chest pain

[Okie]

Last few days I have been having bad pain right below where my ribs come together. It always happened at night till today. I was just sitting on the steps of my shop after doing some cleaning and it hit me. This is the fourth time I think. Could a gall bladder cause that kind of pain? Seems like gas but I have never had that problem before.

[Reasonable Rascal]

Okie, take it from ol' doc Rascal here. Have the wife take you to the clinic or ER *right now.* You strong possibilities here, those being either gallbladder or cardiac. In particular the latter you do not want to wait around and see what happens.

Cardiac problems, specifically an impending Myocardial Infarction, or heart attack, can easily mimic gas, gallbladder and even muscle strain in the back. In fact, something like 20-30% of all cases never have chest pain - ever.

If it occurred while you were sitting there, not exercising, you need to be seen tonight! I'd hit the reds and run down but they didn't salvage much of my unit, a couple cabinet doors was about all.

Kidding aside, please treat this very seriously and treat it right now. If its benign it's good to know, if its cardiac you are playing with fire by putting it off.

RR

[jagdkampf]

Like RR said. No way to know for sure. Chest pain should not be taken lightly. Most serious injury from myocardial infarct can be prevented if you act quickly. Go get it checked out asap. One thing that seems to help -- if you have chest pain immeadiately take one aspirin then get someone to take you to the hospital, preferrably EMS. They have equipment to deal with lethal arrythmias should they occur. The aspirin seems to improve survivability and limit the degree of infarct. Hope all is well.
Jag

[Okie]

So I should be dead by now? Can't die till after Monday. 25th anniversary and wife would never forgive me. :smile: It must just be a gas thing as it seems to come and go on it's on. Sure is uncomfortable while it lasts though.

[Reasonable Rascal]

Just because it comes and goes does not rule out cardaic problems. Some people when they are lucky will have precursor pains not at all unlike what you describe. Just means you are building up for the Big One.

You need this tended to now, not later. Won't do at all if it isn't gas - and how many times have I seen fresh MI victims tell me they thought it was just gas; too many for certain - and you keel over on the big day.

BTW, is there any shortness of breath accompanying this? Sweating? Nausea?

RR

[RESQDOC]

Get your ass to the hospital right now, no BS, no jokes. Don't be a goddamn hero, go get it checked out. Part of preparation for emergency situations is adoption of a mindset of personal responsibility for actions and consequences of actions. Have you fully considered that denial of a potential life-threatening problem may result in your death or permanent disability, the results of your death or disability on your wife and family, and the complete lack of personal responsibility that this demonstrates? If you won't take care of yourself, now, when the best help ever available in the history of the world is a single telephone call away, what are you going to do when under austere conditions? Who is going to trust your judgement? Who should trust your judgement? Go to hell in your own handbasket as you choose, but don't let others place their trust in you for their care. If you can’t take care of yourself you can’t take care of anybody else.

(Soapbox mode off)


_________________
Do No Harm. Do Know Harm.

[deerwchr]

Okie,
get it checked. I had an attack at age 31 due to stress. I denied the problem and decided to myself that it would go away because it wasn't cardiac related. The damage was minimal but I saw the EKG myself. Don't second guess this one. It could be your last guessing game.

[Flotsam]

Ditto the excellent advice from the above posters. Get in to the ED & get it checked out. If it isn't your heart - no harm, no foul - many of the other conditions that can cause pain in that area can be successfully treated by your private doc (either by meds/lifestyle changes or GI/surgical referral). It would also be a good time to get a good history & physical, and have your Doc go over some ways you can make your life healthier - I've seen way too many people lately who have some vague complaints & never bother seeing someone about them. Get seen, and get this thing worked up properly.

[NurseMan]

Old saying in cardiac care-Time is muscle. Get it checked! True story: guy went to his doctor for routine physical, everything checks out, ECG is normal, labs Ok, all good. Goes home. Three days later starts having "chest pain" but ignores it because of 2 reasons: 1)he has a history of reflux problems and 2)he just got checked out at the doctor & everything was OK. Said guy ignores this pain for 2 days & then decides that there is something wrong, comes to ER. Labs & ECG are positive for MI. Well, since he waited, can't use TNK or the other clot busters. Guy goes to the cath lab-Left Anterior Descending artery (LAD) aka the Widowmaker, is 100% blocked. Can't get the wire through=no balloon or stent. Not a candidate for CABG because that section of the heart is already dead. Result=said guy will, from that day on, have continuous cardiac probs and decreased quality of life & life expectancy. Moral of the story? GET IT CHECKED!!!

P.S. In the cath lab, showed that he had plaque build up & a piece sheared off, got blocked in the artery due to the narrowing by the plaque and formed a clot. Hence the reason his ECG was OK a few days prior to the event. However, IF he came in right away, he could have gotten TNK and maybe stopped the MI in it's tracks.