My brother and chest pain

[MrsPinkL]

My brother is 55, no health issues and takes no medication, he also doesn’t smoke. I think this may be relevant?

He is currently staying with me and late last night said his chest felt a little tight in the middle, was short of breath after walking in the garden and was hot. He didn’t make a big fuss and went off to bed, so I didn’t really think anything of it.

I’ve just called to tell him to get dinner etc and me, dh and dc are out tonight and he said his chest is still tight and I can hear on the phone his a little out of breath. I have said I think he needs to contact a GP or maybe take himself to A+ E but his a typical man and isn’t keen, however I will get dh to try once his finished work.

Do chest pains always need A+E? Not always something sinister surely. Chest infection maybe? But he has no cough or anything

( Yes I know this thread doesn’t have a purpose and nobody can diagnose but I just wanted to talk about it)

Nobody can diagnose online. But please don't try to hassle a competent adult.... it is your brother's choice as to whether or not to seek medical help.

He needs to go to A&E right now. It is insane to take a risk with something like this.

My brother is 55, no health issues and takes no medication, he also doesn’t smoke. I think this may be relevant?

It's not. Some of the "healthiest" people in the world have dropped dead from cardiac issues.

As a GP I would send that up for hospital assessment. I live in Scotland so very high ischaemic heart disease here but I wouldn't ignore it. My husband is in the Scot heart2 study and despite being incredibly fit and healthy and exercising regularly he has narrowed arteries and is now on statins and aspirin after finding narrowed arteries on his scan.

But please don't try to hassle a competent adult.
Sorry but where health is concerned I think people should speak up and in times insist people go get help, my uncle was having a heart attack and wasn’t going to do anything about it until my mum insisted he go to be checked out, and then the gp called an ambulance. My friend works in cardiac care and she heard the same stories all the time. You’re always going to assume it’s not as bad as others can see it is. Could be fine op but better safe than sorry.

He needs to go to a&e to rule out anything cardiac. They will usually see patients with chest pain fairly quickly. I wouldn't bother with gp or 111. They can't do tests like at the hospital.

@BeaRF75 we need to take responsibility for our loved ones.

Please go to a and e
Long term lurker but posting for the first time as couldn’t read and move on
My DP also in his early 50’s active lifestyle, healthy eating had these symptoms which we ignored for a day assuming it was just a cramp
Went to A and E - ecg and xray normal. Blood tests not good
To cut a long story short he had a heart attack the previous night but because of his general health he was able to carry on as normal despite the pain for an entire 24 hours before we decided to go to a and e.
It could be nothing but please get it checked

My brother In law thought he had a bit of indigestion. He went to the GP several days later. He'd actually had two heart attacks.

Why not?

He was 46 at the time.

A&E now.

I’d get it checked! I called an ambulance last January, aged 47, for a strange ‘pressure’ sensation in my ears and neck. The GP had dismissed my chest pain on exertion as heartburn for months prior to this despite me repeatedly returning for various tests. I’m 8.5 stone, fit, eat really healthily and have never smoked yet I was still having a heart attack. Heart attacks are really not what you see on tv with people rolling around in agony. I felt really guilty calling an ambulance but it saved my life - mine was a massive one with my LAD artery completely blocked. You can’t force him to go to A and E but it really can happen to anyone.

My GP later said my case was one in a million which would have been slightly more appealing if it was a massive lottery win as opposed to a heart attack!

Not worth taking the chance - he needs to get checked out. Covid infections are also a risk factor and there's been alot about. Hopefully it's nothing.

I know a woman who is a widow now because her husband insisted it was just heartburn. Tell him to go to A&E and to blame it on you if he feels silly.

My 40 year old neighbour had a heart attack ok the summer. Had dismissed tight chest and dizziness in the weeks before. The actual heart attack was no pain at all- just tightness and eventually sweating and vomiting. Completely healthy and fit , not overweight. He had a blocked artery and survived thanks to calling an ambulance and getting to the hospital promptly. Please get checked out.

Sometimes people aren't well enough to decide for themselves, though.

A&E now. If he's not up to driving and no one close by to take him, then I'd say getting him to hospital takes precedence over going out tonight. If you really need to go out and and he doesn't feel up to driving, call an ambulance. Please get him checked.

He should go to A&E.

My dad was like this and on day 5 of convincing himself it was nothing, dropped dead.

He was one of those people who thinks he knows better than everyone else.So he didn’t listen, no matter who told him he should go to A&E ( including his GP).

No previous health problems but he was a smoker who was convinced he’d live to 100.

DH gets pericarditis regularly. It wasn't until an A&E nurse absolutely bollocked him for delaying for 3 days that he finally agreed to get seen sooner rather than later when the chest pain begins. I had had to bodily drag him to the car after those 3 days of complaining about the pain, dramatic chest clutching, insisting he's fine then stopping halfway up the short staircase to catch his breath.... He was about 35 at that point, fit and serving in the military. Just a stubborn prick.

He's been told for years now that unless he agrees to immediate medical attention when he finally admits he's in pain (as he'll still hide it from me for days), he will get zero help, sympathy or moral support from me. He gets one genuine offer of help to get him seen (me ringing the military GP, driving him to hospital, whatever) but if he refuses it then that's the end of it. I'm not spending days begging him ever again.

So yes, encourage him to get seen, but if he refuses, cut off any moaning until he agrees to accept the help. You can do much unless you are prepared to physically place him in a car. Been there, done it.

Chest pain is invariably an A&E job. Anything serious and potentially life-threatening has to be ruled out, because the consequences of not getting checked out could be fatal. I hope you get him to see sense.

He needs to get checked out immediately

Anyone with chest pain needs to be assessed urgently in A & E.

It may not be a heart attack but your brother needs to be checked today.

A and E straight away. Chest pain will be a priority. Classic symptoms tight chest and breathless. No brainer.

What happened to your brother OP ? Did he go in ?