I am a 54 year old woman who one month ago had an experience that was like an electrical shock through the upper body and both arms that lasted just a few minutes. After that was gone, I was left very weak and anytime I got up to do anything my heart rate would go up and most times my blood pressure would drop. I had indigestion also. This happened on Saturday and I went to see my family doctor on Monday. He ran an ekg and told me there was signs of a heart attack and sent me to the ER.

They ran the blood work once, then four hours later and I had a ct scan. Was told it was not heart related, to go home and check with family doctor for stomach issues. My family doctor ordered a holter moniter and a stress test.

Before I had either test I had another episode where I could not get my breath and my left arm went numb. By the time I reached the ER, I was shaking all over. My heart rate goes up all the time if I do anything, but if I lie down it will go to normal. Again, the ER told me there was nothing, probably anxiety.

Since then, both my tests have come back with normal results, but I am still getting the rapid heart rate when I do almost everything. If I continue to be active, I will have other symptoms. I have requested an appointment with another doctor because I feel so frustrated.

The standard cardiac diagnostic tests are an EKG and cardiac enzyme blood tests, particularly for troponins which are enzymes released into the bloodstream that are usually not measurable unless you’ve had heart muscle damage during a heart attack. After a cardiac event, troponin levels begin to rise in the blood 4-6 hours after the first symptoms, but can take 24-48 hours to peak. You no doubt already had cardiac enzymes tested yesterday but if your symptoms persist, do not wait for Monday’s appointment: go immediately back to the ER for further tests. And yes, do keep track of every symptom.

Your symptoms may NOT be due to heart problems, but at this point you don’t know for sure. Something is causing them – what is it? I have met women with atypical heart attack symptoms ranging from a persistent cough to numbness in the lower lip. I have met countless women who in mid-heart attack were sent home from the ER with “normal” cardiac test results and reassured as you were that it was NOT a heart issue. But diagnosis is often complicated because there are many conditions with distressing symptoms that may mimic heart disease. That’s likely why your doctor appears not to be listening to your concerns – he may be stumped by all these “normal” test results. So much of medicine is just trying to eliminate what the problem ISN’T.

You absolutely did the right thing by going to the ER immediately after yesterday’s symptoms, and again today going to see your doctor. Please keep going back if symptoms persist. You know your body – you know when something is “not right”.

It’s unfortunately common for women to try to wait it out, see if things get better, keep quiet, not make a fuss. Don’t do that!!

Best of luck to you,
C.

Let me start by saying I am a non smoker non drinker no known health problems and rarely have to go to the doctor. (by the way I hate going to the doctor because I feel he really doesn’t listen)

Yesterday while I was at work I got dizzy my hands and forehead and face went numb and Then within 10 minutes I sounded drunk and was slurring my words unable to get the words out. I went to the ER because I thought I might be having a stroke. The ER did an ekg Chest xray Cat scan Echo cardiograham. The Cat scan had a spot on it they didn’t know what it was so they sent me to for an MRI. and they did blood work. Everything came back normal. The neurologist said he couldn’t see anything on the tests but it could be from a complicated migraine. Even without having a head ache. or it could be MS symptoms but they didn’t see that and there is no family history He doesn’t think it was a stroke because nothing showed on the test and both sides of my face were affected not just one. He did say my B12 level was low–219 so he ordered a b-12 shot. but sent me home saying I should take baby aspirin. and get a shot once a month and follow up with him in two weeks.

Today just after eating lunch my left arm went numb and was tingling and I have been nauseous all day. I called my doctor who told me to come in and he basically said we have pretty much done every test there is to do he asked me what the neurologist said and then basically repeated it to me saying the b12 or the complicated migraine probably caused my problems and if the numbness persisted they could do a nerve test on my arm but to just watch it and keep track to see if there is a pattern.

I am really concerned because Heart disease runs very strong in my family My dad had a triple bypass and a stroke his sisters and brother dies of heart failure(2) and an annurism. When I told him this was my concern because I have had chest pains in the past he said yes I can see in your chart you have had some stress. I told him not anything unusual–he had it in my file my problems were from stress I told him only the normal stress of a full time working mom. he said I think you can be confident it isn’t your heart but I am not confident. I feel anxious about it because I think he isn’t really listening to my concerns. I have an appointment with a different doctor Monday are there any tests I should ask about or should I just wait and keep track of my symptoms?

I think that we need to see two major shifts here: #1 – women need to be far more assertive about demanding quality care when we know that something is seriously wrong, and #2 – medical professionals need far more education on the realities of women’s heart disease.
Cheers,
C.

Here in the UK, I’ve just found out that I’ve got a small heart defect, and minor heart attacks have been wrongly diagnosed for 14 years!

It seems I started to get them when I developed an underactive thyroid, which raised my blood pressure from normally low to, initially, high. They got it down to normal, but this was high for me and the heart attacks started.

I was told it was indigestion, gastric reflux, a funny turn – and doctor after doctor (including a hospital consultant) failed to recognise standard signs of a heart attack. It was only recently when I managed to get to the hospital during an attack that they realised what it was, gave me an angiogram and found the problem.