of a shock.

Cheers Mel

• By 1spudcat
• Reply 62727 · In reply to 62726 by Melicious
• January 31, 2008 at 4:49 pm
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Hi Mel, I wish had answers to ease your worry. I can only speak from my experience which is very limited. Before my heart attack, I experienced two weeks of transient symptoms (as I stated above) which I never recognized as anything significant until after the fact. I was healthy as a horse, lots of endurance, played with children everyday at a summer camp and then on my mission trip to Africa this all started.... but very spicy foods and a significant change in diet led me to think only in the direction of digestion problems.

It turns out I have severe heart disease which led to a serious heartattack one week after my return home. My LAD was 99% blocked and a clot closed it. This led to all kinds of procedures including an intra-aortic pump...to keep me going till emergency quad. by-pass. I was very fortunate to have aggressive and excellent medical care because I had not taken this seriously at all. I was 56 years old, this couldn't be happening to me!

However if my jaw ached now for a period of time or any of those symptoms rose their ugly heads I would get it checked out. Never will I down play any of these symptoms again. Or think because its on my right hand side its not my heart. Those foolish beliefs almost cost me my life, Thank goodness God was watching over me.

So no answers Mel, but from my experience be very aware of what is happening with your body and be pro-active about anything that concerns you. Hoping all goes well, Ruth

• By houston
• Reply 62728 · In reply to 62725 by parcan
• March 3, 2008 at 11:41 pm
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I was in cardiac rehab recently and had jaw symptoms. Mine was in the left side, but it can be on either side. The nurses there took it very seriously and made me stop what I was doing. They had me take nitro and rest. So, I guess what I am trying to say is to take it very seriously. The nitro did help me. I had to go back and see my doctor.