Frightening pain last night

[dampsummer2024]

I was just settling down to sleep last night when I very suddenly experienced an excruciating pain in my back between both shoulder blades, the pain was then felt in my jaw. I've never felt anything like it before and after a few moments reached for some brufen. After about half an hour I felt a bit panicky and called for my DD who lives here. I could recall something about women having symptoms of heart attacks as not necessarily being chest pain and DD quickly googled it
Long and short is I called 111 who sent a paramedic who arrived just after the pain started subsiding. My observations and ECG were normal but paramedic advised me going to hospital. By then I felt absolutely fine although shaky and tired and the thought of 12-18 hours sitting in A&E was awful so declined. I did agree if the pain came back I'd phone 999, went to bed and to sleep, no further pain and feel OK this morning.
Has anyone had anything similar?

Can’t believe you didn’t go to a&e, it’s really
important after what a could be a heart attack as they do a blood test for a specific protein that indicates heart damage.

Paramedic advised you to go in to hospital.
You declined.
What on earth do you want from mumsnet?
Diagnosis? Reassurance? To be told off?

You should have gone in for the tests they would have given you. Nothing else to say really.

Has anyone had anything similar?

If you wouldn’t take the paramedics advice, why would you take ours?

You should have gone to A&E. Regardless of the wait time.

Go to A&E! You absolutely need to get this checked out!

My sil did. Was a problem with her heart.
Please go to a &e if it's nothing then you've wasted a bit of time and can stop worrying if it's something they can stop it getting worse.

I've worked in cardiac rehab and many women present with jaw and back pain with a heart attack. You need your bloods doing asap op to rule it out

I've had it, gallbladder pain.
It was so bad one night I had paramedics out.

Another thing that can cause similar pain is oesophageal spasms (often mistaken for the pain of heart attacks). Look up achalasia and oesophageal motility disorders. (I have this.)

I hope you're feeling better now, but - to add to the existing nags - I think you should go to A&E if it happens again

I did. It turned out to be an arterial haemorrhage which luckily sealed itself otherwise I would have bled out. I can't believe the pain was that bad yet you haven't had it investigated.

If it helps as a frequent flyer, our a and e is quietest between 3 and 6 in the am.