AboutDavid Richardson Expertise Adult heart function and disease. Not very good about children lesss than 12. Hypertension is o.k. Heart rhythm a special interest.
Experience Certified in cardiology by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Was chairman of division of cardiology at the Medical College of Virginia. Am now mostly retired.
Organizations Fellow of American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology and member of American Physiological Society..
Publications Circulation, American Heart Journal, Hypertension.
Education/Credentials M.D. from Harvard Medical School. Residency training at Yale Uhniversity School of Medicine and Medical College of Virginia.
Awards and Honors Gold Heartt Award from American Heart Association in 1995.
Question Hello,
I have had pains on the left side of my chest for about 6 days. The pain is
constant throughout the day and then seems to fade when I sleep at night,
returning again the next morning. My heart feels as though it's ready to pop
out of my chest sometimes and other times it feels like it is racing. I went to
an emergency room 4 days ago thinking I was having a heart attack. I was
immediately admitted and an EKG, blood test and chest x-ray all came out
normal. (The doctors feared that because I was on birth control I could have a
pulmonary embolism - which was ruled out with the blood test) One doctor
told me I was having an anxiety attack - he gave me a xanax, but I continued
to feel my heart racing. My question is what else could the pain be? I still
have the pain 4 days after my ER visit and not sure how else to proceed. I am
23 years old, on BCP Lutera, 5'5 136 and 120/80ish. I keep thinking it's
something worse, which of course can just be my anxiety. Thank you.
Answer The most common cause of chest pain in a young woman is cramping of muscles between and around ribs. Try Tylenol 500 mg three times a day or aspirin 650 mg. three times a day or ibuprofen 600 or 800 mg. three times a day. Any of those may get the pain to subside. Don't take any in those big doses longer than 4 days without consulting a doctor, or writing me back. Anxiety is what makes your heart race.
Please write back if this note doesn't really answer all your questions.
