Resolved question:
I have been having chest pain on the left side for the last 45 minutes. I also have weakness on the left side of my body (arm and leg). Should I seek emergency medical attention? In the last 5 minutes I have became short of breath.
Submitted:
4 Days
Category:
Family Physician-GP
Hello,
Thank you for your query at DoctorSpring.com
Chest pain can have a lot of different causes, ranging from benign pain due to gastritis or GERD, to angina due to insifficiency in the coronary artery blood supply. Though serious causes don't seem likely here considering you're only 31, i will still advise you to get a ECG and Chest X-RAY done to rule out Angina, Aortic Dissection, Pulmonary embolism, and costochondritis.
Once again i will like to reassure that at this moment it does not seem to be anything serious. I want you to get the tests done for a conclusive evidence. And especially it's a protocol to get ECG done for someone with sudden acute onset chest pain even in absence of any other symptoms. You also have some additional symptoms such as weakness, and shortness of breath, which can itself be triggered by panic, still ECG is the most logical thing that needs to be done right now.
Let me know if you have any further queries, and once you have the reports,
Regards.
I ended up going to the hospital and they said that I had sinus tachycardia. I went to the dr today and he put me on metoprolol. I'm having the chest pains again tonight. Is this to be expected?
Hello.
Sinus Tachycardia (ST) means a high heart rate, more than 100 beats per minute. It does not usually present with chest pain. Its common symptoms are palpitations, shortness of breath or dizziness.
Common causes of Sinus Tachycardia are anxiety, fever, intense exercise, hyperthyroidism etc.
If you were diagnosed with ST, you would have been evaluated for an underlying cause. If yes, please let me know all the tests which were done. If possible, please upload them in the follow-up.
Metoprolol is a drug which among its various uses, can also lower the heart rate. So with its regular use, your symptoms should subside. Depending on the dosage, it should act within 3 - 6 hours of intake.
If it has been longer than that and you are still having chest pains, it is best to to repeat ECG.
Take care.
Regards.