Heart vs. gall bladder

[michaelleroy]

I am an overweight 50+ y/o postmenopausal female without a personal cardiac history (but positive family history--mother MI at 60).  Normal BP, elevated cholesterol/triglycerides (but improving), not diabetic. History of asymptomatic gallstones.  Was sitting at my desk when had sudden pain noticed first in right ear/jaw.  It radiated to mid-chest, right shoulder/back. Had something that felt like mid indigestion.  Felt hot. I felt slightly lightheaded but may have been hyperventilating due to pain and anxiety. No nausea, vomiting. Pain was intense at first--8-9 on a 1-10 scale but the intensity was intermittent--nearly unbearable for a while, decreased a little, bad again, etc. The pain lasted for about 45 minutes, then completely resolved, leaving me totally exhausted. Have had no further symptoms other than fatigue and an occasional mild colicky pain which I associate with gall bladder. Even though some of the symptoms overlap with cardiac problems, my gut feeling is that this is my gall bladder. It's all been on the right side.  And no, I did not see a MD when this occurred.  Does this sound more consistent with cardiac or gall bladder pathology?

[Red_Star]

Symptoms of gallstones may feel like chest pain caused by a heart attack.

"If you eat low fat less bile is needed to digest your food. More bile thus stays in the gallbladder. Long enough, perhaps, for stones to form. It’s been shown that people who (instead of fat) eat more carbohydrates are at increased risk of gallstones." - Diet Doctor - Gallstones and Low Carb

[michaelleroy]

Thanks, I'll have to modify my diet--I've been working on that.

[Occupant]

I have to disagree with that from personal experiences. I went for years through sudden pain attacks that I always thought were related to my stomach. The way the pain radiated it was inconceivable to me that it had anything to do with my heart. One time it was so bad that I had my wife take me to the ER. In front of the door I told her to turn around: "I am feeling fine now". Eventually, I had such a bad attack that I was climbing the walls, went to the ER again and had surgery that same morning. Later - without gallbladder and a stone in my bile duct - I was ok again and have been for many years. What does all of that mean? Maybe you have both.