Hospital by Ambulance - thought it was heart attack

[seeyouyesterday]

I’ll start off by saying I haven’t had heart attack but I am in hell with pain. I’ll try & keep it brief.

Last night started with shoulder pain, just came on. By bedtime it got worse so I took ibuprofen. I couldn’t get comfy or sleep because of pain. I went downstairs to sleep as to not disturb dh as he had work in morning. About an hour later, I had the most excruciating pain in my chest, a crushing pain. I was really suffering. I was agitated as i couldn’t sit in any one place to feel ok. Then my jaw started to hurt, I knew this wasn’t good. I finally rang nhs 111 who after asked questions said they would send ambulance. After having to call 999 2 more times as I was in utter agony it finally turned up at about 7.15 this morning.

Anyway, paramedics took me to hospital. After two lots of bloods, chest x rays everything came back as normal! I mean wth?! I actually started crying in a&e as the pain was so bad, I couldn’t sit still because of it. All across my shoulders, my chest & my neck & jaw.

The Dr said it sounds like I have muscle inflammation in my chest as it hurts even more when I lay down, or move. She said when she spoke to the consultant he said it’s excruciatingly painful condition. I was sent home with codine to take with paracetamol which takes the edge off, allows me to sit still for a bit.

i haven’t done any heavy lifting, no injury to that area so hid knows where it’s come from. It’s the worst pain ever. I can’t breathe properly & just walking upstairs to the toilet is agony. Ffs. Any anyone experienced anything like this?

Could it have been a gallbladder attack?
I had mine removed two years ago but the pains I experienced (usually at nighttime) were always between my shoulder blades and a vice like feeling in my chest. I couldn’t fill my lungs with air due to the tightness in my chest. I have heard many people say they think they’re having a heart attack when a gallstone is trying to pass.

Yes, slightly similar.

Sudden onset horrific chest pain. Middle of the chest and absolute agony. Couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. And it was so sudden and out of the blue.

i was actually riding at the time of onset (horse good as gold, nothing he did, or anything I did for that matter).

Was taken to hospital and they kept asking me, so you were thrown from your horse?? No! I was living my best life, cantering along and then bam- felt like I was dying!

Eventually they decided I’d damaged the end of my sternum, the tiny pointy bone at the end. Think it’s called the xyphoid? It was a couple of years ago now so can’t remember the technical terms. But basically they said it was the same injury you see in car crash victims that have had severe blunt force trauma…

I was also given high strength cocodamol which I am quite sensitive too and makes me very dopey. So it took the edge off a bit, or at least I was so away with the fairies I wasn’t aware of it.

It was horrific. Every position was agony. I couldn’t move/get the the loo/drink by myself.

Thankfully it did improve within a few days so it was bearable.

Costochondritis?

I second gallstones. 1st time I had an attack, also thought it was a heart attack...

Thanks for your replies.

They didn’t mention gallstones so I guess it’s a possibility. I’ve heard of Costochrondritis, again I don’t think dr mentioned it, to be honest, I was (still am) in so much pain I probably didn’t catch on to every thing she said.

@Exhaustedonallfronts exactly like I feel, I get like begging for straight up morphine but doesn’t our bodies convert codeine into morphine? I may of read that wrong somewhere.

It sounds mad but have you tried Gaviscon? That's how my heartburn presents. Almost feels like labour contractions but in my chest/upper back. Was also ambulanced to ED with it the first time it happened. ECG was fine. Paramedic said basically in women the easy way to tell if heartburn or heart attack was if gaviscon worked.

Could be anything from muscular to a hernia/ gastritis/heartburn/gallbladder or anything else inbetween. If it doesn't improve then ask for a ct scan/ultrasound and/or endoscopy

So I’m doped up on ibuprofen & codeine (60mg) feel a tad better, probably because of pain relief!

It’s still uncomfortable to move & it’s mainly shoulder that really hurts when I do move. I’ve had a good look at it & it’s not dislocated - I haven’t done anything to do that anyway.

I’m really hoping to return to work tomorrow.

@MassiveOvaryaction I’ going to order some if that Bismol from Amazon see if that helps, I have to say the chest pain has lessoned a little bit.

Gastritis? It’s hell.

Another possibility is pancreatitis. I now have chronic pancreatitis caused by the damage of acute attacks and the attacks can feel very similar to how you describe. The pain is so far up in the abdomen it can feel just like your chest. If they didn’t check that in your bloods it might be worth mentioning if it happens again. Get well soon op

No advice sorry, only that codeine will bung you up. Eat lots of extra fruit or veg and get ahead of the game.
Why suffer tummy pains in a few days time and be constipated if you don’t have to!

I was given dulcolease one each morning when I had codeine for a broken bone.

When my gallbladder was playing up, my GP said “fat fair fertile female and forty.” I was all of these. I also had remarkable clay coloured poop. And excruciating agonising chest pain. Does any of this feel familiar?

I had my gallbladder out and was a new woman after it.

Sympathies.

Pretty disturbing that the ambulance took so long to arrive.

@Libertylawn - I have heard that saying before. Yes sounds familiar but not the clay poop. I wish I was just forty though!

@tobee yes, it is, I hate to think about if I had been having a heart attack.

So a week on, my shoulder pains have persisted & I have been trying to get by on ibuprofen, been to work. Contacted GP (well filled out a form online, detailing ever that happened) who has put me forward for physio, no appt just straight to physio.

But, holy shit, about an hour & a half ago, it felt like I’d been shot in the shoulder again, the pain was unbelievable! I had to take codeine again with ibuprofen. I was actually crying, again. I don’t know wtf it can be, my neck does hurt with it but to be honest I’ve always suffered with my neck & yeah probably always had a bit of shoulder ache in the mornings, but this is something else. I don’t know if I’ve rushed back to doing things too much this week, like usual stuff, even though I’ve been in pain with my shoulder I’ve just got on with stuff, housework etc maybe I shouldn’t have?

I’m worried now that I can’t tolerate the pain without taking codeine. That’s going to play havoc on my digestive system/bowels. I don’t even know if I should be going to work ( can’t say what I do but it’s not sitting at a desk - some of it a little bit physical but not to a great deal). I don’t like having time off.

Sounds like Costochondritis. Thought my first attack was a heart attack and ended up in A & E on morphine at 2am. The pain was very sudden onset and worst in the back of my right shoulder. All cardiac tests were fine and I was sent home with instructions to see my GP, and it was lucky that my GP recognised the condition having had it themselves. The pain was excruciating, and sadly it took about 5 months to "feel better" from. I tried long term naproxen but it didn't really help - once the initial pain had settled after a month, I went to an osteopath and whilst initially making it worse, after 6 weeks it did help. I still get the odd flare up if I'm stressed or run down, but never as bad as the first attack of it. Edited to add that ibuprofen gel applied directly to my shoulder helped more than the tablets.