Heart flutters, left arm, hand and foot numbness, fatigue, exhaustion, lack of sleep??

ok i took asprin for a week but it didnt do anything for the discomfort and reading what you put there, ive stopped! im still taking paracetemol on a daily basis as i cant hack having to work while having this discomfort and it seems to make the pain drift off slightly. im 5 foot 11 and im 11 stone. im not fat just broad. i used to smoke cannibis for 2 years and ciggerettes for about a year, work 8 hour shifts after nights out and was absolutly knackered! i had alot of stress with my girlfriend in the same time aswell so i dont know wether this would have contributed to my chest pain i have now, or not? since then i have had 2 panic attacks when i first had my pains but i got over that a good year and a half ago. since then i have quit smoking all together. in the last 8 months i have had heart flutters every day but since about 2 3 maybe 4 months ago they have stopped and ive just had this constant discomfort from the time i wake up till when i go bed at night. it is also accompied by deep painful stabs when i wake up and think about work etc. ive got to wait 3 weeks to get this checked out and the last thing i want is them to say due to your age its stress. this has been going on for far too long now and i could really do with some help! how is your chest now since youve had the balloon? are you feeling alot better? i know im only 19 but i feel like im 40! get back to me, cheers ed

Hi perrymon, I saw your post and thought I would post my experience in case it might help you. I am 36 years old, no previous health problems, quit smoking after ten years in April. In early August I began experiencing leg weakness and pain in my right leg. In late August my left leg experienced tingling and “pins and needles”, then my right arm began to tingle and alternately “burn” and go numb. It did that for an entire night, then returned to normal the next morning. I experienced some burning sensation in that arm that evening, then it disappeared. Late that night, my chest began to hurt, and then heart began to beat so fast it felt like it was going to burst out of my chest! I knew something was seriously wrong, so I drove straight to the emergency room.

I was somewhat calmed when I saw that I had finally reached the hospital, so when they did the first EKG it came back normal. A second nurse did a second EKG by accident (she was not aware an EKG had already been done) and this time caught an abnormal rhythm (Afib). They hooked me up to a monitor, where I had periods of normality combined with chest pain until there was this awful crushing feeling on my chest, at which point they gave me nitro, morphine, and admitted me.

I had several tests which came back normal (including an echocardiogram and a stress tests); my arteries were also clear. I was diagnosed with Atrial Flutter-which they think is caused by a genetic defect in my case- and assigned a cardiologist. I was put on baby aspirin and Toprol. I still experienced chest pain at first; occasionally I still have the “burning” sensation in my left arm. My leg pain seems to be getting worse, although there has been no more weakness. I have been fairly good for the last month.

Due to your age, you are more likely to get the “anxiety” or “stress” diagnosis-I am SURE that’s what I would have gotten if the other nurse had not done the second EKG. If you are going in and out of rhythm, and they don’t catch you when it’s happening, it can be much harder to get a correct diagnosis. Your insurance is also going to effect the type of treatment offered-my doc’s were talking about a non-invasive procedure to “zap” my heart rhythm back into shape until my not-so-great insurance was noted; now I am on medication. If I continue to go out of rhythm, they are planning to put me on a heart monitor, but to be honest, I am trying to hold off until my improved insurance kicks in next October.

I did some research on the best foods for my condition after I was diagnosed. I am avoiding caffeine on doc’s orders, and have incorporated more salmon and tuna in my diet (it’s supposed to help the heart-according to what I read salmon is good at helping preventing arrhythmia).

Good luck to you-I know how scary it is to have something going wrong with your body, especially if you are afraid it’s your heart! Hopefully they can diagnose you and get treatment started soon. GMLady I am glad your angioplasty went well, Good luck to all. :-)

I'm doing much better. Thanks. But how are you doing, Ed? I haven't seen anything from you in a while and I'm just wondering, did you decide to go to the ER? Did you get to see a specialist yet? I know you said not for a few days yet, but did they maybe get you in faster?? Updates please! :-)

Kristina

hey! i went to see the "specialist" 2 days ago. she was a very strict women, and seemed to look down on me. she wasnt very understanding and didnt seem to want to know my story and kept on interupting with alot of "buts" and seemed to cling on to the fact of because of my age that there is nothing wrong, she didnt do any tests bar listen to my heart with her little toy thing and said it was fine. i was quiet dissapointed i couldnt get a thorough check up, due to my age! i would feel alot more comfortable having taken a stress test just to make sure. she said the flutters are normal. and that i just get them alot more frequently then others. :-( and to go back to see my gp regarding the chest pains and discomfort.... so now im still left with heart flutters when exhausted after work and when i lay on my back. im still also getting these angina like pains atleast twice a day. which are deep and hurt quiet abit and they slowly go after about a minute or 2 and leave me with a constant chest discomfort which i seem to wake up with and go to sleep with. im looking into a private check up with a private doctor at "bupa" but i will have to take out a loan if i want to get tested properly and im not on a high enough wage to pay it back. so for now, im stuck in a rut. cant go back to the gp because theyl just say that the specialist says your fine so we wont do anything more. im back to square one! with my symptons feeling alot more constant and heavier and more painful since when i first started this blog page. i just want some answers and a cure for this discomfort im having to live with!!! :$

I'm so sorry to hear that, Ed. It did take me several months of seeing my GP almost every week and going to the ER several times before they would take me seriously. I don't know what to tell you other than to keep trying and hopefully you'll find someone who will listen to you and not just go off what they think. Good luck!

Kristina

I have not seen a reply since 2008. But I am a 23 year old male and having the same problems. It has been happening for two years. I went to the doctor when it first started and I was diagnosed with Wolf Parkenson White Sydrome. I was sent to a cardiologiast who basically said its nothing to worry about so just live your life unless it gets worse. Well it got worse. They did the 48 heart monitor thing and found nothing. After the pain got worse I wore one for a month and I don't believe it found anything ohter than the fact I had WPW syndrom, which they already knew. I had an appointment to see the cardiologist again and as I waited for the appointment I had to go to the ER because of tinglyness in the extremities and the feeling like I am breathless and want to pass out. I saw the cardiologiest for the previosuly planned appointment I had and he said he does not believe it is heart related. I am now making an appointment with my primary doctor to see what he can do for me. Although this problem has been reported for years it appears doctors still do not know for sure what is causing this. A little google research led to possibly carpal tunnel syndrome diabetes or vitamin deficiencies. I hope its just a vitamin deficiency but I eat alot of fruit so that doesn't seem likely to me. I hope we all feel better one day. I really don't want to take any medication and from the comments I have read they don't appear to work well anyway.

Yea I have had the same problem,not really my heart I dont think,but my upper left arm is hurting and it switches to my chest when I lay down it moves down my body then goes away when I get in a certain postion,I rest for a few mins and then I can get up, and walk for a few mins before it jumps to hurting again,I have no idea why it's a on and off thing for me I will try to get some sleep in and see what happens if that doesnt help it might be what Im eating or drinking,will keep you posted on my results

im a 19 years old female i have had chest pain for about 2 months and my pain is only getting worse because i feel it towards my back. my hand goes really numb so bad that i cant pick it up sometimes and now im starting to get pain on one of my nerves in my neck along with headaches . i feel hopeless because my Dr.told me my EKG shows nothing wrong what should i do? (oh yeah ive also gone to the hospital and the EKG and lab work all came back normal.