What does a heart attack feel like?

[LifeonVenus]

Just wondering

A stent is a small circular mesh type device which is inserted into an artery to keep it open

Please call for help Op.

I think its very useful to hear how different they feel, lets try to make this thread positive and not attack the OP.

Twisique

"I think its very useful to hear how different they feel, lets try to make this thread positive and not attack the OP."

Agree

OP -@LifeonVenus, how did you get on with the hospital on Monday?
I've been worrying about the follow-up oncology appointment they sent you.
I know you said you'd been discharged and that it was a massive shock for you. I hope it was an admin mix-up and that you're ok.

I was worried recently but I really wasn’t sure because I get anxious and I think it’s muscular/nerves but the online info is quite confusing, because it covers so many things. I think this is a useful thread!

I had a really sharp pain go across my back last week, felt like something was trapped in a rib. Seemed to be a neck muscle as well because it did go away quite quickly when I stretched out. My heart rate seemed fine I didn’t feel unwell

Last night actually I had really back neck pain and it went into a big spasm down my arm neck and back which seemed to travel down my left side, was so painful. Only slight chest pain (which seemed to be pectoral) and I had a stomach ache and trapped gas too. Today all my muscles are twitching, my neck felt like I had gone 10 rounds of boxing and all electric shock type nerve feelings over my head and down my arm. It’s like when I had a trapped nerve in my back

I had pericarditis and it was like sacks of potatoes weighing down on my chest, then pain down the back of my left arm into my hand. Couldn't breathe properly, either.
Scary and hospitalising - I was only 21 - they said it can give you these heart attack like symptoms

My dad and my ex FIL have both had mild heart attacks. My dad was in Spain and ended up having stents. He waited a few hours for the clinic up the road to open and when they saw him he was sent by ambulance to the hospital. My sister was very busy sending faxes from his gp to the hospital in Spain! He did have excellent treatment over there though. Ex FIL waited a few hours until his gp surgery opened! Was taken by ambulance to the nearest hospital. He ended up having angioplasty for 3 blocked arteries. Both of them are still alive 15 and 20 years later. But neither of them presented with the dropping to the ground and collapsing that we often imagine a heart attack looks like.

You think you've had a heart attack and are asking on mumsnet rather than getting yourself to hospital?

My husband had one three weeks ago. I came home and he said he was having chest pains. He was very uncomfortable but didn't know if he wanted to go to A&E. After about an hour he said he did want to go so we got in the car. By the time we got to A&E, about 10 minute drive, he was fine and just feeling a bit breathless.

A&E did an ECG which was fine and blood tests were fine but they wanted to do the blood test again after three hours as they said if you do it too soon, you can get a false negative. Three hours later the blood test showed he'd had a heart attack and was admitted.

I suppose my point is that it didn't last that long and was all over by the time we got to hospital. If they hadn't done the tests, we'd have presumed it was just chest pain and not a heart attack so please go and get yourself checked out.

Mine was last year age 34.

Got up getting kids lunches sorted for school, had like a dull ache in my chest, went down BOTH arms and in my jaw my teeth all hurt.
I took some nurofen got on with my morning.
Felt exhausted completely drained friend insisted taking me to doctors who said i was fine etc
Told my mum she said to just go get checked up a and e even tho i felt fine just tired. Sat in a&e 4 hrs well say sat walking around no seats, doctor said i had a virus and will do bloods anyway.
Hour or so later a very worried doctor comes out telling me to sit down they getting me a bed, i wasn't even aloud to go for a wee.
I felt fine and thought i was wasting time to be honest, just a little niggle in my mind.
So yeah aged 34, not over weight, healthy and i had a heart attack.
If u have any doubt go

Usually starts with chest pain similar to bad heart burn. Many report strong chest pains, breathlessness and pain in the back/rib cage. Many people do just sit through minor heart attacks without realising so if you think you may have chest pains you should get medical attention immediately.

Very good friend had her aorta split - had felt a bit off colour all morning so had come home from work, and thank god her DH was at home. She was stood telling him that she felt funny and boom - took 4 paramedics to resuscitate her and she was in theatre less than an hour later. She had no warning at all.

If you think you've had one, get it checked OP. You could stop further damage.

Hope you don't mind, I've just done a search and bumped this up. I think this is a good thread and I'm interested to hear people's experiences.

Reason being , an acquaintance who I was laughing and joking with on a Sunday had a heart attack in his sleep last Monday . It has really upset me . Also, my partner has a history of heart attacks in his family, been checked out and has narrowing on one artery. He is on statins and aspirin.

It's interesting to note that even on this thread there are people who went to the GP but it wasn't picked up. That alone tells me that the google lists of symptoms aren't enough.

I have frequent palpitations as a side effect of medication, and I also get chest pains. And in my head, I'm always asking myself if it's indigestion or panic or if I'm actually in trouble.