l am a 38 year old female.In 2007, while l was shopping, l felt a strange sensation in my heart.l took my pulse and it was 110/minute.l called the paramedic and went into ER.In ER my heart rate soared to 180/min.After administering beta-blocker, my heart rate came down to 90 something/min.That was my first sign that something is wrong with my heart.That was the only time when my heart rate was raised to that degree, but since then l have been experiencing irregular heartbeat.My cardiologist put me on Toprorol and it seems to be working great.l do have another concern though...l have been experiencing pressure in my chest and shortness of breath for the past 6 months or so.l did EKG (including the 24 hour one), took x-ray, ultrasound and blood test, and they found everything to be normal.My doctor could not explain these symptoms, so he first put me on Nexium thinking it might be acid reflux.It seemed to be working great for a couple of months, but the symptoms returned.He then put me on Lorazepam, thinking l might be having anxiety attacks.These seemed to help for a month, then again, the symptoms came back again.

l did have an incident about 7 years ago at a Chinese restaurant where l felt my tongue, then my throat then my arms and jaws tense up and my vision and hearing got blurry.It lasted maybe a couple of minutes, and l thought maybe that is just an allergic reaction to MSG, but could that have been a stroke or a heart attack?

My father passed away at 43 from stroke, but he was a heavy smoker and had a very stressful job.l have no other family history and am otherwise in good health.Cholesterol level is fine, blood pressure is fine, do not smoke or drink alcohol or caffeine. These symptoms occur 3 to 4 times a day and last about 5 to 10 minutes, and I've been having them everyday for the past 5 days or so.l looked in the mirror after one of these attacks and noticed dark circles under my eyes which were not there an hour prior.l feel like I am just sitting here, waiting for the heart attack to happen.My doctor has exhausted all his options.Does anyone have an idea what this could be?Am l having a heart attack?


BTW, I am 5'6'' and 120 lbs.l take my blood pressure and heart rate when l get these symptoms and they're normal.What l feel is not pain, it is more like fullness in the middle of my sternum.

its probably time to see a cardiologist..

if the lab work is negative ie cpk's, troponin levels. then no u r not having a heart attack. u may have angina caused by small coronary arteries, diabetes, smoking, obese, etc. the only way to rule out for sure is to have a heart cath.
you did not mention any other health issues. l have had many patients that had chest pain but had normal coronary arteries. often weight plays an issue as the body can not handle the extra load. the heart rate of 180 is troubling as that shows signs of svt/atrial fib-flutter. just having the heart race that fast can cause chest pain. u may need to go back on the holter monitor to see if this is happening.

Angina Pectoris or Angina

Angina pectoris is a precursor to a heart attack. Usually, what happens is this: During physical exertion, during stress or an emotionally charged situation, in cold weather or after a big meal, the heart beats faster. Heart requires more oxygenated blood flow to the heart muscle to maintain the beating. But if the channels by which the blood & oxygen flow to the heart r narrowed, not enough nutrients get to the heart muscle tissue. It suffers oxygen deficiency, & the heart tells u about this with a pain called angina pectoris.
The pain is quite distinct. It is described as: ''a heavy, strangulating, suffocating experience-far more intense than anything like indigestion, chest wall injuries, pleurisy or spasms of the esophagus that u r familiar with. The pain may seem to start under the breastbone, on the left side of the chest, & sometimes radiates out to other places: throat, neck, jaw, left shoulder & arm and, occasionally, on to the right side.

Hear attack symptoms (Pain is Not Always a Symptom of Heart Attack)

A heart attack often starts with mild symptoms that may not be painful. Many victims experience a tightness or squeezing sensation in the chest. Get emergency medical help immediately If u experience any of the following symptoms for two minutes or more:

Pressure, fullness, squeezing or pain in the center of the chest.

Pain spreading to the shoulders, neck or arms.

Severe pain, sudden weakness, dizziness, fainting, sweating, nausea or shortness of breath.

For those with angina, any change in the frequency, duration or intensity of the attacks, or symptoms that do not respond to nitroglycerin

The typical symptoms of a heart attack r similar to those of angina, but more severe & longer lasting. The victim feels a pain that is usually squeezing or burning or feels a terrible pressure in the middle of chest. This pain may also travel up to the neck, jaw, or shoulder or down the arm & into the back.

Sweating, dizziness, weakness, & shortness of breath often accompany the pain of a heart attack. If u have chest pain that lasts longer than 15 minutes & is not relieved by rest (or by a dose of nitroglycerin), get immediate medical attention

The primary symptom of heart attack is a consistent deep, often severe, pain in the chest that can spread to the left arm, neck, jaw, or the area between the shoulder blades. The pain may be present for up to twelve hours.
Many people who have had heart attacks describe it as a heavy, substernal pressure that makes it feel as if the chest is being squeezed. Other symptoms may include shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, & vomiting. Heart attack can also cause abnormal heartbeat rhythms called arrhythmias.

l am sorry that u r having these problems, must be terrifying. Do not ever hesitate to go to the hospital with ur symptoms, better to check u out & make sure u r not having a heart attack. It also helps u to calm down when u know from a doctor that u r not having a heart attack.

Yoy can find much more info the website below:

l think u should immediately refer to a doctor.just do not panic.the earlier u find a sloution to this problem,the better.

That sounds really unhealthy. but beta blockers - that is medication for a hyperthyroid, not for the heart. One of the symptoms of hyperthyroidism is a fast and irregular heartbeat. And waiting for a period of time that you describe as a heart attack could be waiting for a thyroid storm.

Why do not you do some research on it, and maybe see an endocrinologist? Because if l guessed correctly, a cardiologist wo not be able to help because your heart is not the problem.