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Suggest Treatment For Severe Chest Pain And Anxiety
Question: Description of myself:
- 20 years old
- Male
- 5'10, 215lbs.
- Smokes marijuana daily (for about 3-4 years), uses about 1 gram or less per day. 75% of the time is with dry herb vaporizer (suppose to be healthier?)
- Does NOT currently smoke tobacco, but ages 15 and 16 smoked cigarettes. Have not smoked tobacco since
- drinks on occasion
- no family history of heart disease, cancer, etc.
- history of anxiety - was on Zoloft about 2years ago
- last physical was February 29, 2016 - everything normal - blood pressure/ cholesterol was normal
- last EKG occurred about 2 years ago - results proved good health
- Diet: lots of carbs/meats/sugars/. Little veggies/fruits. Diet of approximately 2,000+ cal. per day, no Daily Vitamins, less than 1 gallon of water/ day
- Exercise: on average less than 30min/day - no working out
- Sleep: 7.5hr/night avg.
Description of Symptoms:
- Fleeting chest pain in the left of my chest - comes and goes
- Pain began to be noticeable about 24hours from writing this
- Can be sharp, or ache. Comes and goes, occurs usually once an hour or two. First pain was sharp, but pain has been more dull and mild since
- Pain is very mild to somewhat mild. Does not go away with movement, breathing, stretching, etc.
- Pain is stronger after consuming beverages (coffee, water), meals, and smoking or vaporizing Marijuana
- No breathing issues, no other pain. Pain is contained in just the upper left of my chest around my heart.
- irregular heart beat is rare but does occur sometimes. When it does occur, it is usually after smoking marijuana, consuming beverages, eating meals
I am planning on changing my lifestyle to exercise 1 hr/day, eat full serving of fruits/veggies per day, and get more sleep (8-10hr) to remedy the issue. I also plan to cut back on Marijuana use. I have an appointment to have a physical exam on February 10th, 2017; at the physical I will tell my doctor the symptoms listed above.
My question is:
1. Are my symptoms showing signs of serious heart problems? Are my arteries being clogged? Am I at risk for a heart attack, diabetes, etc.
2. Should I consult my physician sooner than February 10th about my symptoms?
3. With the lifestyle changes I have planned, will my symptoms be remedied?
4. What other steps should I be taking to ensure I am in good heart health?
- 20 years old
- Male
- 5'10, 215lbs.
- Smokes marijuana daily (for about 3-4 years), uses about 1 gram or less per day. 75% of the time is with dry herb vaporizer (suppose to be healthier?)
- Does NOT currently smoke tobacco, but ages 15 and 16 smoked cigarettes. Have not smoked tobacco since
- drinks on occasion
- no family history of heart disease, cancer, etc.
- history of anxiety - was on Zoloft about 2years ago
- last physical was February 29, 2016 - everything normal - blood pressure/ cholesterol was normal
- last EKG occurred about 2 years ago - results proved good health
- Diet: lots of carbs/meats/sugars/. Little veggies/fruits. Diet of approximately 2,000+ cal. per day, no Daily Vitamins, less than 1 gallon of water/ day
- Exercise: on average less than 30min/day - no working out
- Sleep: 7.5hr/night avg.
Description of Symptoms:
- Fleeting chest pain in the left of my chest - comes and goes
- Pain began to be noticeable about 24hours from writing this
- Can be sharp, or ache. Comes and goes, occurs usually once an hour or two. First pain was sharp, but pain has been more dull and mild since
- Pain is very mild to somewhat mild. Does not go away with movement, breathing, stretching, etc.
- Pain is stronger after consuming beverages (coffee, water), meals, and smoking or vaporizing Marijuana
- No breathing issues, no other pain. Pain is contained in just the upper left of my chest around my heart.
- irregular heart beat is rare but does occur sometimes. When it does occur, it is usually after smoking marijuana, consuming beverages, eating meals
I am planning on changing my lifestyle to exercise 1 hr/day, eat full serving of fruits/veggies per day, and get more sleep (8-10hr) to remedy the issue. I also plan to cut back on Marijuana use. I have an appointment to have a physical exam on February 10th, 2017; at the physical I will tell my doctor the symptoms listed above.
My question is:
1. Are my symptoms showing signs of serious heart problems? Are my arteries being clogged? Am I at risk for a heart attack, diabetes, etc.
2. Should I consult my physician sooner than February 10th about my symptoms?
3. With the lifestyle changes I have planned, will my symptoms be remedied?
4. What other steps should I be taking to ensure I am in good heart health?
Brief Answer:
I would recommend as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Welcome and thank you for asking on HCM!
I carefully passed through your question and would explain as follows:
Your symptoms are not typical of any cardiac disorders. The fact that the pain is triggered by beverages, may be indicative of gastritis or gastro-esophageal reflux.
Anyway, you should know that marijuana increases up to 5 times the risk of a heart attack during the first hours after smoking it. From the other hand the chronic intake of marijuana can cause chronic changes in the arteries, including coronary arteries, leading to increased risk for coronary artery disease. So, it increases your risk for a heart attack.
The fact that you feel palpitations time after time, may be related to a cardiac arrhythmia induced by marijuana. Anxiety could also trigger this symptomatology.
Coming to this point, I would strongly encourage you to stop smoking marijuana.
Consulting with your attending physician is necessary for a physical exam and some tests to investigate for the possible causes underlying your symptoms:
- a resting ECG and a cardiac ultrasound
- a chest X ray study
- complete blood count, PCR, ESR for inflammation
- blood electrolytes for possible electrolyte imbalance
- thyroid hormones for possible thyroid dysfunction
A cardiac stress test would help investigate for coronary artery disease.
Meanwhile, I recommend starting an antiacid. If it helps relieve your symptoms, it means that your medical consult may wait until February 10th (because your symptoms could be related to gastritis or gastro-esophageal reflux). Otherwise, it is necessary to consult with your doctor as soon as possible.
I think that the lifestyle modifications that you have planned to make will help improve your situation.
Reducing carbohydrates and increase fibers in your diet may be helpful too.
A lot of physical activity is also helpful in improving your clinical situation and your physical performance (including a better management of anxiety).
Hope you will find this answer helpful!
Feel free to ask me again whenever you need!
Kind regards,
Dr. Iliri
I would recommend as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Welcome and thank you for asking on HCM!
I carefully passed through your question and would explain as follows:
Your symptoms are not typical of any cardiac disorders. The fact that the pain is triggered by beverages, may be indicative of gastritis or gastro-esophageal reflux.
Anyway, you should know that marijuana increases up to 5 times the risk of a heart attack during the first hours after smoking it. From the other hand the chronic intake of marijuana can cause chronic changes in the arteries, including coronary arteries, leading to increased risk for coronary artery disease. So, it increases your risk for a heart attack.
The fact that you feel palpitations time after time, may be related to a cardiac arrhythmia induced by marijuana. Anxiety could also trigger this symptomatology.
Coming to this point, I would strongly encourage you to stop smoking marijuana.
Consulting with your attending physician is necessary for a physical exam and some tests to investigate for the possible causes underlying your symptoms:
- a resting ECG and a cardiac ultrasound
- a chest X ray study
- complete blood count, PCR, ESR for inflammation
- blood electrolytes for possible electrolyte imbalance
- thyroid hormones for possible thyroid dysfunction
A cardiac stress test would help investigate for coronary artery disease.
Meanwhile, I recommend starting an antiacid. If it helps relieve your symptoms, it means that your medical consult may wait until February 10th (because your symptoms could be related to gastritis or gastro-esophageal reflux). Otherwise, it is necessary to consult with your doctor as soon as possible.
I think that the lifestyle modifications that you have planned to make will help improve your situation.
Reducing carbohydrates and increase fibers in your diet may be helpful too.
A lot of physical activity is also helpful in improving your clinical situation and your physical performance (including a better management of anxiety).
Hope you will find this answer helpful!
Feel free to ask me again whenever you need!
Kind regards,
Dr. Iliri
Note: click here to Consult a cardiac surgeon online. to know the best treatment option for your heart-related issues
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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