Heart attacks-women vs. men

[tigercat]

I have heard about the difference men are treated over women for heart attacks but not I believe it. Last year in June I thought someone was sitting on my chest and squeezing it. I could hardly breath, I didn't feel very good and was confused. I called the help line we have here and they called an ambulance to come and get me. I was at the hospital a few hours. They took an EKG(?), and blood work. My TSH enzyme levels were really high. They kept me for a few hours and the levels started going down a little so they told me I was okay, it was just in my head. I must have been lifting something very heavy or running very hard when this started. I was in the car driving and had not lifted anything but fine. We went camping and I spent it laying down because of the pain. Now a year later, my db goes to the hospital with the same symptoms. He is put in ICU and has been there since Tues. They have found nothing wrong on the monitored EKG, the enzyme levels have been fine and every other test they have done is normal. They won't let him out yet because there are a few more tests they want to run before letting him go. Why the difference?
tigercat

 

[imgoingtodisney]

My 51yr brother just had a massive heart attack, no symptoms leading up to it. He had a double bypass May 12th. The 3rd artery is buried inside the heart so they couldnt get to it. At a later date they will do an angioplasty. My father died of heart disease at 71, had 2 bypasses before that at earlier ages. We now know this is hereditary. My younger brother (40) hasnt gone for testing yet.

I started eating low fat this past Mon (w/help from WISH board and fitday.com). Went to doc this past Thurs to get myself checked. Had EKG (fine), sent home w/papers on how to lower my cholesterol. Doc did tell me 1of3 women die from heart disease and my risk is higher since it's hereditary. Fri went for bloodwork - they are doing 5types of tests, had 4vials taken. They scheduled me for a nuclear stress test June 17&18 - 1st day for test and pics, 2nd day for pics.

 

[tigercat]

I understand the need for testing and my df had a heart attack and bypass surgeries, but why the difference in treatment? I had basically no tests except the blood work which indicated that the chest and heart muscle had had a problem. I was let go and told it was all in my head. Probably a panic attack. Now I have panic attacks and I know what they are like and this was definitely not a panic attack. My db on the other hand has no elevated anything and is being tested and watched. I am happy my db is getting care but worry that as a women I am not going to get the same kind of care. It is just in my head remember. So if I die of a heart attack will that mean it was really just in my head? I have had another episode of this but I waited it out and really watched everything I did. I did not go to the Dr's because "it is in my head" and they have told me not to waste their time.
tigercat

 

[Blondie]

I think medical professionals are starting to take women more seriously when it comes heart related issues.

I've been having lots of PVC's, palpitations and tachycardia lately. When I went to my MD, he did a ton of bloodwork; Cholesterol, Comprehensive Metaboloic Panel, Hepatic Function Panel, Thyroid Studies, CBC. All came back within normal limits, Cholesterol is fine. He has did an EKG in the office too, ofcourse nothing showed up at the time! But he did notice how my heart was racing! Oh...and blood pressure is good too (124/60)

Anyway, he has scheduled a Nuclear Stress Test with a Cardiologist of my choosing, I'll have it done on June 3rd, and it's being done in one day. ImgoingtoDisney, why are they breaking yours up into two days?

I'll have a radioactive dye injected into an IV they'll start, then they'll do the ECG (pictures of my heart) while at rest, then they'll work me out on the treadmill, inject more dye, then watch it go through my heart while it's "stressed."

Hopefully, what I've been having are normal "benign" PVC's.

We'll see.

Tigercat, if I were told it was "all in my head, and not to waste their time," I'd be switching doctors!

 

[MomE@Home]

tigercat, The same thing happened to my DM. She was rushed to the hospital with the same symptons as you described and they tried to poo-poo it also. My DM is 70 yrs. with high cholesterol and a family history of heart disease(her father died of a heart attack). All of this info. is in her chart and they still tried to say it was all in her head and that it was most likely a panic attack. I had to fight tooth & nail to get them to properly test and treat her ! I have read also on the topic of a double standard when it comes to health care. I think that because of this double standard a lot of women are not getting the proper care and treatment they need. Also, we are not given enough credit that we know our own bodies and can tell if somthing is'nt "right". You have to be firm with the doctors and if they won't listen then find one that will.

 

[Pin Wizard]

Is your cardiologist male or female? I've heard that females are more prone to watch the symptoms that females will have. They can be quite different that what males have. I've got a female cardiologist. It's been a couple years since I've seen her (thanks to managed care! ) At my visit with my GP last month, he decided I should see a cardiologist because of tachycardia. Now all of a sudden? I've been complaining of this for the past 4 or 5 years! I mentioned it to the cardiiologist back when, and she adjusted meds which seemed to help a bit, but not much! We'll see what they say this time.

 

[tigercat]

My family Dr. is female but the Internist (I am in a small town and unless he says so you stay in your small town) was male. I am going back to my Dr. for a physical in a couple of weeks and I am going to mention this all to her. I talked to my dm today about my db and they have done more tests and nothing at all so far. I am happy he is getting looked after but just wonder what is really going on with me. I have been told so many times that things are "in my head" that I am really getting tired of it all. I told my dh that if I die of a heart attack sue the Dr. and get lots of money out of him.LOL But I am really angry that there really is a different standard for women than there are for men. It's as if they are saying that men are more important than women. AHHHHHHH
tigercat

 

[cassie]

I too have a family history of heart disease. My DM died at 50 of a massive heart attack. My brother and two male cousins have all had heart attacks in their forties. DB just had a triple bypass. I'm lucky that my doctor has seen that I've been thoroughy checked out with a cardiologist. My bp is generally 110/60 which is good. Cholersterol is under control with meds. I recently had a stress test done with an echo-cardiogram. I don't know if that's the nuclear test, as I was injected with dye during the test.

I've read that EKG's do not pick up symptons of heart disease in women. The echo-cardiogram is a better test.

I might mention, when my DM had her attack at work she was rushed to the hospital with severe chest pains. They did an EKG on her, and it was normal!! When they stood her up for xrays (this was in the late 60's), she died. An autopsy was done, and one artery had burst, and another was hanging by threads.

 

[imgoingtodisney]

Im not sure why they are breaking up the testing in 2 days. In the docs office (woman) I was told the test was performed and 4hrs later would be more xrays. When they called to tell me when the nuclear stress test was scheduled for they said June 17th 2hrs and June 18th 1hr for more pics. They also told me the paperwork is in the mail so hopefully in a few more days I'll understand more.

 

[tigercat]

I too have read that EKG's don't always show a problem with the heart. I have heard that a normal stress test can also lead to a false negative, that if you are having a problem in a certain way it will show up (I can't remember what the problem was) but otherwise it was useless. There was a baseball player just recently that died of a heart attack after passing a stress test. The test I am talking about is: you are hooked up to an EKG monitor and then get on a tread mill for about 15-20 min. No dye or anything else (well except your pulse and blood pressure is taken) is used. That is the only thing I had and that was almost a month - month and a half later. My BP is generally low--100/55-60 but at that point it rose to 170/100. They also said that that was okay and didn't believe that generally I have low blood pressure.
tigercat

 

[off2disney]

A report I heard today on the news indicated a link about womem snoring and heart desease; that if a woman snored regularly it indicated a 1/3 increased risk for heart disease (they have known for YEARS that men who snored had an increased risk for heart disease...apparently they're just now getting around to studing women for an increased risk.....as you say, the 'ol double standard for men and women. The study shows that women who even snore occassionally have an increased risk. But I too have seen that most doctors do not treat men and women's symptoms the same.

 

[SnowAngel]

I agrre. I also have trouble with this. It gets to the point where they keep saying it's all in your head or you are making it up, gets to the point where you don't even want to go.
I have a family history of heart attacks. My db had one at 19 and died at 28 of a second one. My father had one in his 40s, My Mom had one at 49, my ggrandfather died at 32 of a heart attack and so one. It's funny because they ask are you sure?
Me, I have pvcs, angina attacks, high blood pressure, high cholestrol and they still don't take me serious because I am only 30 and female. Told dh, guess they'll believe me when I die otherwise I'm not going to the doctor anymore.

 

[tigercat]

I was just wondering, what could we do as women to change this? If I hear one more Dr. tell me that everything is in my head and that all I have to do is get off the couch and stop eating donuts to lose wait I may just stuff an apple in his mouth. They don't listen to you when you say things and make up their minds before they even really talk to you. They take a look at you and decide. They just discovered that I have Hashimoto's disease. That is a autoimmune disease of the thyroid. Now, I told them when I was 28 that something was wrong with my thyroid but it took them 15 yrs. to actually diagnose it, because they just decided that I was overweight because I didn't do anything. I wish. Now the heart thing is coming up. Does anyone have any idea's on how we can change this?
tigercat

 

[MomE@Home]

I just noticed that you are from Canada. I know that the health care system is different there than in the US. Our family doctor is from Canada and he moved here because he said Canadas system stinks. My advice to you is to seek a second opinion and if that doesn't work get a third, fourth ect.. untill you find someone who will listen to you. A lot of people just do what their doctors tell them without question and I think that's the biggest problem.

 

[Blondie]

Wow Tigercat, your story makes me glad I have the primary physician I do. He has never dismissed me in any way, and has never said anything derogatory like "get off the couch and stop eating donuts, etc.!" If so, I'd leave his practice!

Imgoingtodisney, the Nuclear Stress Test I'm having will take at a minimum of 3 hours, at least that is what my paperwork says.

I still don't understand why they are breaking yours up into 2 days?

 

[tigercat]

I don't think the system stinks up here but it is different. Here you don't have to pay but the wait can kill you..LOL. However, my dh would have to make a lot more money in order to afford medical treatment in the States. I like my family Dr. but I have to be referred to a specialist and when the specialist has already said nothing is wrong then.....I can't wait for my appointment in June to ask her the question as to what makes the difference.
tigercat