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Old 07-06-2007, 03:22 PM   #1
jmo
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Raleigh NC/Chocowinity NC
Posts: 144
Female Heart Attacks

I was aware that female heart attacks are
> > different,
> >> >but this is the best description I've ever read.


> >> >
> >> >Women and Heart Attacks (Myocardial Infarction)
> >> >
> >> >Did you know that women rarely have the same dramatic symptoms that
> > men
> >> >have when experiencing heart attack...you know, the sudden stabbing
> > pain
> >> >in the chest, the cold sweat, grabbing the chest & dropping to the
floor
> >> >that we see in the movies. Here is the story of one woman's experience
> > with
> >> >a heart attack.
> >> >
> >> >"I had a completely unexpected heart attack at about 10:30 pm with NO
> > prior
> >> >exertion, NO prior emotional trauma that one would suspect might haveÂ
> >> >brought it on. I was sitting all snugly & warm on a cold evening, with
> > my
> >> >purring cat in my lap, reading an interesting story my friend had sent
> > me,
> >> >and actually thinking,"A-A-h, this is the life, all cozy and warm in
my
> >> >soft, cushy Lazy Boy with my feet propped up." A moment later, I felt
> > that
> >> >awful sensation of indigestion, when you've been in a hurry and
grabbed
> > a
> >> >bite of sandwich and washed it down with a dash of water, and that
> > hurried
> >> >bite seems to feel like you've swallowed a golf ball going down the
> >> >esophagus in slow motion and it is most uncomfortable. You realize you
> >> >shouldn't have gulped it down so fast and needed to chew it more
> > thoroughly
> >> >and this time drink a glass of water to hasten its progress down to
the
> >> >stomach. This was my initial sensation---the only trouble was that I
> > hadn't
> >> >taken a bite of anything since about 5:00 p.m.
> >> >
> >> >Â
> >> >
> >> >"After that had seemed to subside, the next sensation was like little
> >> >squeezing motions that seemed to be racing up my SPINE
(hind-sight,
> > it
> >> >was probably my aorta spasming), gaining speed as they continued
racing
> > up
> >> >and under my sternum (breast bone, where one presses rhythmically when
> >> >administering CPR). This fascinating process continued on into my
throat
> >> >and branched out into both jaws.
> >> >
> >> >Â
> >> >
> >> >"AHA!! NOW I stopped puzzling about what was happening--we all have
read
> >> >and/or heard about pain in the jaws being one of the signals of an MI
> >> >happening, haven't we? I said aloud to myself and the cat, "Dear
God,
> > I
> >> >think I'm having a heart attack !" I lowered the foot rest, dumping
the
> > cat
> >> >from my lap, started to take a step and fell on the floor instead. I
> >> >thought to myself "If this is a heart attack, I shouldn't be walking
> > into
> >> >the next room where the phone is or anywhere else.......but, on the
> > other
> >> >hand, if I don't, nobody will know that I need help, and if I wait any
> >> >longer I may not be able to get up in moment."
> >> >
> >> >Â
> >> >
> >> >"I pulled myself up with the arms of the chair, walked slowly into the
> > next
> >> >room and dialed the Paramedics... I told her I thought I was having a
> > heart
> >> >attack due to the pressure building under the sternum and radiating
into
> > my
> >> >jaws. I didn't feel hysterical or afraid, just stating the facts. She
> > said
> >> >she was sending the Paramedics over immediately, asked if the front
door
> >> >was near to me, and if so, to unbolt the door and then lie down on the
> >> >floor where they could see me when they came in.
> >> >
> >> >Â
> >> >
> >> >"I then laid down on the floor as instructed and lost consciousness,
as
> > I
> >> >don't remember the medics coming in, their examination, lifting me
onto
> > a
> >> >gurney or getting me into their ambulance, or hearing the call they
made
> > to
> >> >St. Jude ER on the way, but I did briefly awaken when we arrived and
saw
> >> >that the Cardiologist was already there in his surgical blues and cap,
> >> >helping the medics pull my stretcher out of the ambulance. He was
> > bending
> >> >over me asking questions (probably something like "Have you taken any
> >> >medications?") but I couldn't make my mind interpret what he was
saying,
> > or
> >> >form an answer, and nodded off again, not waking up until the
> > Cardiologist
> >> >and partner had already threaded the teeny angiogram balloon up my
> > femoral
> >> >artery into the aorta and into my heart where they installed 2 side by
> > side
> >> >stents to hold open my right coronary artery.
> >> >
> >> >Â
> >> >
> >> >"I know it sounds like all my thinking and actions at home must have
> > taken
> >> >at least 20-30 minutes before calling the Paramedics, but actually it
> > took
> >> >perhaps 4-5 minutes before the call, and both the fire station and St.
> > Jude
> >> >are only minutes away from my home, and my Cardiologist was all ready
to
> > go
> >> >to the OR in his scrubs and get going on restarting my heart (which
had
> >> >stopped somewhere between my arrival and the procedure) and installing
> > the
> >> >stents.
> >> >
> >> >Â
> >> >
> >> >"Why have I written all of this to you with so much detail? Because I
> > want
> >> >all of you who are so important in my life to know what I learned
first
> >> >hand."
> >> >
> >> >Â
> >> >
> >> >1. Be aware that something very different is happening in your body
not
> > the
> >> >usual men's symptoms, but inexplicable things happening (until my
> > sternum
> >> >and jaws got into the act ). It is said that many more women than men
> > die
> >> >of their first (and last) MI because they didn't know they were having
> > one,
> >> >and commonly mistake it as indigestion, take some Maalox or other
> >> >anti-heartburn preparation, and go to bed, hoping they'll feel better
in
> >> >the morning when they wake up....which doesn't happen. My female
> > friends,
> >> >your symptoms might not be exactly like mine, so I advise you to call
> > the
> >> >Paramedics if ANYTHING is unpleasantly happening that you've not felt
> >> >before. It is better to have a "false alarm" visitation than to risk
> > your
> >> >life guessing what it might be!
> >> >
> >> >2. Note that I said "Call the Paramedics". Ladies, TIME IS OF THE
> > ESSENCE!
> >> >Do NOT try to drive yourself to the ER--you're a hazard to others on
the
> >> >road, and so is your panicked husband who will be speeding and looking
> >> >anxiously at what's happening with you instead of the road. Do NOT
call
> >> >your doctor--he doesn't know where you live and if it's at night you
> > won't
> >> >reach him anyway, and if it's daytime, his assistants (or answering
> >> >service) will tell you to call the Paramedics. He doesn't carry the
> >> >equipment in his car that you need to be saved! The Paramedics do,
> >> >principally OXYGEN that you need ASAP. Your Dr. will be notified
later.
> >> >
> >> >3. Don't assume it couldn't be a heart attack because you have a
normal
> >> >cholesterol count. Research has discovered that a cholesterol elevated
> >> >reading is rarely the cause of an MI (unless it's unbelievably high,
> > and/or
> >> >accompanied by high blood pressure.) MI's are usually caused by
> > long-term
> >> >stress and inflammation in the body, which dumps all sorts of deadly
> >> >hormones into your system to sludge things up in there. Pain in the
jaw
> > can
> >> >wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more
we
> >> >know, the better chance we could survive.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
__________________
Kate

jmo is offline   Reply With Quote
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Old 07-06-2007, 03:22 PM   #2
jmo
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Raleigh NC/Chocowinity NC
Posts: 144
I was aware that female heart attacks are
> > different,
> >> >but this is the best description I've ever read.


> >> >
> >> >Women and Heart Attacks (Myocardial Infarction)
> >> >
> >> >Did you know that women rarely have the same dramatic symptoms that
> > men
> >> >have when experiencing heart attack...you know, the sudden stabbing
> > pain
> >> >in the chest, the cold sweat, grabbing the chest & dropping to the
floor
> >> >that we see in the movies. Here is the story of one woman's experience
> > with
> >> >a heart attack.
> >> >
> >> >"I had a completely unexpected heart attack at about 10:30 pm with NO
> > prior
> >> >exertion, NO prior emotional trauma that one would suspect might haveÂ
> >> >brought it on. I was sitting all snugly & warm on a cold evening, with
> > my
> >> >purring cat in my lap, reading an interesting story my friend had sent
> > me,
> >> >and actually thinking,"A-A-h, this is the life, all cozy and warm in
my
> >> >soft, cushy Lazy Boy with my feet propped up." A moment later, I felt
> > that
> >> >awful sensation of indigestion, when you've been in a hurry and
grabbed
> > a
> >> >bite of sandwich and washed it down with a dash of water, and that
> > hurried
> >> >bite seems to feel like you've swallowed a golf ball going down the
> >> >esophagus in slow motion and it is most uncomfortable. You realize you
> >> >shouldn't have gulped it down so fast and needed to chew it more
> > thoroughly
> >> >and this time drink a glass of water to hasten its progress down to
the
> >> >stomach. This was my initial sensation---the only trouble was that I
> > hadn't
> >> >taken a bite of anything since about 5:00 p.m.
> >> >
> >> >Â
> >> >
> >> >"After that had seemed to subside, the next sensation was like little
> >> >squeezing motions that seemed to be racing up my SPINE
(hind-sight,
> > it
> >> >was probably my aorta spasming), gaining speed as they continued
racing
> > up
> >> >and under my sternum (breast bone, where one presses rhythmically when
> >> >administering CPR). This fascinating process continued on into my
throat
> >> >and branched out into both jaws.
> >> >
> >> >Â
> >> >
> >> >"AHA!! NOW I stopped puzzling about what was happening--we all have
read
> >> >and/or heard about pain in the jaws being one of the signals of an MI
> >> >happening, haven't we? I said aloud to myself and the cat, "Dear
God,
> > I
> >> >think I'm having a heart attack !" I lowered the foot rest, dumping
the
> > cat
> >> >from my lap, started to take a step and fell on the floor instead. I
> >> >thought to myself "If this is a heart attack, I shouldn't be walking
> > into
> >> >the next room where the phone is or anywhere else.......but, on the
> > other
> >> >hand, if I don't, nobody will know that I need help, and if I wait any
> >> >longer I may not be able to get up in moment."
> >> >
> >> >Â
> >> >
> >> >"I pulled myself up with the arms of the chair, walked slowly into the
> > next
> >> >room and dialed the Paramedics... I told her I thought I was having a
> > heart
> >> >attack due to the pressure building under the sternum and radiating
into
> > my
> >> >jaws. I didn't feel hysterical or afraid, just stating the facts. She
> > said
> >> >she was sending the Paramedics over immediately, asked if the front
door
> >> >was near to me, and if so, to unbolt the door and then lie down on the
> >> >floor where they could see me when they came in.
> >> >
> >> >Â
> >> >
> >> >"I then laid down on the floor as instructed and lost consciousness,
as
> > I
> >> >don't remember the medics coming in, their examination, lifting me
onto
> > a
> >> >gurney or getting me into their ambulance, or hearing the call they
made
> > to
> >> >St. Jude ER on the way, but I did briefly awaken when we arrived and
saw
> >> >that the Cardiologist was already there in his surgical blues and cap,
> >> >helping the medics pull my stretcher out of the ambulance. He was
> > bending
> >> >over me asking questions (probably something like "Have you taken any
> >> >medications?") but I couldn't make my mind interpret what he was
saying,
> > or
> >> >form an answer, and nodded off again, not waking up until the
> > Cardiologist
> >> >and partner had already threaded the teeny angiogram balloon up my
> > femoral
> >> >artery into the aorta and into my heart where they installed 2 side by
> > side
> >> >stents to hold open my right coronary artery.
> >> >
> >> >Â
> >> >
> >> >"I know it sounds like all my thinking and actions at home must have
> > taken
> >> >at least 20-30 minutes before calling the Paramedics, but actually it
> > took
> >> >perhaps 4-5 minutes before the call, and both the fire station and St.
> > Jude
> >> >are only minutes away from my home, and my Cardiologist was all ready
to
> > go
> >> >to the OR in his scrubs and get going on restarting my heart (which
had
> >> >stopped somewhere between my arrival and the procedure) and installing
> > the
> >> >stents.
> >> >
> >> >Â
> >> >
> >> >"Why have I written all of this to you with so much detail? Because I
> > want
> >> >all of you who are so important in my life to know what I learned
first
> >> >hand."
> >> >
> >> >Â
> >> >
> >> >1. Be aware that something very different is happening in your body
not
> > the
> >> >usual men's symptoms, but inexplicable things happening (until my
> > sternum
> >> >and jaws got into the act ). It is said that many more women than men
> > die
> >> >of their first (and last) MI because they didn't know they were having
> > one,
> >> >and commonly mistake it as indigestion, take some Maalox or other
> >> >anti-heartburn preparation, and go to bed, hoping they'll feel better
in
> >> >the morning when they wake up....which doesn't happen. My female
> > friends,
> >> >your symptoms might not be exactly like mine, so I advise you to call
> > the
> >> >Paramedics if ANYTHING is unpleasantly happening that you've not felt
> >> >before. It is better to have a "false alarm" visitation than to risk
> > your
> >> >life guessing what it might be!
> >> >
> >> >2. Note that I said "Call the Paramedics". Ladies, TIME IS OF THE
> > ESSENCE!
> >> >Do NOT try to drive yourself to the ER--you're a hazard to others on
the
> >> >road, and so is your panicked husband who will be speeding and looking
> >> >anxiously at what's happening with you instead of the road. Do NOT
call
> >> >your doctor--he doesn't know where you live and if it's at night you
> > won't
> >> >reach him anyway, and if it's daytime, his assistants (or answering
> >> >service) will tell you to call the Paramedics. He doesn't carry the
> >> >equipment in his car that you need to be saved! The Paramedics do,
> >> >principally OXYGEN that you need ASAP. Your Dr. will be notified
later.
> >> >
> >> >3. Don't assume it couldn't be a heart attack because you have a
normal
> >> >cholesterol count. Research has discovered that a cholesterol elevated
> >> >reading is rarely the cause of an MI (unless it's unbelievably high,
> > and/or
> >> >accompanied by high blood pressure.) MI's are usually caused by
> > long-term
> >> >stress and inflammation in the body, which dumps all sorts of deadly
> >> >hormones into your system to sludge things up in there. Pain in the
jaw
> > can
> >> >wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more
we
> >> >know, the better chance we could survive.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
__________________
Kate

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Old 04-16-2008, 02:38 PM   #3
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Posts: 782
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I wanted to send a PM but couldn't figure out how to do that. Thank you for posting this. I have PTSD and a panic disorder - one of the things you deal with the most with a panic disorder is the feeling of having heart attacks that turn out not to be heart attacks. The standing joke in my family is that I will die of a heart attack while taking an anti-anxiety pill and telling myself that I'm ok and trying to breathe deeply. I'd love to know your age and health status when this happened. And I'm hoping that you're ok - since this is a post from 2006. Thanks for taking the time to post this valuable information.
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Old 08-13-2013, 04:21 PM   #4
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Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Galveston, TX.
Posts: 117
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I've just found this post and read it. I'm going to reply (even at this late date) in hopes that readers find my post.

I am recovering from 4 heart attacks (in hide sight) that I didn't know I had. The 5th was exactly like your experience. I am (or was at that time last year) a very young 67 year old lady who dances daily, travels and entertains tons of friends. No medical problem with blood pressure or cholesterol, etc. Healthy without any problems. The doctors said my bodies condition was 10 years younger than my actual age. I'd been married 46 years and divorced for 13. Met a man that I thought was the love of my life. We dated for a couple of years then he moved in with me. We lived together for about a year. It started out like heaven and ended up like hell.....but this post is about women having heart attacks. The next day after he packed and left was when my 5th attack. The first four attacks was during the year we lived together.

When I had my 5th heart attack it was just exactly like the first post. The heartburn and feeling of a lump in my throat like indigestion. I kept trying to get things done around the house but just didn't feel well. Tired and nothing I took for the heartburn worked. Finally, I called the hospital and told them I was driving myself in (which was a mistake as the lady above said). I thought I would never make it to the hospital I was so oooo extremely tired. I still didn't know I was having a heart attack. I just knew I needed help. I remember parking in the hospital ER parking lot and getting out of the car. The next 3 MONTHS are a blur. I don't even have a good memory of the weeks before the 5th attack. An ambulance driver was bringing in another patient and saw me laying on the concrete in the driveway.

My symptoms for the other 4 were mostly heartburn. Then my back began to hurt extremely. I thought it was my degenerated disk, but it wasn't....it was the heart attack coming on. One night my blood pressure went to 250/185 and we called 911. Spent the night in the ER and they sent me home. Nothing being said about my heart, just about the stress I was suffering from. On another time, my hands would go to sleep in the night an I'd wake up because of the terrible pain in my hands. My fingers would first turn cold white and then black. The doctors told me it was corporal tunnel and to wear braces to bed. (yet after the 5th heart attack, that symptom went away). My feet would also turn black. Another night the pain was in my throat and jaw area, up to my ears.

My point is to say that the first 4 attacks were mini attacks and I was so healthy and active I didn't have a clue that I was having these attacks. I spent 3 different occasions in the ER and not once did anyone say ANYTHING about my heart. All it took during the 5th attack was a simple blood test and determined how many attacks I'd had and confirmed 4 scars on my heart. It took them finding me unconscious outside the ER to determine that I'd had a 5th. attack.

LADIES, DO NOT OVERLOOK HEARTBURN AND BACK PAIN AS A POSSIBLE SYMPTOM FOR HEART ATTACK.
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