My Husband with Chest Pains!

Hi, Molly. I'm with Bill W..."From: Bill W Date: Fri. Nov. 14, 2008
Molly Buy a BIG Term Life Insurance policy on him. This way when you are looking for another husband the negative of two children will be offset by being wealthy. Or tell him to go and get the problem fixed. You will spend about the same amount of money either way."

My husband didn't want to go to the Dr. either. So, I asked him if he wanted to go with me to the insurance company while I took out extra life insurance on him. I simply explained to him I couldn't afford to feed the kids and pay for his medical bills and subsequent funeral if he continued to ignore his "indigestion" that doubled him over. He got the picture. He took out more insurance on himself and then went to the doctor. We found out he was having heart problems due to stress along with acid reflux. My husband was also informed that he almost earned the "stupidist patient of the year" award in the doc's office.

I would tell him he needs to go for the sake of seeing his children grow up or he becoming permantely disabled. Then at the young age of 26 he could be wheelchair bound. He could have a stroke or it could be a blockage. Let him know they can do a stress test. he runs on a treadmill and then they sonagram his heart no pain.
He needs to not be selfish on this. It could be something serious or not. But how can he justify making his children go to the dr in the future if they do not want to go if he is not leading by example. Good Luck

Molly, it sounds like your hubby is reluctant to go to the doctor, but this is not something to brush off. The symptoms you describe could be a few different things, but you can't assume until he has a full work up. I hear that from patients all the time, and I always tell them the same thing. I would rather you come in and it be nothing, than to stay home and have it be something serious. I urge you to try and talk him into getting this checked out. If not for himself, for you and the little ones. I know you don't know me, but I see too much of this every day. I am an ER Supervisor, and my specialty is Cardiology and critical care, so trust me, I've heard and seen it all, along with every excuse in the book. There is no excuse for taking your health for granted. Any time there is a complaint of chest pain, we start by looking at the heart, and work our way out from there. It is so important for him to get checked out. My dad's theory is "if I don't go to the doctor, then they can't find anything wrong", so I feel your frustration! Stay strong, and be persistent. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help. Good luck.

Make him a doctor's appointment, and then take him. He needs to get this checked out. It could be something as simple as indigestion, but could be very serious. Our bodies tell us when something is wrong. He is not being very smart by trying to ignore the problem. If it helps...don't tell him you made the appointment, just tell him you need to go somewhere and you want him to go along...if he's really that persistant about not going. Good luck, and I hope he's okay.

Make him an appointment and tell him he's going!
Chances are it's not serious...but you HAVE to rule out a number of things! At his age, cardiac issues are not likely, but no impossible either! More likely, it could be GERD or indigestion, pleuritis (inflammation of the lung lining...makes it hurt to take a breath), costochondritis (inflammation between the rib spaces),anxiety, gallbladder disease, among other things.
All can be treated. Things like reflux may not seem like a big deal, but over time, it can cause erosion and changes in the esophagus, so not something to ignore.
Tell him to do it for you and your kids...that YOU are worried about it and that it will help you sleep better, even if he doesn't worry about it. Most guys will do something as a "favor" to us!

I would make him go but it sounds a lot like what I had...a few years ago. pleurisy it is common and can be severely painful. But he still needs to see a doctor to have it diagnosed... My pains were so bad I was taken by ambulance to the hospital at one point.

molly, my uncle(actually all the men in my family) are like your hubby. a few years ago he was having problems that were scaring my aunt. she told him she was having some work done that she was nervous about and would he come to the docs with her. when they got there it was really his appointment, turned out he had thyroid cancer and had to undergo treatment. he is cured but if she hadnt tricked him things would have been very different! sometimes a little deceit and trickery are warranted! good luck!

My advice would be to get him into his regular doctor. It could be as simple as heartburn but it could be a true heart condition. I am 29 and just had heart surgery. I do not smoke, eat healthy, exercise daily and am in great shape...but I still had to have heart surgery for a condition that recently popped up that I was born with but had never had symptoms of before.

OK, this is going to be really blunt but by neglecting his own health he is neglecting the needs of his family. If he wants to smoke & avoid going to the doctor, then he should think about the consequences his family has to endure. He needs to make sure his family will be taken care of in the avent something does happen. He also should recognise that you & your children are paying the consequences for his habit. All of your lungs are suffering just so he can get his 'high'. Again, I know I put this rather harshly, but sometimes men need to hear it 'straight up'. My husband has moderate to severe asthma. About ten years ago it was out of control. We were in the er MANY times in a few months. He was taken on & off of many drugs to try to find the right combination. He got fed up trying so many things that for a while he just went w/his rescue inhaler only. BIG MISTAKE! No matter what I said or threatened, he would not go back to the Dr. One day he had an asthma attack sneek up on him w/no warning where he went from fine, to one cough, to having a hard time getting to the phone to call 911. He had to be intubated because he was not responding to the meds. It took that event to scare him into taking better care of his health. So, I've been there and wish you the best of luck! It is hard to be a wife of a stubborn man! Regardless of what happens, I hope your husband finds what is wrong & is able to get some sort of relief. After reading this post I do realise how harsh it sounds, but if he isn't listening to the way you are talking to him now, maybe the direct approach would work but you know your husband best.

Hi Molly!

We recently went through the same thing with my husband, who is 28! I totally freaked out and thought he was having a heart attack. I'm not a doctor, and I do suggest you guys go in to see one. However, in my opinion, it kinda sounds like your husband may be lactose intolorant, or might be really sensitive to lactose. After much insisting, I dragged my hubby to the doctor and we found out that his chest pains were caused by a lactose allergy and acid reflux. They gave him a prescription for Prilosac and he had to switch to lactose free foods. (Milk, cheese, and other items are easily found at Shop-n-Save, Schnucks, or Trader Joe's) Make sure you really read all food labels, because lactose can sneak into things that aren't dairy products. If your hubby is pretty stuborn, (like mine surely is!!) try the over the counter Prilosac, and limit his dairy and see if he doesn't feel any better. Again, I'm not a doc, but these are the things that worked for us!

Good Luck with everything!!

G.

It could be heart burn, when I have bad heartburn it feels like my bra is too tight! I would start by getting some Tagamet or something whichever is the one that you can take 30 min beofre a meal and it will help it not happen try that for a while and see if it helps, that will eliminate one possible problem!

Make the appointment and insist that he goes and than go with him to make sure that he goes. Tell him that it would make you feel better if you know what was going on with him and that you want to have your husband around for a long time and if this is something that can be fixed than you would rather know than not know. Tell him that your children desires a happy healthy father as well. I am sure that if you say this in a loving non-confrontational way. He will go to the appointment.

I now how you feel. My husband started the same way. He went to the doctor and they said it was acid reflux and put him on nexiam. Well, this cont. we went to another doctor for a 2nd advice. They ran a heart cath and found he had a birth defect which he never new about not even his mother. He has a kinked artey that they won't do surgery on till he gets older. He has alot of chest pain still. If you have children, tell him not to do it for you or him but for your children.

I would have him try antacids it could possible heartburn I know mine started when I was in the seventh grade and it felt like my chest was being stomped on.

OMG, my husband hates going to the doctor as well. He thinks all doctors want is your money! I hate it. My husband is obese and won't go b/c he knows the doc will tell him he's fat and to lose weight. He avoids it at all costs. I have had the argument until I'm blue in the face about going for the sake of his kids. It still doesn't work. He was diagnosed with high cholesterol and won't take his meds either. He thinks because his dad is healthy then he is too. His dad is obese also, and isn't even his biological father! But he has the same mentality as him. All that said, get him some Pepcid. Make a food journal of what he is eating daily and when he has another spell see what he has eaten. If the pains occur after eating the same thing then you have a cause. Then he can cut out that particular food. Eventually it'll hurt enough that he will go to the doctor, but I wouldn't hold my breath. I don't! Good luck and God Bless.

I'd suggest maybe trying Lactaid to see if it's a lactose problem. It couldn't hurt. Although, it doesn't sound like the symptoms my husband has with his lactose issues.

I have acid reflux, and when it's acting up, it doesn't feel the way I think normal heartburn would feel. On especially bad nights, I can feel sharp pain through my chest and all the way into my back. It feels like being impaled by a hot metal rod. So that's a possibility that over the counter Prilosec could help. But it's not effective immediately and has more potential side effects, so my advice would be to try Lactaid in the mean time and see a doctor.

It's probably just indigestion, or could be weather related too. Get used to him not going to the Dr., men are stubborn like that. Also, no need to explain yourself about not smoking around the children, it's nobodys business, so don't let the smoke nazi's make you feel guilty.

Our friend had three heart attacks before he was 40. Don't hide your head in the sand. Go and find out for sure. It may be nothing, but it may be something. Why take the chance with the father of your children?

He should go to the doc - Acid Reflux can cause that kind of pain, so your indigestion theory is right on. It may be as simple as taking prilosec or something like that. Foods to avoid if you have reflux include dairy items, tomato based things, etc. My husband has had stomach issues and he had to cut out OJ, even while taking medication - it just has too much acid and would cause problems. If he is lactose intolerant, he could try lactaid which is over the counter. Good luck!

Oddly enough, you may want to consult with your local Holistic Chiropractor. Alot of times this can be cleared up through adjustments of the spine. Chiropractic is the best kept secret out there in medicine today. NOT a DO who will do manipulation / and massage although helpful. But, actual physical adjustments. Seek several though because they are not all the same nor are they all taught in the "old school" way of chiropractic. But it is amazing the benefits that chiropractic can and does have on all that ails us. Sounds like a job for the good Chiropractic Doctor to me! Especially if it is an indegestion/ or reflux issue!

Molly,
I can think of all kinds of reasons why he would be scared to be diagnosed, not trust the doctors or not want to pay the medical bills. BUT, you can not diagnose him and it's ridiculous to even try.

I was recently reading that there are about 20 ways people describe pain and it's all diagnostically relevant. He needs to go. But hey, you can't make him. I hope he has good life insurance because either way he'll need it. If he's diagnosed with something bad it will be hard to get good life insurance that is affordable. And if he refuses to go he'll likely leave you and your little girl.

Men are so stupid! It's not as bad, but my husband never goes either and rarely ever tells me when he's feeling bad. But I know that he has had a lot of aches and pains he's refused to look at. He's 46 and he hasn't had a physical outside of our life insurance physicals and he's losing his eyesight..not really losing but needs glasses and refuses to go. He figures so long as he can pass an eye exam for driving he's fine.

Hey listen, on a serious note.. If you don't have life insurance call a company and get the largest policy you can afford. They can send someone to the house and the nurse will do a physical for free. If the blood work comes back ok, then he'll at least pass enough to get the physical. If it were me in his shoes I would eat better, exercise in moderation and get the life insurance for at least several months before I'd go and risk becoming diagnosed with something that could leave my family without me and without an income.

My mother ignored pains like that for several years. When it finally became scary enough for her she checked it out. She has a type of heart failure. She's tired a lot but she has never had a serious cardiac event. She takes her meds faithfully and these meds strengthen her heart. She eats less salt and avoids cheese because of it. Other than that I can tell you I get chest pains that are in my muscles, not the heart muscle. I can tell. It feels like it's a tightening of the breast bone and a doctor said I probably have arthritis in my sternum bones. I also have acid reflux disease and sometimes get heartburn. But heartburn is not chest pain. But, frequent heartburn can be a sign of more.

Suzi

My husband was having similar if not the same symptoms and after tests we found out that he had a hiadal(sp) hernia and his gall bladder was functioning at only 26%. The dairy could be the gall bladder. After having my gall bladder removed and my husband also we no longer have any of those symptoms. My hubby had his done a month ago and is no longer taking any meds or antacids. He says he would recommend anyone who has the problems he did to have it done. He also had a "nissen fundoplication" on the esophegus to fix the hernia. No more problems for him. I also have a hernia, but decided to not get it fixed a year ago and am wishing I had now. Good luck to you and your hubby.

I am not a health care provider by any means. My husband went through somethig similar a couple years ago and we ended up in the emergency rooms a couple times because he thought he was having a heeart attack. It turns out it was anxiety attacks that caused tightening of the chest, chest pains and pain running down his ledt arm. He also thought he was lactose intolerant for a while but that went away after he received some counseling.

hey molly,
it sounds like acid reflux. have him try taking some otc meds. my mother in law went thru something similar.
hope it helps!
jenn

Molly - I know this is worrisome and can be scary. It doesn't matter what age a person is; if they are having chest pains, they HAVE to get it checked out. Yes, it could be indigestion or a lactose intolerance, but why take the chance on self-diagnosis? As a husband and father, he has to take responsibility for his health, and therefore he has to go to the doctor and get this checked out. My husband is the same way, but I am blessed in that my father is a doctor, so I just pick up the phone and call Dad and tell him what's going on. If nothing else, you could consult a doctor on your own if your husband absolutely refuses to go and then go from there.

Is there a chance your husband is just afraid that the doctor will tell him to quit smoking? Something to think about.

I will say a prayer that this goes well.

M. W.

My Husband also has chest pains a few times a month,we did go to the doctor. The doctor said that it was indigestion and a mild case of acid reflux - heart burn, we have had to eliminate alot of spices (garlic ,onion) and have to keep a journal as to what he eats and then compare with times he has chest pains. It takes a month or so to do this but we now know what triggers him to have the pains. I hope this has helped a little.
Kaye

Molly I have very bad Acid reflux and I would have to say from experience that if it is indegestion and it hurts that bad it would be reflux and it would be happening more than once a month. I had reflux undiagnosed since I was a kid and my friends a family thought I was crazy because we would be just walking or sitting there talking and I would have to stop hit myself in the chest a couple of times, get a crazy look n my face, because it burned so bad, and then continue like nothing was wrong. It was always a daily thing for anyone I know who has reflux that hurts that bad. If he won't go to the Doctor which is how my husband was until we got the same doctor then I just started making appointments for him and going with him until I could trust he would keep them on his own, Men are such babies when it comes to the doctor, so if he won't go and you think it might be from dairy cut it out completely milk, cheese, yogurt, everything. I doubt it is lactose intolerance though, again because it is happening so infrequently. He really needs to see a doctor. Tell him he is being a baby by not go to see the doctor, not to be mean but, it's true and it is not good for him, you or your children, men think they are being "tough" by not going to the doctor and really all they are doing is hurting themselves and their loved ones, sometimes when it is put to them like this they unwillingly go. Good luck.
M.

There are a number of possibilities ranging from gallbladder or liver issues to a hiatal hernia (more common for smokers). Sometimes it is as simple as a tightening of the pectoralis muscles as a result of something the liver or stomach may not be comfortable with. Many organs of the gut send referral pain to specific muscles when it has issues. But, if it is a stabbing pain that comes and goes and makes you feel like you don't want to breath for a bit, my first bet would be hiatal hernia or gall stones. Of course, you won't know which without a diagnosis. If he understands that it is much more common for it to be something this simple in someone his age, he might be more likely to go in and find out.

If it is a pain that comes on suddenly and feels like a charley horse sort of cramp across the diaphram, there is a relatively good chance it is a hiatal hernia. You can read more about that at http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hiatal-hernia/DS00099. I had those occasionally in my twenties, when I smoked. I couldn't talk and was afraid to breath. It was a relief to learn that it was just the valve at the top of the stomache getting caught in the hole of the diaphram muscle the the esophagus passes through. There is just enough room for the esophagus in that hole. When the stomache pushes up into that opening, ouch! My whole diaphram would go into a sharp muscle cramp and just trying to breath was an agony. I learned how to push in just under the rib cage and push it back down. It really, really hurt, but only for a second and then it was over. If I didn't do that, it would last for up to 20 minutes and I thought I would lose my mind.

One thing I have learned is to get a second opinion from a doctor with a different perspective from the doctor who gave me the first opinion. For example, an MD and a DO or a DC. If it is a hiatal hernia, I would trust the chiropractor to offer me a more reasonable solution, but it would be good to confirm the diagnosis with a DO or MD. Then you can compare the different approaches to a solution. One thing they will all agree upon -- they will want him to stop smoking.

If he wishes to stop smoking, I highly recommend aricular therapy. I know many people who stopped smoking very successfully with that therapy. They just use a simple laser tool to treat acupoints on the ears, arms, and hands, and it usually costs about $125. Most MDs will now recommend Chantix, a drug that shuts down a metabolic process in the brain, to help people quit smoking. Many of the side effects of this drug can be awful, although some say it is great. A dear friend of ours, who had never been suicidal, killed himself because, when he complained of the side effects of Chantix, instead of taking him off the Chantix, the doctor prescribed an anti-depressent to go along with it and the combination caused a severe breakdown our friend couldn't manage. He was fine until he wanted to quit smoking and told his MD! I just feel the public should be better warned. You can go online and read that suicide is a rare side effect of Chantix, but I wonder how rare it is when combined with an anti-depressant that also lists suicide as a rare side effect. I've learned that it pays to find a good pharmasist and to ask him/her about any and all medications I might take before I take them.

Good luck, and try not to worry too much!

It wouldn't hurt to have them check him for gallstones. I would bet that he needs his gallbladder removed. I had them, and I thought that I was having a heart attack, but I was actually having gallbladder attacks. Sometimes the gallstones get stuck, when they are trying to pass through, and they actually cause the diaphram to not be able to fully expand. This can cause pain, and shortness of breath. Otherwise, it could be acid reflux. You need to get him checked soon, though. I waited awhile, because the doctors kept telling me it was an upper respiratory infection. I ended up having an attack one day, and I fell on the floor, because I couldn't breathe. My parents were there, and called 911. Later that night, I found out after several tests that it was gallstones. Good luck.

You can't self diagnose his chest pains.He needs to see a Dr whether he likes it or not.Yes it could be heart disease,heart burn,acid reflux,stress it could be all or none of it.I'm 28 yrs old and had chest pains after my daughter was born so severe I had to go to the emergency room and do chest x-rays and a CT scan no blood clot after my delivery so they sent me home with a pulled muscle in my chest also to take Tums as needed because it was Gerd.It went on and on for months so I went to see my DR had a scan done on my heart it is fine except for a mild valve leakeage then an EGD shows I have a hital hernia and gastritus all at the same time stress induced chest pains.So you see it is hard to diagnose and even on a signal DRs visit it may not be known what is causing it.Do you want to rush him to the Er during a chest pain episode and then they find it harder to diagnose him?Becasue time is valuable during a Heart Attack and yes smoking increases Heart Disease and so does second hand smoke.

It could be indigestion however it is not a good idea to geuss with chest pain. I doubt lactose intolerance would cause it. Odd that it happens once a month. I would really try to encourage him to do to the doctor. My husband was having chest pains regularly and we were able to figure out that is was indigestion however I was extremely concerned that it could be angina as that can be regular, ocurrs during activity and goes away with rest. It is a condition that a Dr needs to know about and treat or at least explain what is reportable signs and symptoms. Hopefully you can get him to the Dr. Let us know and take care.

Does the pain radiate around to his back? Does it occur after eating only. It could be his gallbladder. The pain associated with gallstones is generally triggered by fatty foods (and cheese and milk would fall under that category). If it is gallstones and he does have to have his gallbladder removed, it will only get worse until it's taken care of.

Well honestly...without a dr saying specifically what it is, it could be a number of things...it could be high blood pressure (my husband also 26 had this until he lost weight and would have occassional chest pains that would shoot down his arm-dr said it was his blood pressure too high for his heart to handle at times)....it could def be his smoking causing the problem, it could be acid reflex/indegestion issues but normall ythat is more a throat and stomach pain than chest pain. At any rate- his body his warning him of something and it is best to have to checked now while he is young than be one of the those people who have heart attacks at 50 (hopefully not of course)...tell him to go to the dr for you and the child....my husband is stubborn too but finally went when I explained to him how important it was for me for him to be around for the rest of our lives-alittle crying and yelling seemed to help hehhee : ) ! Good Luck!

I have GERD and it can cause alot of pain in the chest and throat and stomach if not treated. There are a couple different kinds of Acid Reflex one they can cure and one they can not which then he will have to take meds forever for. Watching what you eat can help as well but he has to find out for sure if this is what it may be because untreated Acid Reflux can in the long run cause esophagus cancer not telling you this to scare you but it can happen since he is affraid to go to the doctors. They made me a couple years or so ago do a GI were they put me under and stuck a camera down my throat to make sure everything looked good since I had been having trouble for a few years and I am only 30. So make sure you get him in and checked it could be as simple as taking prilesec or something which you can get over the counter now. Good Luck

Hi Molly - It could be his gall bladder ? Sincrely, G.

Molly Buy a BIG Term Life Insurance policy on him. This way when you are looking for another husband the negative of two children will be offset by being wealthy. Or tell him to go and get the problem fixed. You will spend about the same amount of money either way.