Extreme sweats with chest pains

[roundsgirl]

Hey gang,
I hope this finds all of you doing well. I have a question about the sweating issue. Just to update my surgery was Jan 3rd, then I got pneumonia about a month out. Anyway, Sat my brother and I went to the Jockey lot, to look for a puppy and get some exercise. It wasn't long before I was sweating like crazy, my brother looked at me and said you don't look so good, I said good cause that would match the way I'm feeling. I was soaked, clammy and had been dealing with a headache for 5 days now, my chest was hurting, heavy feeling right in the center. My brother was freaking out had 911 on his cell phone ready to go. It was kinda funny, to see him doing that. Anyway, Sunday, I still felt crappy, chest hurting just uncomfortable. Then today, I said I'll get up and do some things around the house, same thing, it wasn't long before I was soaked, chest felt heavy, tight, something just doesn't feel right. I took my blood pressue, but it was fine 122/85. So I called my heart doc. he asked if I had been taking my temp., I said no, I didn't feel like I had a fever, so he instructed me to start checking it and keep a log. So far it has read a little below normal 97.3; 96.5 etc. He was concerned that I wasn't over the pneumonia, but I'm not congested, no coughing, I don't feel like I did with the pneumonia. Anyway, it was closing time when he called me back, but told me if it got worse or if I continued to feel this way go ahead and go to the ER, I'm trying not to go, I already owe them over 200 grand; and climbing with no insurance. There was one thing he said that has me puzzled, he said he wanted a blood culture, he stressed that if I went to the ER for me not to let them give me any antibodics before getting a blood culture first. What would that be about??? But more importantly than that have any of you felt this way after OHS. Oh yeah, I did mention the headaches, but there has been another pain, it feels exactly like pain I had when my pancreas was out of wack, high lipase and amalyse readings, was diagnosied with pancreatitis then. It is right below where the chest scar ends but above where the drainage tube scar is, but that is where it hurt before I ever had the surgery. It is so intense it will take my breath away, it happens a few times a day but usually only last around 5 minutes. I forgot to mention this to the doc. today. Sorry this is so long, I'm just wondering if any of this sounds like something any of you experienced. If I'm still this way tomorrow, I'm sure I'll be headed out to the doc.'s office.

Thanks in advance for any input; sorry it was so long.

Roundsgirl,
Lisa

 

[tcopel]

Lisa,
There is a laundry list of possibilities regarding the etiology of "sweats". It ranges from simple things as post menopausal symptoms to significant heart ischemia or angina where there is a blockage of blood flow to the heart to bacteremia (bacteria entering the blood stream from an infected source and settling on your heart valves). The latter etiology is what is diagnosed with "blood cultures" which your doc mentioned.

A couple of the things concern me. It seems that you were up and being physically active with the onset of the sweats and that you were having chest pains with it that is described as heavy and tight. This is not diagnostic of ischemia by any means but I would think this needs to be assessed sooner than later by your cardiologist.

If you throw in there that you've had pneunomia recently, then there is the issue of unresolved infections somewhere in the chest cavity (abscess,ect) that hasnt been irradicated with antibiotics yet.

The bottom line ,Lisa, is that it could be just a simple thing to take care of so I dont want to scare you. But on the other hand, this could signal some medical issue that needs to be taken care of now to prevent a larger and more threatning problem down the line. While I can understand your relunctance to go in to see the doc given your lack of insurance, I personally think you should go in. Thats just me but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Please let us all know what's going on and updated

 

[Phyllis]

Lisa, I hope you have gone to the ER by now or at very least are seeing the cardio this morning. Please let us know how you are this morning.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Lisa,

Whatever is causing your symptoms Needs to be Checked Out, the Sooner the Better.

Either your Primary Care Physician or Cardiologist should be involved. I would expect their charges would be way less than going to the ER.

Bottom Line: CALL one of your Doctors First Thing this morning and tell them you need to be seen TODAY to get to the root cause of these symptoms.

'AL Capshaw'