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Chest and upper back Questions

banging in my chest i get a banging in the middle of my chest while walking or going upstairs then a got a job to breath its like anxiety then i shake as long as i keep still for two minuets it eases down

Cardiology: Does a negative EP study cancel out SVT diagnosis? Background: Previous SVT diagnosis by NHS Hospital cardiologist (via multiple ECG's over time). Problem: Years later. An Electrophysiology Study (EP) has been completed on me by another Hospital cardiologist since moved from area. During this,10mg Diazepam administered before the prodedure. This EP study failed to evoke SVT arrhythmia or usual chest pain, only sinus tachy - thus no ablation. Cardiologist who performed this procedure now dismiss previous SVT diagnosis outright. GP prescribed home oxygen and verapamil has also been removed as are NHS referrals to a cardiologist because the GP naturally thinks this is no longer appropriate. Question: Does a single negative EP study entirely rule out previous SVT diagnosis and, thus can the cardiologist alter my diagnosis from my old cardiologist like this? Thank you for your opinion and help. Benjamin

ECG results I am 37, and went for an ECG in December. I have had palpitations on and off for years, ever since thyroid bother in 2004(had graves disease, RAI and now on thyroxine 100mcg). They dont bother me very much, and can go for months without them. GP sent me for an ECG as hadnt had and ECG for years, and was still getting the palpitations. It came back saying normal sinus rhythm, short pr interval. My GP sent this to a cardiologist to look at, and he got back saying it wasnt an av nodal rhythm(or something like that!) as P waves normal and to get a 24 hr tape done and if nothing showed on that an event monitor. I get the 24 hr tape done this week and see my GP again next week. Unfortunately I have googled this short pr interval thing, and am now terrified of what might be wrong! Im wondering: -What does short pr interval mean? Is it serious? Can it be normal? -I read about some things it can indicate, like WPW, and has really scared me. Is this something that my GP, or the cardiologist would have noticed on ECG? -Is the 24 hr tape likely to be to look for reason for short pr interval or reason for palpitations? -Am I still able to exercise and do everything else as normal? Im sure GP said was fine, but now cant remember. As far as I know, there was nothing else abnormal on ECG. I have no other symptoms, no heart racing etc... no other symptoms when have palpitations and they only last for a second or two. My heart did race years ago when my thyroid was overactive, so I know what feels like, but I dont get that at all. I have had bother with low iron/anaemia at times and been on and off iron tablets since birth of 3rd child in 2009. Palpitations have been worse then certainly. Also have had problems with anxiety/panic since thyroid bother, but thats rare for me to be bothered with that now, just when stressed, which I feel just now with all this! I am going to ask my GP all this when see them next week, but really just looking for explanation/reassurance now! Thanks,

I have a problem with pain/sensitivity. Hi, for the past week I have been experienceing a weird pain/sensitivity on my left uppper torso under the armpit area which extends around my shoulder blade at the back and sometimes on the left side of my pectoral muscle. I say sometimes because the intensity of the pain shifts from one place to another in the areas mentioned above. I have been taking strong ibuprofen and this seems to help but the discomfort and pain comes back everyday. It is more noticeable when I move these areas of my body. Can you please help?

Recurrent intermittent of gasping of breath For quite some time now I have been experiencing recurrent regular intermittent episodes of gasping for breath. It happens suddenly with no warning and only lasts a second. These gasps of breath are then followed by what I can only explain what feels like a rush of blood flow in my arms and into my hands which then slightly pulsates and goes.

worried about my mum's cough Hello, I'm really in desperate need of help about something I've been worried about for a very long time. Around February time I happened to see an item on the news which said that if you have a persistent cough you should see your GP as it could be lung cancer. I then began to notice that my mum coughs quite a lot. I googled more information on lung cancer and was terrified by the results. I asked her to go to the doctor to which she replied, 'what are you talking about? I don't have a cough at all.' However, around April she really did develop a cough, she had to sleep with extra pillows to prop her up at night and take cough medicine. I was finally able to persuade her to go to the doctor - he didn't run any scans or tests, just said that it was a virus. Her cough then improved after a week or so, and she has not needed the extra pillows or cough medicine since then. Basically my questions are as follows: what constitutes "a cough"? how much coughing in a day is normal? I would say the amount she coughs has remained fairly constant throughout the last 6 months (with the exception of April where it got worse and then better) - maybe about 10 times a day - is that consistent with lung cancer? I really can't tell if I'm being crazy (I do have a history of anxiety) or whether I should be genuinely concerned - either way I can't carry on like this with this dark cloud hanging over me all the time. It's really ruining my life, and I now find myself avoiding spending time with my mum because the sound of her coughing makes me feel sick and can reduce me to tears. I'm so sorry for rambling on and on - but this is the first time I've told anyone how worried I really am. By the way, it is a dry cough and my mum is a non-smoker.

Can you get pain in left arm with trapped wind? For the last couple of years or so I have had several episodes where I get pain in my upper left arm (sometimes in my shoulder and/or radiating down into my hand) and get chest pain - usually central, at the same time. Im obviously terrified that it is heart related but have had a stress test which I passed and have also had an ekg which showed nothing and a few ecg's (including a 24hr one) which showed a slight heart murmer and something i didnt quite understand about my 'waves' not being in sync and causing my heart to race occasionally but nothing that the cardiologist was concerned about as he said that because im young (25), its unlikely to be anything serious. I am an extremely anxious person by nature and know this can cause these problems but i get this even when im not stressed out and am feeling fine. Sometimes the episodes last a few minutes but more often it can be for a few days at a time and then i wont get it again for weeks, maybe a couple of months. My own dr says the arm pain is neck related (even though i have no trouble with my neck at all) and the chest pain is oesophagal pain. But if this is the case, why do i always get the 2 symptoms at the same time? I know im young so its probably nothing, but i'd really like some reassurance that I dont need to worry about it! Sorry to go on a bit! Thanks.

? Pneumonia On 22/07/11 I stepped off a plane from USA 3 days later I started wheezing & coughing (I have slight asthma). My GP gave me a course of Antibiotics (amoxil) and I thought I was better. A week later I felt v.ill, weak lethargic and wheezy when I breathed, altough not like asthma. I hada chest Xray which was reported as"prominence of the right hilar region with some thickening of the right horizontal fissure & linear atelectasis in right mid zon e. This may be a resolving chest infection but neoplasm in the right hilar region cannot be excluded. I am now on Clarithmycin 500mg bd (taken for 4 days) and feeling almost normal apart from anxiety . At no time have I had a temperature and my only cough has been a throaty one is pneumonia like this? I thought I was extremely well anbd an very active normally. How likely is it that I have lung cancer. My GP is going to refer me to the cancer clinic he says because of the wording on the Xray and I am very very anxious.

Anxiety or worse? Hello, I have asked a question here before around a month ago as I have been having persistent chest pains since quitting cannabis. I smoked for 5 and a half years 2 or 3 joints a day and a lot more on weekends. I was never very active in terms of exercise and ate terrible diet full of processed sugar, usually 3 or 4 times the RDA for sat. fat, sugar and fat intake. No fresh fruit and hardly ever vegetables. I am 25 years old. My grandad (on my mother's side) died of a heart attack and my dad suffered one when he was younger too. I am quite slender, teetering 2 incraments above the normal weight on the BMI. I quit smoking (both weed and tobacco) as I had a panic attack, my second ever episode. I had heart pulpitations, a sense of impending doom and shortness of breath. The attack lasted a couple of minutes but I felt ropey for a few hours and the pulpitations and dizzyness came and went in that time. Since then I have somewhat dealt with my anxiety better, I haven't had an attack in 3 weeks now. But since quitting smoking I'm constantly anxious about my health. I have been to 2 separate GP's who stated it was stress/anxiety causing the puplitations and chest pains. One listened to my heart from different points on my chest. One prescribed me propranalol (I have never taken this since being prescribed it). This could be due to my sternum clicking. It has clicked around 5-10 times a day for over a year and a half now. I believe it occured when I stretched and pushed my chest out and heard it click, since then it has done it daily. I was involved in a car crash 4 years ago, 70 mph head on, so I know the impact could have damaged my ribs but I do not recall having any pains until recently. I went to hospital 3 weeks ago because the chest pains were not getting any better. I had a panic attack as soon as I got through the door to A&E. They did ECG, blood tests, blood pressure, heart rate monitor, chest Xray and urine tests. The ECG, Xray, blood pressure was fine, they didn't mention anything about blood or urine tests results. I did mention my diet and such but they said it was unlikely I had diabetes, but with no response from my blood and urine tests I had no idea what the results were. Their conclusion was possibly anxiety or poor posture. These were the 2 ideas I had offered them as my posture is rather terrible and I have been suffering from anxiety for a long time. But the ECG wasn't performed when I had these chest pains, it was long after I had calmed down. Their thorough checks and extremely vague conclusion left me feeling no more confident or reassured, infact I felt even more scared. Since then I took further steps as I simply wasn't happy and constantly worried. I visited a chiropractor who said I might have Tietze's syndrome, one side of my ribs (the left side) were slightly raised, possibly inflamed when joining my sternum. I also had very bad posture issues and a muscular scan revealed large amounts of tension throughout my spine. She has begun treatment on my back which has really helped my posture and neck pains. She has worked on my ribs with an adjuster which clicks and apparently gently encourages the ribs to sit back into the correct position. I have been having 2 sessions a week with my chiropractor for about 3 weeks now. But still the pains persist. She believes they should not last too long after treament is concluded (in one week). However I still experience pains, I will try to describe them as best as possible: The pains come and go. Usually never longer than20 minutes at the longest. usually it lasts a few minutes at a time. In my sternum (and sometimes an inch or 2 to the left and infrequently to the right), usually burning or aching pains. Sometimes I get pains when i breathe, and resort to clicking the sternum which relieves the pain instantly. I occasionally feel aching under my left armpit or slightly below it on occassion. My sternum is sometimes tender to the touch, on the ribs she has been working on adjusting. I know aching is common after a chiropractic session. The past few days i've felt more intense pains to my far left side near the bottom of my rib cage. I also experience pains around my heart area (which feels like it's behind the ribs). Every now and then I feel a sudden sharp pain around my heart area, followed by what feels like a small rush of adrenaline. I also get aching in my shoulders and down my left arm around my elbow. Sometimes pain occurs to the right hand side of my sternum as well. I am also experiencing stomach aches for the past week now. The pains are in the centre body, about 2 cm's below the bottom of my ribs. Occasionally I get sharp pains, which feel like they're a little above the rectum. The sharp pains come and go within 10-30 seconds (usually less) but are never constant. The duller pains higher up in my stomach can last several minutes. For the past 4 weeks or so I have been passing quite runny stools. I am wondering if I am causing stomach upset with anxiety or the radical diet change I undertook after quitting smoking. Oddly when I ate nothing but processed junk I never really had issue with my stools or stomach aches. I have been suffering health anxiety pretty constantly. Before I smoked cannabis I suffered from depression, and in general i've been a worrier for most of my life. When I leave the chiropractor I feel at ease, but when pains begin I try to remain positive, but when they persist my mind starts to worry again. However when I'm at home I tend to feel a lot better, and calmer and the pains seem to subside, however a lot of the time (even at home) a pain can come from out of the blue and my mind starts to try and work out what the problem is, and possible causes. It's been a month and 1 week smoke free, I quit cold turkey. I radically changed my diet when i quit smoking too; from cakes and sweets and processed junk food (almost constantly) to fresh fruit, vegetables, wholemeal rice, pasta etc, plenty of water and no more coffee (which i used to drink far too much) instead I drink green tea. Avoiding all processed foods and replacing them with only natural foods. I have also purchased a road bike and have been cycling every other day and i'm currently up to 20 miles on my cycling trips. I feel better about myself, but the cycling again brought health anxiety when I noticed after an hour of cycling my heart rate was still quite rapid after 30 minutes rest. However I somewhat compulsivley check my heart rate if I feel nervous, it tends to start quite slow, but then i begin to get anxious and can feel it speeding up whilst my fingers are against my neck. I just worry that maybe there is something more than Tietze's Syndrome at work here, in fact the chiropractor did not perform much of an analysis to come to this conclusion. My family history of heart problems has me worried that I will in the future suffer from a heart attack, possibly sooner than I imagine.. 2 GP's and the doctor's at the hospital all said "don't worry you're not having a heart attack". Their response infuriated me, I'm never thought I was having a heart attack, i'm more worried that there might be something wrong with my heart and I know that an ECG cannot detect possibly future heart problems. Considering my diet has been attorcious for around 15 years, I just think there must be some sort of issue. Many people have said the chances of having a heart condition at my age are minute, but it still doesn't rule out the possibility, and this is what is playing on my mind all the time. I know chest pains can be caused by something mild, or something quite severe or even life threatening. I've been cycling now for a week and a half, this could contribute to shoulder and arm pains as I've only experienced these more recently. I was fitted correctly for the bike but I notice I'm quite heavy handed holding the grips which i have read can cause arm and shoulder aches. I am going to my GP next week to speak to them about stress management (this could offer a possible solution) maybe CBT. But I have considered for weeks now about visiting a cardiologist at my local hospital or a physiotherapist? The problem is the chiropractor is quite expensive so I'm waiting till the course is finished before deciding my next move. My previous response to a question on here suggested it was nothing sinister, possibly rebound anxiety from quitting smoking, or my general health anxiety (again since quitting smoking). I just feel that the ECG and Xray weren't enough to put my mind at rest, and maybe I should have gone all the way and have further tests done, the idea of heart issues is hanging over my head constantly. Even when my mind is off it, someone mentions a heart attack and I just get swamped again with worry. I know that my heart won't exactly be top notch since quitting smoking, and maybe this is why it takes longer for my heart rate to recover after an hour or so of exercise. But the chest pains occur frequently enough for it to worry me a lot of the time. At work I am busy, I try to keep my mind off of it, but it seems to only calm down when i'm cycling or when i'm at home, because I usually try to keep my spirits up by watching comedy on TV or films, just trying to keep my mind active really. Basically when I'm busy and my mind is happy and not thinking about it at all. This would lead me to think it is anxiety, but I just think "how can anxiety cause all these pains?". The past few days the chest aching has been more constant around my sternum area, but also my mind has been fixated on health worries the past few days as well, as i'm nearing the end of my chiropractic sessions and just worrying that the chest pains aren't getting any better. I am sorry for the length of the query, I hope you can offer some form of advice, and possible solutions.

I have had a chronic cough, choking and inability to speak for 7-8 months Background: - I am male, 36 and other than the cough / gastric stuff below exercise regularly, eat well and am otherwise in pretty good health. I am 1.8m high and weigh 67kg. - I did however give up smoking after fifteen years, ten months ago. Shortly after this I started getting a bad cough that I assumed was caused by the expected regrowing of the cilia in my lungs. I therefore left it for three months before seeking any medical help. The cough continued and seemed to get worse, becoming debilitating in my job chairing meetings and giving presentations, meaning I lost my voice and got embarrassed and panicky. The pressure of these types of situations I'm sure make it worse, but I don't feel is the root cause. Description of Cough - mid chest cough - choking sensation / cannot speak for 1-3 minutes - trouble swallowing - at worst at night when lying down, before or during mildly stressful situations (meetings / presentations), after a large meal - causes no problems during aerobic exercise (ie: heavy breathing doesn't make it worse) Bloating / Gastro problems - firm round belly (I was used to it basically being flat) - sense of acid irritating back of throat as the cause of the cough - rumbling, bubbling feeling inside - gas (both ends) - nausea (particularly in the mornings) - diarrhoea 2-3 times a day (but I have had this for about ten years without seeking treatment) Treatments / tests taken: - Spirometry for lung function (results: good-normal function) - Omeprazole for reducing acid (4 weeks with no improvement in symptoms) - Chest X-ray (no shadows on lungs found) - Blood tests for H Pylori (clear) - Hynotherapy (to see if stress was causing it made no difference) What has helped: - Was off work after shoulder surgery for 3 weeks and was on 30mg Codeine pain relief. Cough cleared up totally in this period. Went back to work still on codeine and was clear of cough for 2 weeks. After this I came off codeine and cough returned almost straight away. - Codeine also completely relieved the diarrhoea (constipation was an expected side affect, but with me it just made me 'regular') So I guess where do I go from here. My doctors original diagnosis of some form of acid aspiration sounds right to me, but why did omeprazole not help. I would appreciate a second opinion as I am getting increasingly worried about it without any sense of it getting resolved. Many thanks, ********

I took my father to A & E, he was admitted with SOB, Lethargy and hypertension and was unable to walk more than a few steps due to SOB. He had a wheeze. After examination at A&E he was advised he had a crackle in the left base ( I had suspected same as I sounded him myself at home ) I expected he would be commenced on IV antibiotics and IV furosemide, however he was commenced on IV antibiotics only. He remained hypertensive with resps of 26 BP 185/103 and he was also tachycardic P103 for a few hours and this came down to within outside limits as he was sitting on the bed in the Fowlers position. Xrays confirmed fluid in the pleural cavity and after an ultrasound the next day, some of the fluid was aspirated and sent to lab for investigation. Some of the results were back on the Monday night which confirmed he was +ve to infection but when I asked if the A/B he was on were the right ones I was advised they couldnt tell from the pleural fluid sample what type of infection it is, that they would need a sputum sample. Dad hasnt been asked to supply this' but he doesnt have a productive cough anyway and hasnt brought up any frothy sputum either. The nurse advised we were still waiting for the rest of the results to come back. There has been no definitive diagnosis yet but I was advised on day two by the consultant that " we need to be realistic, ur dad has penile cancer ( which he has chemo cream to treat and has 3/6 monthly checks carried out ) so it could be mets in the lungs. " Today is now day 7 and he commenced a diuretic yesterday at 1pm. My father has been unable to sleep in his bed since admission and only for 3 hours in an upright position on one occasion. Nursing staff advised he has to go for an ecco now. They have not drained the fluid on the lungs. Dad as had abdo pain which developed since admission. I wondered why wouldnt he have been drained or given a diuretic to relieve his symptoms until yesterday. Also before admission my dad foolishly stopped his antihypertensive medication for 2 days ( A & E staff were advised of this ) , I advised him to get straight back on them and go to his GP the next day but he didnt go. I was at work 12hr shifts for next 2 days and had only spoken to dad by phone. When I went to see him on the Thursday morning he was so bad I just got a neighbour to assist me to the car with him and went straight to a and E. Dad recommenced his antihypertensive medication after the 2 days ( This was before admission ). I have a meeting with the consultant tonight at 7pm. What questions should i be asking. My father has remained in pain and discomfort, although the paracetamol administration has helped his pain to a degree and I understand why they wouldn't want to suppress his respiratory system with stronger pain relief, but why havent they done anything more to relieve his symptoms over the past 7 days. His ankles were slightly oedematous on admission' but his legs have become hugely oedematous since admission which is probably due to underlying condition and immobility' but I just dont understand why he hasnt been made more comfortable, surely a diuretic sooner would have eased his discomfort. I also advised that i thought it was disgraceful that my dad was told " we need to be realistc etc without a family member present the 1st time. My father has capacity and has told the nursing staff and consultant he wishes me to deal with his medical information. Dad worries so much and doesnt take in what they are saying. Fortunately he did not pick up on the above comment at the time and when she said it to us both later he didnt actually hear her. When I asked the sister to supply me with dads information over the phone she would not and advised a nurse would tell me when I came in that night after work. I said I know what the concerns were re I could be anyone' however' I said if my dad ( who has capacity ) confirms who I am and gives you the phone back surely then she could give me the information I require. She stated the English and Scottish laws differed ( pointless ) how was that relevant, and then said about giving information over the phone and the hospital confidentiality issues are different from a nursing homes. I am well aware of patient confidentiality issues and I wouldnt give information over the phone' however surely it is acceptable if the patient with capacity confirms the identity of his daughter to the sister that that would be suffice. I was later advised by the nurse that the sister didnt want to say the results because of the nature of same over the phone' but the results I was told was that the sample was + to infection only and that we awaited other results. The nurse was not forthcoming with any other information and only once I asked " so the other results will confirm if there is cancer present when they come back " she replied yes. The nurse would not have informed me had I not asked' so why couldnt I have been told some of the results had returned and it was +ve to infection and the rest would follow. Time 1800 At visiting today i was told he had the echo carried out and hopefully the consultant will have all the results for 7pm tonight. Diuretic has made a obvious difference and dad isn't as short of breath and his legs are now less oedematous. He advised he did manage to get a few hours in bed last night. ( After the first dose of diuretic ). I am on my way to see the consultant now.

my son's health/heart problem My son aged 30 fit, not overweight, non smoker and doesn't drink has chest pain (central/left sided) when cycling. He has had two abnormal ECG's and an abonormal 24 hour heart monitor. Results from ECG's were "marked bradycardia, sinus arrhythmia, posterior fascicular block" and a few other things that I can't recall. He is very tired and lethargic most of the time. The consultant we saw today dismissed all of the above saying as he doesn't smoke and is not overweight its because is he just fit. He did not give any explanation for the pain or arrhythmia. I am not reassured and neither is my son although he hides this. Both my husband and I are on statins (neither are overweight or unfit but we both have high cholesterol and I have angina - I am 57years old). We have a strong family history of heart disease (my mother died at 53 having suffered 3 MI's plus her brothers and sisters have either died or had bypass surgery). MY son has not had a lipid profile until today when it was taken at the clinic. Doctor felt he was too young to have angina. Please advise. Regards ****

Heart Concern Since Quitting Smoking Hello, My name is **** and i'm 25 next week. I will apologize now as this will probably be quite a long email, if it could be forwarded to a doctor I would be extremely grateful. I have visited my GP several times but I always forget to ask all my questions and usually leave feeling they were indifferent about my concerns (my own doing no doubt). I have recently quit smoking cannabis. I had smoked it for over 5 years. Around 3 joints a night, more on the weekends, sometimes up to 10. This was smoked with tobacco. I did smoke roll up cigarettes on and off during this time. It was often smoked in my room, along with incense being lit, so it usually got very smokey (I can't imagine this helped my lungs at all). I smoked indoors for around 2 years after work daily with friends. But after a couple of hours I would leave my window open over night most nights. I used to exercise for a few hours a day up until around 2 years ago but now I do not. I work in an office with no fresh air (no windows open). I have since quit smoking for over a week now. Over a year ago I believe I had a panic attack in my room whilst smoking with a friend, my heart rate started racing and I felt the colors in my vision getting quite intense, I felt a huge sense of impending doom and I had to open the window and take deep breathes. It eased within a minute, more like 45 seconds. I was worried, my dad had a heart attack when he was younger. But within an hour I was back to smoking and getting lost in a fog of being stoned and not worrying about it so much and I avoided visiting a doctor about it. I had visited a doctor for a health check, I think it was when I tried quitting smoking last time (it lasted just over a month smoke free). Because I've smoked so long i can't say a definite date. I believe it was 1 and a half years ago. My blood pressure and cholestoral was fine. However I admit my diet has been hideous, very very high sugar and saturated fat diet since a child. I'm not overweight, my BMI is 2 increments off being underweight but I rarely ate fresh fruit or vegetables. I did consider diabetes but I don't display any of the symptoms except feeling tired, but since quitting smoking this has lessened considerably. Last last Thursday I had another attack, it seemed to last longer, around 3 minutes. It felt like it flared up again several times over the following hour the more I thought about it. This is when I quit smoking, I also drastically changed my diet from sugary processed sweets and cakes to fruit, vegetables and lots of whole grain foods and no more coffee only green tea and lots of water. I visited the GP about my supposed panic attack and he prescribed me propranolol. Another worry, I didn't take it I was scared of side affects and the general idea of my heart rate being forcibly slowed down. Since quitting smoking I have felt slight aches around my chest and also around my heart (I can't tell if it's my heart of chest muscles above it). None of the chest aches are severe, occasionally more acute comparable to a stitch you sometimes get from over exertion. I'm not sure if this is normal after quitting smoking? I am not coughing at all and not spitting up phlegm. I do however have 2 other possible causes to my chest pains. One is my sternum, it clicked over a year ago from stretching rather severely. Since then it clicks multiple times a day. Sometimes it seemingly agitated chest aching, but having previously smoking joints daily might be another reason. One other cause might be this, it's rather embaressing and it might be due to another underlying issue. I find it almost impossible to sit still. I spend a lot of time in my room alone (usually playing PC video games). I will sit down cross legged but sway from side to side, quite severely and "enthusiastically". I've done it to the point my knees and hip hurt and feel almost bruised or worn out. I've done this since I was a kid, maybe 8 or younger. I wonder if doing this (usually over 4 hours a day and almost all day on weekends, except with friends over) could have caused muscle strains after years? Today at work I felt the aches again (as usual since quitting). I admit since quitting smoking health worries have been at the forefront of my mind. I have always been a worrier, usually spending a lot of time on my own, I wonder if this is a psychosomatic response, but I fixated on the pain and then the heart pulpitations seemingly began again. It didn't break out into a panic attack (or what I believed to be a panic attack) but the heart beats were very intense and I had to go outside to regain my composure. I visited the doctor who listened to my heart from various points around my chest. It was 120 bpm, he believed the previous GP's recommendation of propranolol wasn't necessary as I'd only experienced a panic attack a couple of times. However I worry that my heart rate has increased in general since quitting smoking. I tried measuring my heart rate an hour ago and I think it's still 120 bpm, but considering i'm still swaying as I normally do, perhaps this would increase my heart rate somewhat? But I can't tell if i'm checking correctly. As my heart goes "bump bump" -pause- "bump bump" is one bump a beat or is 2 a beat? Sorry, that is probably the most rudimentary and rather foolish question I could possibly ask a heart clinic (probably due to quitting biology in year 9 at school :) ). I think i'm flaring up this heart rate either from my worries or quitting smoking. When i'm talking with friends or keeping busy it doesn't seem so prevalent, except when i returned to work on Monday this week, the lack of fresh air, made me worry, almost to the point of another attack, but it subsided. I am busy at work, I work in customer services, usually talking to angry customers. Even though i'm busy I seem to fixate on the aches more at work than at home where i'm fully relaxed. I still have slight aches at present, but it's to the side of my heart almost underneath my arm pit, sometimes on my sternum, or the right side of my chest. But since today i've been quite worried about it, I feel more relaxed now I've written down all my concerns. But i'm finding it hard to get peace of mind for what i'm experiencing in general. I hope its just teething troubles from quitting smoking. I was wondering if you think it necessary to visit a heart clinic for a check up/observation. Or if you can recommend anything for what i'm experiencing. I would be very grateful for a response to my concerns, and again apologize for the length of the query Yours Sincerely, ***** *******

teeth extraction and drugs I take half of a Emconcor 2.5mg tablet each day as I occasionally have arrythmia dure to my M.E. Next week I am having a tooth extracted. Should I continue to take this beta blocker?

heart i have recently been discharged from hospital having been admitted following chest symptoms which were from 5 days previous but still lingering. my troponin t was 72 then at approx 5 days after worse of sypmtoms. a further one was taken 6 hours later and this was 54. i was advised to undergo invasive angiogram but due to anxiety(mother died during this proceedure) i requested mri angiogram or ct angiogram, these not offerred so was discharged with follow up to have stress echo but could be a month before test is done. was already on ramipril but they added bisoprolol 1.25mg clopidogrel, aspirin, omeprazole, and atorvastatin 80mg, also had 5day course of clexane whilst was inpatient. my discharge letter does not say if definite heart attack but just acs. and ? acs ?nstemi. i would like to know more specifically as have mortgage help with payments whilst off sick if daignosed heart attack, and as my work does not pay any sick pay i am anxious that am going to get into debt, and have to return work mearly, thankyou. *********

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