Aneurysm Symptoms

[PJmomrunner]

In a recent thread, Mr. P touched on some of his pre-surgery aneurysm symptoms and I'd like to expand upon this topic. Please post details of whatever you felt may have been symptoms of your ascending aortic aneurysm. Be sure to note whether you were aware at the time that you had an aneurysm.

I have occasional short-lived sharp "pain" (a 3 or 4 on a scale of 10) just to the left of my sternum about 5 fingertips' width below the sternal notch. It is not positional and I cannot cause it to happen. I can cause a cramping, straining feeling in the same place by raising my head as if getting up out of a reclining position. I also feel a sensation much like a chest cold without the respiratory aspects sometimes--in other words, it causes no discomfort to breathe in and I'm not congested or otherwise cold-like. I can count on coughing every night when I first get into bed--for no apparent reason accept perhaps that I am on an ace inhibitor and I guess a cough can be a side effect. About half the time it turns into a coughing fit. And what about swallowing? I seem to get things caught in my throat just north of "that" area. And back pain...almost all of the time between the shoulder blades--I just can't decide if it's because of the way I sleep (TempurPedic mattress) or the bad posture I exhibit ("sit up straight...shoulders back", I'm telling myself) or the way I bend over/hunch to do just about everything I do during the course of the day.

Does any of this sound familiar to others who have/have had ascending aortic aneurysms?

 

[Kate]

Hi P.J.!
It is difficult for me to tease out whether my symptoms were caused by my aneurysm or by my stenotic aortic valve. However, since my cardiologist insisted I wasn't symptomatic for my valve, perhaps it was the aneurysm

Before my surgery (and before I knew I had the aneurysm), I would sometimes get a sharp pain in my chest like the one you describe - quite strong but very short-lived. I also occasionally felt dizzy, out of breath from very minimal exertion, and coughed for no apparent reason. The other symptom I had (and the one that eventually made me bump up my cardiology appointment) was the occasional sensation (maybe every few days) that my heart had paused or that something was just not right, often resulting in my taking a sudden deep breath.

The cough came back about 6 months after the surgery (guess maybe it's allergies) but everything else seems to be gone for good. Kate

 

[MrP]

PJ,
The sharp chest pain you experience from time to time may indeed be a result of stretching of the aortic media. In my opinion, a sharp pain does not necessarily indicate immediately pending rupture or dissection and may occur over a longer period of time preceeding a catastrophic event. My sharp chest pain occurred over a 2-3 year period prior to surgery, gradually increased in frequency over time, and was no longer present within the first year post surgery.
Imagine the aorta to be similiar to a long "skinny" balloon slightly filled with air, and every now and then the air pressure inside is increased. Now also imagine that the balloon is defective such that the material comprising the wall of the balloon is weak in part of the balloon. Let's say the first 1/3 of the length of the balloon consists of defective and weak material, and the next segment (also 1/3 the overall length of the balloon) is weak too but somewhat stronger than the first weak segment. As the air pressure inside the balloon increases, the balloon will either dilate further such that the diameter of the balloon increases slightly in the portion of the balloon with weakest wall material, or the increased air pressure will fill more of the balloon segment with somewhat stronger wall material such that the diameter of this portion of the balloon increases also (kind of like a long hot dog continuously expanding). In other words, the balloon "aneurysm" slowly extends into more and more of the longitudal portion of the balloon over a period of time. Now imagine sensors embedded in the walls of the balloon (at least part of the balloon and maybe at the ends) such that as the balloon expands in diameter and the walls of the balloon become thinner and thinner, the sensors detect the stretching of the balloon material. Could it be our aorta behaves in a similiar way, and some of us have more sensitive pain sensors that detect the stretching of the aortic media? Or perhaps our sensors are more sensitive in a different segment of the aorta, say an adjacent segment. Or maybe this gradually expanding adjacent segment of our aorta begins to interfere with other nerves that trigger a "false cough".
MrP

 

[Granbonny]

P.j.

P.j.

I really didn't have any symptoms....what happen..for the Cardio to find my aneurysm....My mother died ..suddenly..my best friend...I came home very depressed from her funeral..I developed a burping, swallowing air. that was dx as Aerophagia...so, I went to my PCP..he found that I had high B/P/..and meds didn't lower it..so, off I go to Cardio for my PCP was worried I had kidney problems. He did a MRI..a chest x-ray and wanted me to go down to Atlanta for him to do a Cath. on me. that is when he saw it..and I had surgery 3 days later. It was a 5..and the surgeon came down to my family after my Cath..and said..that was high.. and he needed to replace my valve..and to go with a Mechanical at my age..61........Before I went to see my Cardio..it was 3 months later. I had been to G.I. doctor, ENT doctor, ect..about the swallowing of air..burping.......Sounds strange, I know..how I ended up seeing a Cardio..but thank goodness. I went to him... Now, he is the head of our heart Hospital 30 miles from where I live..and the Surgeons from Atlanta have an office there too. I tried to remember several years ago, before my surgery..and the only thing I can remember..is 2 bad pains..both, when I reached out to windex..mirror/windows....2 separate times..It was a sharp pain..and when I lowered my arm..the pain went away.In a few minutes..but, both times..it was scary..... ....I think both happened about a year before my surgery.............I have posted many times..about my wonderful B/I/l that was in bed reading one night..and he had a sharp pain..thinking it was bad indigestion..went to a small hospital..Dead in 24 hours from a dissection..aneurysm..Even tho they sent him by ambulance to a larger hospital..where they found it and operated......but, too late. He was only age 50..Left my sister with 2 young teenage boys. ..she said, he had no symptoms..even cooked that night on grill...Not to scare anyone..but, I guess. they (aneurysms)show no symptoms....I was just lucky. Bonnie

 

[Fred4]

PJ, speaking as one who has been monitored for an ascending aortic aneurysm for 6 years?I can certainly relate to the wondering about everything I feel in my chest as perhaps being caused by this. However, my AAA has been the same size for 6 years?4.8 cm?so I wait.
I had similar coughing and hroat symptoms. In my case the coughing and throat issues were all attributable to accupril (an ACE inhibitor). Even thought I had been taking the drug for several years, a bad bronchial infection created these symptoms, wh8ich lingered long after the infection was gone. For 6 months afterwards, the Docs. explored a variety of causes, and they finally switched me to Micardis. After another month or so, the symptoms finally went away. I still wonder about every thing I feel in my chest, but my cardiologist advises that I should focus on two questions: is the pain bad enough to cause me to stop any other activity, and/or is it definitely related to exertion. Until I have a yes to one or the other (and the AAA remains stable in size), he doesn?t seem concerned about the pain.

 

[Turkey Hunter]

I have never really thought about symptoms of an aneurysm, but very interested in hearing what everyone has to say.

I also have experienced the very sharp pain on the rileft side of where my heart is, but never gave any thought to it.
I have experienced this for years, now with the new information of another aneurysm in my aorta, maybe there is something to these sharp pains.

I will have to do some memory searching for any breaks in the pains and for how many years prior to my RP that I had those feelings.

Thanks for the thread.

Ben

 

[Susan BAV]

This doesn't exactly answer your question but your post made me remember something my cardiologist said. When I went back into the hospital for A-fib after my valve surgery, we were talking about iced tea and coffee. Iced tea seems to make me have some kind of rhythm reaction with just a few swallows and coffee doesn't. I can't explain it exactly now. The cardiologist, however, said that the cold liquid going down my throat could effect some nerve or something connected to, or next to, a person's heart and trigger the rhythm disturbance. It's just a vague recollection of the conversation, but there are nerves around the heart that can evidently be triggered by different things to respond in different ways, causing different sensations no doubt. I don't know if that could be related to your experiences but thought I would mention it.

I have other strange pains but they are related to the sternom surgery and my ribs and muscles and such. I also have one really bad muscle cramp that comes on sometimes that is from my other surgery which was well over 25 years ago. But you haven't had any heart surgeries yet, right?

 

[Susan BAV]

Oh, one more thing: I had some sharp pain in between my shoulder blades and a sick icky pain up both sides of my neck when I would exercise (track walking) before my surgery and only upon exertion. This was preop and the surgeon and cardio said it was angina.

 

[Stitch]

I had a 6.8 cm aneurysm and no symptoms.

 

[Susan BAV]

...I also occasionally felt dizzy, out of breath from very minimal exertion, and coughed for no apparent reason. The other symptom I had (and the one that eventually made me bump up my cardiology appointment) was the occasional sensation (maybe every few days) that my heart had paused or that something was just not right, often resulting in my taking a sudden deep breath...

Ditto on that.

 

[Turkey Hunter]

I had a 6.8 cm aneurysm and no symptoms.

Where was your aneurysm located?
Asceding arch, arch, or lower to abdominal aorta?
Just curious. That's a pretty good sized one there.

 

[BDMc]

Symptoms

Symptoms

Like many of you, I was told my symptoms were unrelated to my ascending arotic aneurysm, or my aortic valve which was not functioning much. None the less, for about 9 months before surgery, I was fequently awakened by sharp chest pains when sleeping on my left side. I have had some since, but not quite the same, (not related to position) and very infrequently. I think the docs just don't know enough about it yet. All the best to all of you, Brian