Chest and Jaw Pain

I understand about you beinf afraid of hospitals! BUT if you don't go and there IS a problem with your heart muscle and each time is adding to the deterioation of your heart then I will GUARANTEE you that you will spend a LONG time in hospital! As someone told me "IF you stick your head in the sand, nature has a way of walking by and kicking you in the but!!!!" So this applies to you! IF something bad is happening with your heart, and you found out after weeks on weeks of this pain - and it could be stopped if you had gone in, wouldn't it be TERRIBLE! You NEED to be seen!

YEARS ago I had pain in my jaw, chest, arm, back! So I was worried too about my heart! I went to the hospital and everything was fine, but the pain continued! EVENTUALLY it was found that I had pulled a muscle in my back - that radiated right around through my chest and upper body! I mean I was in AGONY! Crying, barely able to breathe, I was worried out of my mind! And then I was given anti-inflmatories and they worked and it went away! Like I said honey, I am just giving you my experience! Hopefully to try and make you feel better that it MIGHT and I mean MIGHT not be your heart! So you don't worry so much, PLUS you will go and get some help to see either way! BELIEVE me honey, getting some piece of mind to either say "No it's not your heart!" Or "Yes it is your heart and good for you, you came in early enough for us to help you!" Isn't that worth getting over your fear and getting to the hospital? Good luck and HEALTH!

Thank you for replying. You are coorect, I need to go to the hospital. I am also actually scheduled to see a Cardiologist next week for more tests.

Also, I keep wondering about this. How come you have an exclamation mark at the end of each sentence? I feel that you are yelling at me.

Cassie

I was a very poor student in school, I would write complete essays on 1 page. no paragraphs. I just tried not to do an exclamation mark it's impossible!!! ;-) XD XD I talk with my hands and type with Capitals and exclamation marks! See I can't help it!!! I'm not yelling honest, I'm I going up with my voice at the end of each thought! I'm not text or computer talk savy, so I write as I talk, just exclaiming things thats all, or trying to make it more important! So sorry for yelling, I'm NOT!!!! SEE I'ts TERRIBLE!! ;-) XD XD 8-|

Cassie, look at the number of posts Bambi has. I think she helps more people on this forum than all the rest of us combined.

Bambi, I'm ashamed of you --- one page essays?
When I was in the 11th grade the English teacher had us write a one page paper in class once. I couldn't think of anything to write about so I wrote: "I got my watch back from the jeweler this week and I'm not happy with the repair he did. All it does is go tick, tick, tick ----- until I filled the page with ticks. I didn't plan on passing in any paper at all. My buddy looked at my paper and wouldn't give it back to me. He passed it in for me. o.O

LOL!!!!!! My teacher would bring me upt to the front of the class and say that at the end of reading it without periods and commas she would look like this o.O :$ I am a VERY fast talker and can type 100 wpm, so I type and write like I talk LOL It's not yelling or insulting, believe me IF I wanted to insult I would!

And THANKYOU njoyn for the nice compliments today - must be the senility!!! ;-D XD I didn't know that I had that many votes! Nice to know!

Cassie, I just read this post again and it reminded me of something more.



I also had a family history, that's why I went to the ER that night with a minor back ache. The fact that I had the actual attack while I was in the hospital may have saved my life, but getting there early most certainly saved me a lot of heart damage. They did the preliminary diagnosis at that hospital, stabilized me, and the next day they shipped me to the hospital where they did the bypass surgery.



When I went back to the surgeon who did the bypass for the followup and to have the staples taken out of my arm, he told me I had NO damage to my heart muscle. That was because I got to the ER in time. So basically I have the same heart I always had with new plumbing around it. I asked him what I could or couldn't do, before I left. His reply: As far as I'm concerned you're just like new and you can do anything you want.



So I say, get there as soon as you can. Don't wait for it to become an ambulance trip. If it IS your heart, you want to minimize the damage. Don't wait until it IS damaged.

I went to my Cardiology appointment and I found out I have a heart condition. The Cardiologist read over the results of the echo with me. He did other testing as well. He said I have thickening of the anterior leaflet of my Mitral valve with mild submitral chordal, which is another word for calcification build up. I also have leakage in my Mitral valve. This leakage is coming from the posterior leaflet of the Mitral valve, also known as Mitral Valvular regurgitation. I have some leakage in my Aortic valve, and also leakage in my Trivial Tricuspid valve. All of these are not serious yet. However, I have to go for frequent Cardiology appointments to make sure this does not get serious. He said if I experience excruciating chest pain, do not hesitate to get to the ER again because the leakages may be getting worse. I still have really bad chest and jaw pain, bad pain in both my arms and shoulders, and between my shoulder blades. I am on medication to help with the leakages so they don't get worse, but he said the leakages don't go away. If they get bad, I am in for open heart surgery.

I got blood work done as well. I have elevated CRP levels, which is C-Reactive Protein, another word for inflammation. He said I have to also be monitored with this.

For my holter monitor results, I have PVC's which are Premature Ventricular Contractions. These are caused by the skipped heart beats I am getting along with the fluttering in my chest at times, pounding heart beat at times and rapid heart beat at times.

The first holter monitor that I had a while ago only showed rapid heart beats and nothing else. I was glad I was put on a second holter monitor because my heart beats got worse. The PVC's he said can be caused from the valve problems I am having. I still have the heart murmur, which was a warning sign something was wrong with my heart and it was right.

So, I do have a heart condition and have to be monitored by the Cardiologist often. I really hope I do not need open heart surgery, and I am also hoping that the medication will help with the leaky valves so they won't get worse, although it can't cure it, the medication will help the leaky valves not get to a serious point. I am still very tired and in constant pain. I haven't had alot of sleep in three months. It is very hard to sleep with the pain.
Cassie

Cassie, I'm glad to hear you had some tests and now have a better handle on the problems. I'm sorry you have those problems though. Did they say they could do anything for the pain? To me pain means a muscle is being starved of oxygen and I would think they would want to do something for that. Good luck with everything and pay attention to the signals.

Thank you for replying. My doctor said that the pain is coming from the three leaky valves and the thickening walls of my valves. He doesn't think it is muscular pain. I have to go for frequent follow-up Cardiology appointments to make sure these valves don't get worse. I will be put on medication as well. I still have pain in my chest and jaw, and pain in my shoulders and arms, and pain between my shoulder blades. Sometimes my chest pain gets worse than it usually does.
Cassie

Hi Cassie! I understand the pain in your heart, but did he mention why you have pain in your jaw, shoulder arms etc? I understand leaky valves, do you have swelling in your limbs? I was just thinking while reading your results that perhaps the reason why your CRP levels are high is if you have inflammation in these joints?!! Higher CRP levels have been shown to increase cardiology problems - my sister has AS and thus eventually had the leaky heart, murmur etc. IF he didn't mention about why you are having pain in your upper extremeties, it might be a good idea to find out if you actually have RA or arthritis, it has also been associated with Hormone replacement therapy and some BCP! Remind me, did you have the pains for awhile before the heart palpitations or did the pains start - or progress after the palpitations? also how old are you? And are you going into perimenoapuse?

Thank you for replying. The only swelling in my limbs I can think of is my ankle. That is maybe why my CRP levels are elevated. The pain in my jaw, shoulders, arms and betwen my shoulder blades are all radiating pain from my chest. The pains have started before my heart palpitations and have gotten progessively worse. I am 25 years old and I am not going ito premenopause. The heart palpitations didn't start too long after the chest pain. I am having a very hard time sleeping at night because of the pain. I have to go for frequent follow-up Cardiology appointments to make sure the leaky valves don't get worse. Having three leaky valves and two thickened valve walls stinks. I also have submitral chordal in part of my Mitral valve, which is another word for calcification build up.
Cassie

I really think you need to have some blood work and xrays for arthritis! This would explain SO much about your pains! I too have a leaky valve and palpitations, as does my sister, but we have the palpitations and the skipping BUT not ALL of that pain! It would definitely make sense, wouldn't it?, if you have had arthritis and the CRP levels being elevated finally contributed to your heart becoming eratic! See is you can get to see someone and get on anti inflammatories! have they put you on any medications at all, or are they going to just watch it? Also did they tell you that you are going to have to let your dentist know that you will need antibiotics before any procedures and to have non emphedra numbing injections? The SCARRIEST thing is if you have Emphedra and you have a weak muscle it WILL cause beating like you have NEVER experienced it's AWFUL!! I had surgeries on my face this summer and unfortunately the doctor HAD to use the Emphedra, I swear I thought I was going to die with it! The sweting the clamminess and the beating it's awful! SO if he didn't mention it let your dentits know - because usually you will forget by the time you have your next appointment!

Thank you for replying. My doctor said the inflammation is not due to my heart condition I have inflammation due to the bone spur on top of my foot.

The leaky valves are a separate issue, my doctor said. He said I can experience really bad pain with the leaky valves and can radiate to many areas. I have bad chest pain that goes up to my jaw and to both my arms and shoulders and between my shoulder blades.

Cassie

I also have the palpitations and the skipping.

The chest pain is coming from the leaky valves. That is what my doctor told me. Not everyone with leaky valves will have chest pain or any other pain.

Cassie

You misunderstood me Cassie - I'm not saying the pain is not from your heart - I am just wondering about ALL the other pains going on with you! It is proven you have a heart problem, BUT I really think all of these other pains are from probably arthritis or bone inflammation! Inflammation can just occur, BUT the higher CRP levels in your blood CAN lead to heart problems! Such as people with RA have a higher risk of heart failure! I would just like you to get checked out to see if you actually ahve Arthritis or some other bone inflamation which is causing more pain than what your heart is giving you! IF you think about where your major pains are there can be 2 reasons 1. It's ALL from your heart or 2. Some of it is your heart, the rest is from joint inflammation! Such as your ribs, your shoulders, you neck, even your sternum! Which is right smack dab in the middle! Many people whom have had open heart surgeries - where they open the sternum - complain for years about that pain in that bone, and sometimes it feels like it's your heart! Because when you are in a LOT of pain - like yourself - sometimes you can't decide where it is coming from! I really would love for you to see someone about it! You saw a cardiologist and he will be helping you with your heart! And now IF there is actually something going on with your bones it would be awesom that they could also be watching and treating that, so you can actually get some sleep and be pain free!