To cut a long story short I have started exercising on a turbo trainer, first bit of exercise in years(previous post explains)
Did 15 mins on the trainer, finished and started making dinner for the boys, out of nowhere on left side of upper chest severe cramp that lasted no more than a few seconds, as I've never had heart pain etc I didnt know what it was- bit panicked after. The normal me can recognize it was muscle spasm, not used to the position on the bike (slipped disc doesn't help). After a few mins was normal, bit tender on chest, left arm feels not as strong.
...Went to GP this morning explained all of the above, he said he's not concerned it was my heart, all points to muscle spasm etc not heart...
...I asked what if it happens again, to which he replied Id send you to chest pain clinic to run tests, put heart under strain.
Now the normal me accepts this but the mental me (previous post) thinks why not run tests now, I don't want a heart attack !
Today arm feels weird, chest feels sore (muscle sore)
Very confused !
No horror stories...
Well if you turn up at A&E with chest pains, you get seen very quickly....
My anxiety disorder was finding more and more ways of getting my attention so decided that simulating heart attacks might work, put the whole left of my chest in spasm, felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest. Heart was AOK, brain was a bit fried though...
GP here with an interest in cardiology.
Chest pain lasting only a few seconds in a limited area of your chest wall which came on after the exercise does not sound worrying to me.
But I don't have all your notes, and the arm pain today concerns me.
This is not the right place for advice. Get checked again if that doesn't settle,.and if you did not tell your GP you stiil had that pain, tell them now.
FWIW the tests run by the Chest pain clinic are only worth doing and useful to diagnose or rule out cardiac causes if you have a raised "pretest probabliity". Google Bayesian probabliity if you wish to know more.
Thank you for replying
Arm feels light,tingly fingers on off
Waiting for doctor to call back
Left arm pain / tingles = get yourself to A&E pronto.
99% sure it will be nothing but these sort of pains are treated very seriously by A&E staff and only they have the kit to make the call.
Get it checked out to be safe.
However anxiety can cause those symptoms as well. Twice when I had anxiety disorder I wad rushed to hospital, when all it was was just anxiety.
After intense exercise I occasionally get a sharp pain in the left side of my chest. Lasts for a few seconds where I struggle to move or breathe deeply.
Understandably got this checked out - where the GP said it was likely to be a bit of cartilage in between my ribcage that is aggravating my muscles in use. No long term issues over the years with it, just painful sometimes.
"Intercostal myalgia" was mentioned.
But as has been mentioned above, if in doubt, do get yourself checked out again.
just back from an afternoon in A&E
ECG normal, saw doctor had a long chat about when it happened etc he also said its muscular pushed his finger into pectoral muscle and it was tendered hurt- he said somehow must have leant to hard , not used to road bike position, further listen of my heart and he said on your way and have a nice evening and take it easy on your bike !
Thank you for all your help/words - hasn't helped my anxiety one bit...
I overdid a spin class in the summer, causing a fluttery chest pain that lingered for weeks but was largely ignored. Yomped a couple of Munros in early October (1st walk in 18 months) and was hit by fairly severe jaw / chest pain that evening; classic clutching chest 'bugger me' moment. A&E suspected a mild heart attack due to the 'cardiac event' & elevated troponin level (25), so sent me to Coronary Care for the night. Much blood letting and ECG activity later and the Cardiologist was fairly confident it was not an MI but an over exertion. Undertook a treadmill test while wired to ECG to confirm no disease. Troponin levels had also dropped so I was sent home. All well and good but it still twinges a bit 5 weeks later and I don't intend going near a bike or hill for months.
If you search online, there are studies that partly explain why moderately fit people overstretching themselves during strenuous exercise (mostly marathons) can present with MI symptoms without actually having a heart attack. Of course some who overdo it could be having a genuine MI, so it's always worth getting checked out. I'm not entirely convinced I didn't have an MI but I'm no Cardiologist!
I've succeed from this too.
Chest pains , pain down the left arm, loss of strength.
Scared the crap out of me and I went to docs.
ECG and full bloods done. No heart problem at all !.
Turned out to be my bars, I had recently bought a new bike with flat bars and this caused chest strain changed to riser bars and it basically sorted it. I still suffer a little but no where near as much.