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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Sharp Pain In Chest On Left Side, Tightness In Left Arm. On Betabblockers For Tachycardia. Reason?

I am a 39 year old female. I keep having a sharp pain in my left chest followed by a tightness in my left arm . It is very brief in duration and happens a few times a day. i am currectly on 2 beta blockers for tachycardia . i have had several EKG s and recently had cardiac markers drawn (all normal) what could be going on?
Thu, 21 Mar 2013
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General & Family Physician,  's  Response
Hi,



Based on the information it seems like " ANGINA PECTORIS"



let me walk you through "Angina pectoris"
It means chest pain, now the reason for it is heart , even though it pumps the blood their are specific arteries called coronary arteries which supplies the blood to heart, now when the heart do not get enough blood/ blood has less oxygen in it will start sending the pain signal to the brain and some of it reaches to chest and arm as know as referred pain ,

This episode of heart running out or oxygen / not having enough supply leading to CHEST pain is called ANGINA PECTORIS .

Cause of not having enough blood reaching to coronary artery are as follow
1) spasm of the coronary artery
2) plaque formation / clot in the arteries obstructing the blood flow.

IN YOUR CASE SINCE THE EKG AS WELL AS CARDIAC MARKERS ARE NORMAL IT SEEMS THAT CAUSE IS MOSTLY THE SPASM OF THE "CORONARY ARTERY"



ADVICE:

CORONARY ANGIOGRAM NEEDS TO CHECK PARTIAL OBSTRUCTION (angiogram is process where dye is injected in to the coronary artery and the dye will be detected by the instruments showing any obstruction to flow to the dye if present.)



TREATMENT :
1) for spasm treatment a trial of calcium channels blocker can be done to see if it helps.
(2) where as the obstruction needs to be cleared out may be by stent placement
(3) treatment with nitroglycerin during episode may help.



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Sharp Pain In Chest On Left Side, Tightness In Left Arm. On Betabblockers For Tachycardia. Reason?

Hi, Based on the information it seems like ANGINA PECTORIS let me walk you through Angina pectoris It means chest pain, now the reason for it is heart , even though it pumps the blood their are specific arteries called coronary arteries which supplies the blood to heart, now when the heart do not get enough blood/ blood has less oxygen in it will start sending the pain signal to the brain and some of it reaches to chest and arm as know as referred pain , This episode of heart running out or oxygen / not having enough supply leading to CHEST pain is called ANGINA PECTORIS . Cause of not having enough blood reaching to coronary artery are as follow 1) spasm of the coronary artery 2) plaque formation / clot in the arteries obstructing the blood flow. IN YOUR CASE SINCE THE EKG AS WELL AS CARDIAC MARKERS ARE NORMAL IT SEEMS THAT CAUSE IS MOSTLY THE SPASM OF THE CORONARY ARTERY ADVICE: CORONARY ANGIOGRAM NEEDS TO CHECK PARTIAL OBSTRUCTION (angiogram is process where dye is injected in to the coronary artery and the dye will be detected by the instruments showing any obstruction to flow to the dye if present.) TREATMENT : 1) for spasm treatment a trial of calcium channels blocker can be done to see if it helps. (2) where as the obstruction needs to be cleared out may be by stent placement (3) treatment with nitroglycerin during episode may help.