Medical question

[Don Corleone]

Hi guys,

So, I've got a medical type question. I guess this technically belongs in the Frontroom, but since I'm mainly seeking the opinions of men over the age of 35, I figured this was a better place to look.

Okay, there's no easy way to say this, so I'll just come out with it. I've been having chest pains, and I was wondering if anybody knows why that might be in a non "Get your ass to the emergency room" context, cause it's been slowly building for about 6 months, and thus far, I haven't taken a dirt nap.

Symptoms:

If I lie funny, exert myself (like walking to the fridge for another beer) kidding, more like halfway through cutting the grass, or get really worked up, I'll feel a little pressure in my chest. Sometimes, it actually starts to hurt. Almost always goes away when I shift position or stop exerting myself. Doesn't continue to build if I don't move, go ahead and keep exerting.

Pain is in the center of my chest, not to the left. No pain in the left arm. As I said, this whole 'ouch', relax, gone cycle has been going on more or less for about 6 months, but it's been starting to happen more frequently. Pain is usually minor, sometimes a little sharper than normal, but nothing to make you wince or anything. Very localized and fairly small in perceived locale.

So, I'm thinking I'm getting too out of shape and what I'm actually feeling is a lactic acid build-up, but I'd be curious to hear what the Backroom doctor-wannabes think since you're all such fine politicos.

Oh, and one more thing. Not a word to Mrs. Corleone. She's definitely the "WHAT! WE'RE GOING TO THE ER" overreactionary type. Thanks.

[Lemur]

Could be a number of things, Don, and cardiac is only one possibility. You say you're out of shape? May I assume you're also carrying a few extra pounds? You could be experiencing a digestive kinda thing, you know, stomach acids churned up by exercise. Lactic acid buildup is a real possibility, as you state.

Why not go see a doctor? Can't you manage that without alerting the wife?

[Don Corleone]

Could be a number of things, Don, and cardiac is only one possibility. You say you're out of shape? May I assume you're also carrying a few extra pounds? You could be experiencing a digestive kinda thing, you know, stomach acids churned up by exercise. Lactic acid buildup is a real possibility, as you state.

Why not go see a doctor? Can't you manage that without alerting the wife?

Of course, I was going to tackle that this week. It's really more a matter of having the time. Well, that, and the fact that my insurance company would now have the knowledge that I went in to the doctor complaining of chest pains. I'd rather not tip my hand to them if something really is wrong, if you know what I mean.

I do have indigestion/heartburn issues, and you may be right, but this doesn't feel like that. Being out of shape.... well, I'm not exercising regularly (I know, I know) but I can still run a mile or two on a treadmill when I've got the time. I really should be getting back into that again, but again... kinda hard to keep doing it when it starts to hurt.

[Lemur]

You know, a good case of gas can give you all of the symptoms you describe. Especially if you're kinda ... blocked up. But best to know, and best to consult with a competent physician. You can even ask him not to note in his records that you talked about chest pains. Most medicos are cool that way.

[Banquo's Ghost]

Doctor. Now.

You should never pass off a chest pain, let alone one that is increasing in frequency and associated with exertion, no matter how mild. Never.

(And without trying to derail the thread, any system that dissuades you from checking out such a pain, is a bad system).

Please Don, check it out.

[Tribesman]

Well, that, and the fact that my insurance company would now have the knowledge that I went in to the doctor complaining of chest pains. I'd rather not tip my hand to them if something really is wrong, if you know what I mean.

The joys of private medical care eh
Seriously Don get to a doctor and get in shape .

I'm not exercising regularly (I know, I know) but I can still run a mile or two on a treadmill when I've got the time. I really should be getting back into that again

Forget the treadmill isn't there something you could do with the family

[Adrian II]

You knew we wouldn't fall for it, Don.

Doctor. Now.

[rory_20_uk]

Could be angina...

If pain severe, might be worth going to ER for some bloods. They'd need to do a 12 hour troponin to see what's going on.

Else might be worth getting a baseline ECG, lipid profile etc etc to risk stratify. Then possibly an exercise ECG to see if there's any signs of ischemia.

[InsaneApache]

I wasn't going to post this but I think I should.

I had a heart attack last January. It started with chest pains a few weeks before. I went to the docs and they referred me to the hospital. However the day before I was due to attend for a cardiac stress test I had a full blown attack. Christ it bloody well hurt. Technically I had a myacardiac infarction but it felt like an heart attack to me! Joking aside, I was lucky it was only a minor one. A warning.

So unless you want to be on seven different tablets a day for the rest of your life, or walking to the shops feels like you've just run a marathon up Everest, get to the doctors now, today.

A word to the wise.

[Fragony]

Yikes IA that must have been terrifying

[rory_20_uk]

A myocardial infarction is a "heart attack" - it is just more accurate description in stating that heart muscle has died.

[InsaneApache]

The fun stopped when I got 7ml of morphine, boy was that a relief.

[InsaneApache]

A myocardial infarction is a "heart attack" - it is just more accurate description in stating that heart muscle has died.

You must have missed the 'joking apart' bit.

To the optometrist with you.

[Samurai Waki]

glad you pulled through IA. You would have been sorely missed even on this lonely side of the planet, and I am grateful for your "recovery."

So DC check up with a doctor. And be honest with your woman for christ's sake, even if she does overreact, she deserves to be concerned, if something is wrong, you might regret not saying anything.

[Beirut]

You've got kids, you are not allowed to ignore things like this.

And once dealt with, get a pair of Nikes and get your *** on the sidewalk and start walking, walking, walking.

[LittleGrizzly]

Under 35 but i wanted to post anyway :p

I do the same put off going to the doctor thing.... i have had a bit of a dodgy knee for years, it plays up now and again but i can never be bothered to sort it, so i can understand why you haven't gone yet, when it comes and goes by the time it goes your just usually relieved its gone rather than worrying about it coming back, i would say when it comes to things like chest pains its a bit of a different league, chest pains could lead to something serious.....

[Don Corleone]

Right, properly chastised. Perhaps I was subconciously actually seeking a kick in the butt. I'll schedule a visit first thing on Monday. And I do go for walks (about 2 miles) a day with the family, but clearly I need to up that activity level some.

Honestly, I think of all the risk factors I suffer from, I think my stress level at work would be the worst.

And IA, holy cow. I'm very happy to hear that you made it through alive and well. But crikey, you gotta tell us things like that. Hard to put you into my prayer queue relying solely on my powers of precognition.

[KukriKhan]

I'm glad you see the light, Don.

Look at it this way: If it were your car acting this way - needing to take a little rest on the side of the road after accelerating on the freeway - you would not have just accepted such performance over 6 months; you'd have been to the mechanic's shop after the third time, or sooner.

So, going to the doc's office is just the same as going to the mechanic's. You're checking out the blood-pump, that's all. It's probably nothing. But you won't know 'til the doc pokes around a bit.

And yes, I admit it: I'm a great one to talk such talk, Mister Procrastination on his Yearly Check-up that's TWO years Overdue.

[Odin]

And I do go for walks (about 2 miles) a day with the family, but clearly I need to up that activity level some.

The doctor thing has been covered so no need for me to go down that route. I train regularly Don and train others as a hobby. At your age, weight and lifestyle (2 young kids, and work) you need to dedicate a portion of your time to fitness.

Walking with the family is lovely, but you need to start working out 4 times a week just for your own personal health. I wake at 345am to do this so I dont miss the family on the back end. You have to develop a plan Don and not a yuk yuk "okay I will go to the Dr" because the next stop is 40, then 50...

I am going to let you in on a personal secret I use and some of the guys I train with use. Its called Bikram yoga. You do this twice a week and you will get in shape pretty dam fast, do it 3 times a week and you'll be on your way to make the decleration that your an athletic 35 year old.

Bikram isnt for the faint of heart (a non intended pun) but that will get your ass into shape and expose your physical limitations.

You're an intelligent person and rational you know what you have to do, getting kicks in the butt here is wonderful, but fitness is a personal commitment one has to make to themselves (everyone has their own reasons). My old man died when I was young, what a wonderful Q&A my mother and I had at the time as to immortality, death and the aftermath.

I bet your girls will have all sorts of wonderful questions for your wife when there staring at your casket being lowered into the ground, especially when the first shovel of dirt gets thrown on.

"mommy, didnt daddy say he had chest pains?"

So do you think your wife will be able to answer or just ball?

You've officially had a kick in the ass Don, go do something about it man.

[Beirut]

Walking with the family is lovely, but you need to start working out 4 times a week just for your own personal health. I wake at 345am to do this so I dont miss the family on the back end. You have to develop a plan Don and not a yuk yuk "okay I will go to the Dr" because the next stop is 40, then 50...

Holy jumpin', the Don is only 38. I thought he was old like me.

Man man, and I mean you Don, if you have all this going on at 38, you best take a long look inwards at your eating habits and lifestyle.

We'll be expecting you in Swordsmaster's Fitness thread on a regular basis. https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=48719

We're going to get medicinal on your ass.

[Geoffrey S]

Under 35, but about going to the doctor and honesty about the physical condition to others... as a rowing coach, the worst thing is to have a lingering injury preventing regular training. All too frequently, it's preventable. A girl on my team recently approached me, complaining about a growing lump on her wrist and saying that it was hurting during training sessions. I sent her off to the physio, and sure enough, her tendons were overworked and need rest lest it becomes a more permanent issue. So now, she rows with the team half the time, with a replacement the rest of the time, and it is detrimental to performance. Thankfully it's nearly the end of the season, and I hope she can continue next year.

Point I'm getting to, nobody noticed and nobody could notice except the rower. And when she did mention it? She had known about it for at least half a month, starting off with slight pains, but didn't report it because for whatever reason, she didn't want to appear weak or cause a fuss or anything. Yet some causes clearly lay with her technique and if we'd known it was having such an adverse effect, as coaches we really could have done something about it - but she didn't say a thing, and it almost did and may still have consequences for her rowing in the future.

And she's not the only rower I know who has done this, and certainly not the only person in general. Better safe than sorry.

[InsaneApache]

And IA, holy cow. I'm very happy to hear that you made it through alive and well. But crikey, you gotta tell us things like that. Hard to put you into my prayer queue relying solely on my powers of precognition.

Thanks for the sentiment DC but you forgot one thing. I'm a Englishman. We tend not to do much emoting. It has changed my life though, nowadays I'm much less likely to get rilled or angry, life is too short.

[HoreTore]

Thanks for the sentiment DC but you forgot one thing. I'm a Englishman. We tend not to do much emoting. It has changed my life though, nowadays I'm much less likely to get rilled or angry, life is too short.

What?

Haven't noticed any significant decrease in Brown-threads, IA....

[SwordsMaster]

Holy jumpin', the Don is only 38. I thought he was old like me.

Man man, and I mean you Don, if you have all this going on at 38, you best take a long look inwards at your eating habits and lifestyle.

We'll be expecting you in Swordsmaster's Fitness thread on a regular basis. https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=48719

We're going to get medicinal on your ass.

I will deliver

It also occurs to me it could be a blood pressure problem, in which case it could be cholesterol, which again brings us to lifestyle decisions.

I'm not yet in the 35+ range, but I thought I'd chime in anyway. Beirut, it's ok to be old. First you start baking, then you get lots of cats, you know...

[Don Corleone]

Okay, a few things here....

First, when I said I was out of shape, I suppose I should have said "not in great shape". As in I don't exercise regularly, and I know I should. But I can still run 2 to 3 miles at a clip without getting too winded (well, I could, but the chest starts hurting).

Second, my lifestyle choices aren't really there anymore. I've actually dropped 30 pounds and while I've got a way to go, I'm moving in the right direction on that front. I quit smoking when Jillian was conceived, and I've cut back on the drinking to no more than a beer or two a week. As for cholesterol, even without fasting, I managed to get a 220, and my LDL was only 45. Triglycerides weren't there. I eat a LOT of seafood and shellfish, so I esstentially have coffee grounds and sand scouring my arteries. I don't think that's the issue.

Possible culprits:
-As lemur pointed out, it could be acid reflux or something like that. You can develop scar tissue on the outside of your esophagus that will feel very different than what we think of as heartburn/indigestion.

-Lactic acid buildup.

-Stress. This is an actual risk factor I suffer from and I am trying to make some career moves that will help in that regard.

-I did have a heart murmur (leaky valve) when I was a small child (up until 5/6). It closed and hasn't been observable since I was 13. But the doctors did tell me that can generate scar tissue in the valve that may accumulate with time and cause discomfort. This would fit the pattern of stress/exertion induced... as the blood flow and pressure increase, it would exert more pressure on the valve.

Now, I really do appreciate everyone's concern. I really and truly do. And you're all of course right that if I don't have time to exercise and eat right, than I basically don't have time to live. And I need to square that away. And I need to get to a doctor. I don't argue that either. But I didn't start the thread to freak everybody out or convince you all I'm twice the moron you actually thought I was.

I've been feeling this coming for close to 6 months now, as I said. And it's been boiling frog syndrome all the way. I started the thread not because I'm terrified of doctors or my insurance company and wanted a support group. It was more that I value the wisdom of those I find here and wanted to know if I was being too blase' about something I should be paying more attention to. Clearly, the answer here would be yes. I thought I might have been making mountains out of molehills, but based on the responses here, apparently the opposite would be the case.

So, thank you everyone for your concern. I promise, I'm calling my physcician on my way to work tomorrow and scheduling a visit and will discuss my symptoms, fully, with him when I call. And I will let you know the results.

As for the insurance comment, what I meant by that is that if I change jobs (something I'm contemplating), I'll more than likely change providers, and I didn't want to get a pre-existing condition assessment slapped on me. That being said, as others have pointed out, that's like worrying about how green your lawn is when the house is on fire. I'll worry about that particular concern when and if it becomes an issue down the road.

Again, I'll keep you posted. And I'm going to be humiliated if it's simply a matter of having to cut back on my 5 cup of coffee a day habit.

Thank you everyone for your concern.

[Sigurd]

And yes, I admit it: I'm a great one to talk such talk, Mister Procrastination on his Yearly Check-up that's TWO years Overdue.

The yearly check-ups are indeed important. Just to show you guys how important it is; I’ll tell you my experience.

I have a slight touch of psoriatic arthritis and asthma and need to get my yearly check-up to see if it is evolving and get my prescriptions renewed. Last year I had my normal talk with my doctor and we agreed that everything was status quo. As an afterthought he ordered some blood-samples just to have them on file for future reference. I had not taken any the year before. After a few days I was called back to his office, and he was a little concerned that many of the values were quite high. I had high values of blood cells, iron etc. It could just be my body compensating for my touch of asthma but I had the values for elite athletes or athletes doing serious height training. Well, I do some exercise but not to the extent the tests showed. I was slightly pleased and thought: yeah… eating healthy and taking no additional substances (other than asthma medicine upon need) relating to training is really better.

A second set of blood samples were taken and sent away to compare with the first. They too were abnormally high. I was sent to a hospital for further checks and all sorts of tests. The assistant doctor, a sweet young woman was the supervisor of the tests and she too suspected it was just my body compensating for a problem with inhaling enough oxygen, height training at sea level so to speak. But she always talked about a secondary cause and a primary cause, where the secondary cause was my asthma, and a primary cause that was serious but she didn’t define it. I took a JAK mutation test and it came back positive. It was the primary cause. I had polycytemia vera, which is a stage in a range of stages that might eventually end in leukemia.

This stage is serious if not treated. Life expectancy is around a year if not treated. The treatment is rather simple, a single blood thinning pill every day and a blood sample every month to check if I need to get rid of a pint of blood. At first I went nearly every week giving a pint of blood to reach the ideal levels. Luckily I don’t need chemotherapy, yet…


Seeing your doctor and taking those annual tests is important, even though you feel normal.

[Odin]

Again, I'll keep you posted. And I'm going to be humiliated if it's simply a matter of having to cut back on my 5 cup of coffee a day habit.

Tell you what, you cut back to 3 and I will only do 1 steriod cycle a year.

[Don Corleone]

Well, EKG and stress test were both negative. Looks like it was a false alarm, though my doctor hasn't called me back yet. Thank you everyone for the concern, but it looks like it's just a matter of the Don hitting the treadmill more often and laying off that last canolli.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

-snip-

Wow Sigurd.

I hope everything turns out well.

[Banquo's Ghost]

Well, EKG and stress test were both negative. Looks like it was a false alarm, though my doctor hasn't called me back yet. Thank you everyone for the concern, but it looks like it's just a matter of the Don hitting the treadmill more often and laying off that last canolli.

Good news, Don. Thanks for letting us know.