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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To tell a friend I think she may have had a heart attack, even though the doctors don’t

72 replies

Sophie2525 · 02/01/2025 20:22

So my friend recently has been having some chest pain, she described it as a very intense feeling in her chest, then she felt dizzy and short of breath. She then had a week of on & off chest pain.

she went to her GP who carried out an ECG, which came back normal.

My concern is my colleague had the exact symptoms and it was a heart attack, I called an ambulance even though she didn’t want me to, they carried out an ECG which showed normal but took her to a&e where she had a blood test and showed she had had a heart attack.

So ECGs are not always accurate, and the bloods are.
she didn’t have a blood test.
Her mum also passed away from a heart attack.

She seems fine now, but I’m terrified for her, as I feel like those symptoms were a heart attack. People think a heart attack is something you would know about but it isn’t always.

I am not medically trained, the doctor has assessed her, do I just not say anything?

OP posts:
Clipclopflop · 02/01/2025 20:25

You're nnot a doctor so I'd just leave it

TheRoundaboutHadLovelyFlowers · 02/01/2025 20:27

I've also had that and it wasn't a heart attack, it was just the after effects of covid. I think if the doctor says it's okay, it's probably best just to leave it.

The symptoms that you are describing could also be chronic hyperventilation which is triggered by anxiety, so telling her that she had a heart attack and that the doctors don't know what they're doing might really mess with her head.

NewYearNewName25 · 02/01/2025 20:30

I would encourage your friend to push for further tests - at least a blood test.

I know someone who had severe sudden onset chest pain lately. ECG normal.

He has bilateral pulmonary embolisms (plural). Only confirmed after 1. A blood test which indicated need for 2. a CT scan (which confirmed the diagnosis).

NewYearNewName25 · 02/01/2025 20:31

I meant to add, he was also short of breath…

FloralGums · 02/01/2025 20:31

An ECG would show a heart attack though. No matter how long ago it was.
What are your medical credentials OP?

WeeOrcadian · 02/01/2025 20:33

I'd push your friend to push for bloods - you're not a Dr so don't mention MI

Pleasealexa · 02/01/2025 20:37

@FloralGums Blood test is reliable.

Op, does she have high BP, how was her heart rate, does she have ways to monitor it? If it happens again suggest she goes to a&e. A troponin blood test would be diagnostic.

toomuchfaff · 02/01/2025 20:38

ecg measures the path of electricity through the heart, the path is forever changed if you've had a heart attack, because electricity cannot pass through dead tissue. If it makes you feel better, push for blood tests, the blood tests measure the "toxins" released from dying tissue, but depending how long ago it was (days vs hours), the blood won't show signs anymore.

Keep an eye for more symptoms and check them out right away.

Birdscratch · 02/01/2025 20:43

I would urge your friend to get as much follow up as possible. In fact I’d encourage any woman who has had those symptoms to push for a definite diagnosis, blood tests etc.

Women are much more likely than men to have chest pain and other symptoms of heart issues dismissed as anxiety. That means that opportunities for early intervention are missed.

https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/support/women-with-a-heart-condition/women-and-heart-disease#:~:text=Women%20are%20twice%20as%20likely,seen%20as%20a%20woman's%20problem.

Women and heart disease

Women are at risk if they don’t recognise the signs of a heart attack and delay getting help.

https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/support/women-with-a-heart-condition/women-and-heart-disease#:~:text=Women%20are%20twice%20as%20likely,seen%20as%20a%20woman's%20problem.

melsid · 02/01/2025 20:45

FloralGums · 02/01/2025 20:31

An ECG would show a heart attack though. No matter how long ago it was.
What are your medical credentials OP?

No it doesn’t. My husband had quite a few ECGs and none of them picked his heart attack up until he had a blood test. That was the only thing that did?

Hoardasurass · 02/01/2025 20:45

Unless you're a cardiologist keep your opinions to yourself @Sophie2525

Kath85 · 02/01/2025 20:47

I had similar symptoms and went to A&e due to the pain. Turns out I have gallstones. I think your past experiences are playing on your mind and wouldn’t say anything

Pinkfluffypencilcase · 02/01/2025 20:53

I’d gently suggest the blood test.
I went to the doc a week before being in hospital with heart damage. The doc didn’t take me seriously and missed what was happening. My ecg was normal as were the bloods. It was the scan that revealed the issue.

Sinkintotheswamp · 02/01/2025 20:57

You're right. An ECG won't show a heart attack. The blood test will.

Paramedics didn't believe my mum had a heart attack, the ECG was clear. She was healthy and not a risk of a heart attack. Got to hospital and they eventually did a blood test, she'd had a heart attack and had a stent 48hrs later.

Sinkintotheswamp · 02/01/2025 20:58

So, yanbu.

Sinkintotheswamp · 02/01/2025 20:59

Hoardasurass · 02/01/2025 20:45

Unless you're a cardiologist keep your opinions to yourself @Sophie2525

That's nonsense. And that's how womems heart attacks are ignored and their health damaged.

popduckhe · 02/01/2025 21:00

I had the same as your friend and was advised to go to A&E. They did ECG but said its the bloods you need to know for sure. I don't think you're being unreasonable. Turns out both were clear for me. But if there is history and it puts her mind at rest, no harm asking?

Pinkfluffypencilcase · 02/01/2025 21:00

And symptoms in women are often missed. With her family history I’d mention it.

desperatehousewife2 · 02/01/2025 21:01

I would let her know your previous experience regarding your colleague, expressing how much you feel she should take further action and hope that prompts her into taking it, it would me. I don’t think you can do any more.

HalfBloodPrincess · 02/01/2025 21:03

I had a heart attack caused by a SCAD which wasn’t picked up on an ecg, but by a troponin blood test.
women don’t tend to have the classic heart attack symptoms and any chest pain should be investigated.

Soontobe60 · 02/01/2025 21:07

Sinkintotheswamp · 02/01/2025 20:57

You're right. An ECG won't show a heart attack. The blood test will.

Paramedics didn't believe my mum had a heart attack, the ECG was clear. She was healthy and not a risk of a heart attack. Got to hospital and they eventually did a blood test, she'd had a heart attack and had a stent 48hrs later.

What probably happened was that the ECG did not show any symptoms of a type of heart attack known as a NSTEMI, so the paramedics took her to hospital for blood tests which confirmed the heart attack. This is what can happen with a NSTEMI and is generally treated through a stent. If they didnt ‘believe’ she had had an attack, they wouldnt have taken her.

Iheartmysmart · 02/01/2025 21:08

My mum’s GP repeatedly told her that all her symptoms were stress and there was nothing wrong with her. Then she collapsed one day and was taken to A&E where it was found she was in heart failure. Had a pacemaker and defibrillator fitted which took a lot longer than usual because of the amount of damage. It’s had a massive impact on her, not least because she lost her driving licence and became very withdrawn.

Turned out the heart issue was hereditary and mum’s cardiologist recommended all us siblings had an echocardiogram to rule out any problems. My surgery initially refused to refer me as their exact words were ‘we can do an ECG in the surgery and it’s the same thing!’ Needless to say my faith in GPs now is rock bottom.

Pinkfluffypencilcase · 02/01/2025 21:12

Iheartmysmart · 02/01/2025 21:08

My mum’s GP repeatedly told her that all her symptoms were stress and there was nothing wrong with her. Then she collapsed one day and was taken to A&E where it was found she was in heart failure. Had a pacemaker and defibrillator fitted which took a lot longer than usual because of the amount of damage. It’s had a massive impact on her, not least because she lost her driving licence and became very withdrawn.

Turned out the heart issue was hereditary and mum’s cardiologist recommended all us siblings had an echocardiogram to rule out any problems. My surgery initially refused to refer me as their exact words were ‘we can do an ECG in the surgery and it’s the same thing!’ Needless to say my faith in GPs now is rock bottom.

That’s shocking. Your poor mum.
my gp refused me an ecg. In hospital I had a 12 lead ecg so they do vary. How is she now?

GreatTheCat · 02/01/2025 21:15

I had a stroke, the hospital put it down to my MS and sent me home.

2 days later I ended back in hospital and 3 days later got tested for a stroke.

I've no idea how similar a stroke / heart attack is.. But one thing's for sure, doctors don't know what they are talking about, all the time.

Original poster
Sophie2525 · 02/01/2025 21:17

So for people saying an ECG would
prove a heart attack I know this is nonsense, my uncle had 2 normal ECG during heart attacks. Also my colleague had a normal ECG during a heart attack.

I went to the hospital with my colleague, the cardiologist said women don’t have the same symptoms as men during heart attacks.

I am not a doctor by any means, however I work in a&e and am trained for signs of heart attack strokes etc.

My concern is, she is happy and thinks the ECG has proved she is okay. But her symptoms of the chest pain, dizziness, and shortness of breath were exactly the same as my colleague. My colleague also didn’t believe it was a heart attack at the time, and tried to carry on. I think people assume a heart attack is something like the movies and you would know for sure.

I don’t think a blood test would show anything now as it’s been approx 5 days. So I feel like even the GPs wouldn’t be able to do much as it’s been too long?

OP posts: