Fifty Plus (50+) - Anybody get this feeling?

First of all I know this is not the place to try and diagnose a heart condition, but I was just wondering if any of you guys have experienced the following symptom. I get a quick sharp pain in the heart area that last no longer than a second several times a day. Sometimes I'll go several weeks without feeling it at all. This week I have felt it a little more often than usual. It does not accurr when my heart rate is up and I do not have any other heart attack symptoms. I'm not the typical heart patient body size. I'm very active, eat well and skinny. I had a Cahterization procedure last year that showed that one aorta was a little smaller than than the other, but the Cardio doc said that it was functioning fine. I do push myself hard on my rides (close to max heart rate). The following link is to an article that sounds like the pain that I am feeling. Should I be concerned?
http://www.failedsuccess.com/index.php?/weblog/comments/precordial_catch_syndrome_chest_pain/

First of all I know this is not the place to try and diagnose a heart condition, but I was just wondering if any of you guys have experienced the following symptom. I get a quick sharp pain in the heart area that last no longer than a second several times a day. Sometimes I'll go several weeks without feeling it at all. This week I have felt it a little more often than usual. It does not accurr when my heart rate is up and I do not have any other heart attack symptoms. I'm not the typical heart patient body size. I'm very active, eat well and skinny. I had a Cahterization procedure last year that showed that one aorta was a little smaller than than the other, but the Cardio doc said that it was functioning fine. I do push myself hard on my rides (close to max heart rate). The following link is to an article that sounds like the pain that I am feeling. Should I be concerned?
http://www.failedsuccess.com/index.php?/weblog/comments/precordial_catch_syndrome_chest_pain/

Bingo!

I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV, but I am a computer technician so that's almost the same thing. My advice would be do do a restart and if the problem persists, we'll have to reformat the hard drive.

You are obviously concerned or you wouldn't have posted this thread. With all due respect to the accumulated experience and wisdom of the members of this forum, the advice you will get will be about as useful as mine, unless that advice is: "GO TO A DOCTOR"

I hope that's not a power off/power on restart!

Go get another checkup. We just lost another tech (for 8-12 weeks) this week and the prototype development lab is now known as the geriatric ward. This last tech was skinny and healthy!

. . . quick sharp pain in the heart area that last no longer than a second several times a day. . . .

As unambiguous a signal as ever was to have your doc look closer. Lucky indeed is the chap who gets even the tiniest hint of trouble. The obits are full of skinny-fit folks who keel-over in the bloom of their retirement. . .as I was reminded just last week when a dear friend and colleague went to be with the gods.

I already knew that this would be the response. I guess I just wanted to hear something that would make me ignore the pain. It's just strange that I feel fine and everything I read mentions symtoms that I have not experienced. Last time I mentioned the pain to my doc he thought that it was probably just some type of hernia. Of course that promted the Catherization that turn uop nothing.

Several years ago I had a co-worker who had a heart attack. Talking to him in the hospital, he admitted that yes, there were some warning signs, you know, twinges when walking up stairs...

I'd say go back to your cardio guy and have him check you over again. Or get a second opinion.

On this website, we just don't have the required equipment to give you a decent diagnosis. Maybe you could put a request into the Bike Forums management to include cardio monitoring software on the site. ;) Once they get that done, we will be glad to give you a completely unqualified diagnosis.

First of all I know this is not the place to try and diagnose a heart condition, but I was just wondering if any of you guys have experienced the following symptom. I get a quick sharp pain in the heart area that last no longer than a second several times a day. Sometimes I'll go several weeks without feeling it at all. This week I have felt it a little more often than usual. It does not accurr when my heart rate is up and I do not have any other heart attack symptoms. I'm not the typical heart patient body size. I'm very active, eat well and skinny. I had a Cahterization procedure last year that showed that one aorta was a little smaller than than the other, but the Cardio doc said that it was functioning fine. I do push myself hard on my rides (close to max heart rate). The following link is to an article that sounds like the pain that I am feeling. Should I be concerned?
http://www.failedsuccess.com/index.php?/weblog/comments/precordial_catch_syndrome_chest_pain/
Any family history of heart trouble? What made you get the cardiac cath last year?

Any family history of heart trouble? What made you get the cardiac cath last year?

I had an abnormal EKG during my physical last year, so the doc sent me to the Cardiologist where he gave gave me a stress and then the heart cath. He determined that I had an aorta on one side of my heart that was a bit smaller than the other side, but other than that there were no blockages or other problems found.

By the way, there has been a history of heart problems in the family. Of course I like to think that I'm in a lot better shape than those family members were.

I guess I'll scheduel that appointment

By the way, there has been a history of heart problems in the family. Of course I like to think that I'm in a lot better shape than those family members were.

I guess I'll scheduel that appointment

Sounds like you are on the right track...As a side note, protect your privacy. It is unlikely that you will get any useful information on the Internet. However, you expose to the world a likely non-problem and family history that employers, insurance companies and others may use against you. IMHO, these are matters to be discussed with family, close trusted friends (maybe) and medical professionals. Good luck.:)

By the way, there has been a history of heart problems in the family. Of course I like to think that I'm in a lot better shape than those family members were.

I guess I'll scheduel that appointment

Don't care how fit you are- My first sign was indigestion. I did not know till I researched it but all the males on my fathers side- died of heart failure. Except my Dad and he died of Cancer -probably before he was old enough for heart failure.

HI,
Most people who exercise alot can have nearly normal EKG's with early heart blockage, its the only down to exercise.
Many atheletes who have sudden death had no real warning .
Its hard for cardiologist to realize a athelete has a different ekg than a sedentary person, Just mention the mild tinge to the DR see what he thinks.
Doug
I had similar experience, but I am a 59 y/o CD my cardiac enzymes were perfect as was my EKG.
But due to our excellent conditioning it may be difficult to DX a partially blocked artery cause we compensate so well.
See if there's a cardiologist who deals alot with older athelets like baseball players and such in your area .


some news about using MRI to DX heartdisease in athelets
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/57649.php


Quote:((The change in the heart mass is the way the body reacts to the endurance training," Dr. Sandner said. "However, in some runners, it may also be an early sign of cardiac disease."

"It is difficult to differentiate an athlete's heart from one that has disease," added Stefan M?nkamp, M.D., Ph.D., cardiologist and principal investigator of the study. "Establishing criteria for what is normal in marathon runners of advanced age is one of the team's research goals."
))

Dr's look for thick heart walls when looking for Heartfailure, exercise can thicken and even enlarge your heart a bit. so Most Dr's can be surprised at the size of a athelets heart when its perfectly normal..

The following link is to an article that sounds like the pain that I am feeling. Should I be concerned?
http://www.failedsuccess.com/index.php?/weblog/comments/precordial_catch_syndrome_chest_pain/

Read.... learn.... be informed.... but stop short of self diagnosing on the web.
If I self diagnosed from my various web searches, I would convince myself I have 3 days to live. :twitchy:

I think the only legitimate peace of mind comes from good communication with your doctor and regular periodic tests.

HI,
Most people who exercise alot can have nearly normal EKG's with early heart blockage, its the only down to exercise.

[

I have a 100% blockage in one of the Arterys at my Heart. The blockage developed so slowly that the heart compensated and grew new vessels to carry the blood.

My last EKG, before the stress test, showed my heart to be normal. During my physical last year my Dr. asked me how long it had been since I had a stress test. I asked if he thought there was something wrong and he told me "No, but you probably should have a stress test as a precaution." Good thing, as the blockage was discovered.

Don't take chances with your Heart. If you think there might be something wrong, go to your Dr. ASAP!

I had an abnormal EKG during my physical last year, so the doc sent me to the Cardiologist where he gave gave me a stress and then the heart cath. He determined that I had an aorta on one side of my heart that was a bit smaller than the other side, but other than that there were no blockages or other problems found.

I'm not a doctor, but you either wrote that wrong, or you need to find a new doctor; you only have one aorta, not one on both sides of your heart.

Also might want to ask the doc about upper digestive problems (reflux, bad 'valve' where the espohagus and stomach connect, etc). That can cause sharp chest pains, too.

Well, last night I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express and so I can tell you that most sharp, quick chest pains, that aren't accompanied by shortness of breath, are not related to heart problems. At least that is what two doctors have told me.

However they can be and if I had them on a regular basis, I would beat a quick path to my doctor.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003079.htm

The symptoms they worry about the most, as far as heart problems go, are these:
http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/guide/heart-disease-symptoms

USUALLY, pain associated with heart conditions isn't short or extremely localized like you describe, but....I'm not a doctor, of course. I've had occasional sharp, short pains like you describe, very shallow in my chest, that have nothing to do with my level of exertion. I get them most often when I take a sudden deep breath or flex my rib cage in some other way, as when rotating my upper body. Have had them my entire adult life, so I attribute them to some sort of twinge in a nerve near my sternum. They always fade quickly and I don't worry about them.

The first symptom of heart problems experienced by many people is sudden death. Schedule another appointment with your doctor.

If you are posting on this forum and you have that kind of pain, see a dr. Probably nothing but don't play games with your health especially given your reference to the "partially blocked aorta"