Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

What else could cause heart attack symptoms?

My wife has been experiencing chest pain for two weeks.

The symptoms are as follows...
Comes on and leaves gradually
May last a few minutes or a few hours
Occurs one or more times daily
Comes at rest or during activities
Accompanied by shortness of breath
Accompanied by nausea but no vomiting
Sometimes accompanied by excessive sweating
Located just to the left of the sternum
Described as a heavyness, pressure, or ache
Pain seem to be moderate in severity
Sometimes accompanied by neck, jaw, shoulder, arm or back pain
Rubbing the area may provide a little relief but not much


She has had the following tests/procedures and every thing has came back fine.
Blood work (enzymes came back fine)
Several EKGs
4 chest X-rays
Echocardiogram
CT Angiogram
Heart Catheterization (Per the cardiologist, she has the arteries of a "teenager")

Her medical history is as follows...
44 years old
Never smoked, used alcohol, or illegal drugs
Average weight
Sedentary life style
No history of heart disease
History of colitis - cause was never determined
History of migraines
Complete hystorectomy with HRT for 15 years
3 out of 4 grandparents had history of heart disease

The tests did not find any blockages, indications of heart attack, or aortic dissection.

The hospitalist suggested pleurisy as a possible cause.

Her GP said that it may have been viral, even though the Epstein Barr came back fine.  I think that this may have been the opinion of the cardioligist.


I'm not satisfied with either possible diagnoses and I'm currently researching microvascular disease.

But other than that what else could be possible explainations for her symptoms?
7 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
Among the most frequent factors that cause cardiovascular diseases  belong old age (especially mature age and late-life), disease heritability, smoking, too much drinking, high blood pressure, cholesterol and other fat in the blood (caused by too much fat in the food), lack of physical activity, obesity, increased waist circumference, birth control pills, stress etc.

you can read mor about it in the following article:
http://www.healthomat.com/how-to-prevent-cardiovascular-diseases/
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Well we're back in the hospital.  This time she was seen by a different cardiologist who reviewed her previous tests and concluded that her heart was fine.  When she asked him if it could be microvascular disease, he dismissed her and would not perform any additional tests.  The hospitalist recommended a stress test but the cardiologist cancelled it.  She is so frustrated.  I'm afraid that there are no doctors in our area that have experience diagnosing and treating this condition.

How would I go about finding a doctor that is familiar with MVD in the state of Arkansas?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thank you for the information.  I'm encouraging my wife to create her own profile so that you and she can communicate directly without using me as a go-between.  She is scheduled to see her GP in the morning.  BTW, were in TX.  Hopefully, he'll take her seriously and refer her to a specialist.

I do have a couple of questions...

1) Would you recommend a vascular doctor or a cardiologist?

2) Can MVD cause issues with other organs such as colitis or migraines?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
mimi57654 - thanks for the info.  She has had her gall bladder removed and then had to have a ERCP to correct SOD.  Since she's already had trouble with the biliary system, I will definitely keep this in mind.  Thank you.
Helpful - 0
712042 tn?1254569209
Sounds like a classic case of cardiac syndrome X or cardiac microvascular dysfunction. Read about my journey to diagnosis here at MedHelp under ' joanincarolina' or 'cardiac microvascular dysfunction'. Please allow me to discuss this with her and she or you can send me you questions under my 'joanincarolina' private message board.
I also did a PBS Discovery Health show about this last year. The show is called Second Opinion and was released for world wide viewing at:
www.secondopinion-tv.org. The episode is called 'Angina....meet Fred and Joan.......I am in the SE, USA. Where are you? Please read and view information and see if it is of any value to you. I have no CAD and am otherwise healthy and have always been so until this happened. Hugs Joan.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
If they are sure it's not her heart did they look into the possibility her pancreous is having a problem. My 35yr old son went through similar symptoms and tests and then collapsed at work. The er dr did a liver enzyme test (he had them before and they were elevated a bit) and it was through the roof! He was in hospital for a week and again 4mo later for 3 days from it. The pain keeps getting worse over time. I wish your wife well, take care.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Im going threw the same and its scary ive been to the hospital and they say its nothing but ive havent gotten an xray ..
Helpful - 0

You are reading content posted in the Heart Disease Forum

Popular Resources
Is a low-fat diet really that heart healthy after all? James D. Nicolantonio, PharmD, urges us to reconsider decades-long dietary guidelines.
Can depression and anxiety cause heart disease? Get the facts in this Missouri Medicine report.
Fish oil, folic acid, vitamin C. Find out if these supplements are heart-healthy or overhyped.
Learn what happens before, during and after a heart attack occurs.
What are the pros and cons of taking fish oil for heart health? Find out in this article from Missouri Medicine.
How to lower your heart attack risk.