[Closed] Chest Pain when riding - that can't be good.

do I need to see a GP

Very much yes.

GPs surgeries, in my limited experience, aren't places to be afraid of at the moment.

111 now! FFS

Urgently get checked out !!

If it really is exercised induced asthma then be prepared - you'll have every pro cycling team trying to sign you up.

Anyone got any other ideas or advice?

`Yes, travel back in time and ring 999 as you showed cardiac symptoms. So if you can’t do that then yes 111.

🤷🏻‍♂️

Is it likely to be something that will sort itself out, or do I need to see a GP. I’m reluctant in the current situation.

I'd talk to your GP no question. Or call 111 but be aware that 111 operators aren't generally medics, so while you may get called back by a practitioner, mostly the person who answers the phone will go through a list of pre-written questions.

I wouldn't be wary of using the NHS. GP surgeries are taking precautions - phone consultations, PPE, careful vetting / triage - and anything to do with chest pain is potentially serious. If nothing else, if you get tested, you have some reassurance that everything's okay. If it's not, you're taking the first steps to getting it fixed.

Edit: I can't believe you didn't take action when this first happened btw. I had probably covid-19 related chest pain and numb left arm and my GP sent me straight to A&E for tests.

If I'd had a possible heart attack it would be a toss up between ringing 111(or even 999) or waiting a week and then seeking advice on a mountain biking forum 😗

Do you think you had COVID-19? If so, was it relatively mild?

While it could be something more serious, it could simply be you are sometimes pushing too hard, too soon, after the above.

Do you think you had COVID-19? If so, was it relatively mild?

While it could be something more serious, it could simply be you are sometimes pushing too hard, too soon, after the above.

I wondered that. I had similar symptoms - as above, all tests checked out okay - the missus, who had much milder (probable) symptoms and was still having mad random HR spikes four or five weeks later.

But even if you have had covid-19, you still want to get it checked out.

I used 111 yesterday (ongoing significant hip pain). Called back by a doctor who then fixed me an appointment (2 hours later)at the local minor injuries unit. Checked out there by a doctor. Couldn't fault the service.

Had the same experience as @Squirrel (well the wife has). Excellent telephone/video sessions with the GP. Visits arranged to hospitals for tests and scans. Had to drive a bit further as here they seem to be using the community hospitals for non-COVID stuff. Ring them!

Do work in the business so have some idea. Really is worth getting this looked into. I would go via the 111 route today (as it's a bank holiday) if you are at all unwell. If not then via own GP tomorrow. While there is a very high chance this could turn out to be something minor and transient I did end up doing CPR on a 40 year old chap (good outcome) a couple of years ago who had ignored symptoms he thought were nothing.

go directly to any hospital ,walk in and tell them you've had chest pains.

Do not wait. Small heart attacks are the growlers before the big one strikes.

One of the fellows on Retrobike has a similar experience, took a bit unwell and pain in a ride, but went home and even cleaned the bike before contacting the hospital who said he'd has a couple or 3 or so mini heart attacks, which were the little warnings of approaching doom.
I should look out the thread, and theres actually a few.

Its Monday morning, everything is running, so get yourself there sharpish. If it isnt the heart, they will tel you and will be better able to understand your symptoms than here.
Could be an asthmatic thing, but then again.

Not to sound the alarm, but my mate had chest pains and tingly feet back before christmas. He ignored it as his wife's father chose that moment to pass away so they were back and forth to Ireland a lot to sort it out. Did the Strathpuffer then earlier this year and did his final munro. Then a couple of weeks later he dropped dead of massive heart failure while out on a gentle MTB ride with friends. We buried him just before COVID 19 kicked off. He was 51 and the fittest bloke you would be ever likely to meet.

So don't delay. Get it checked out now.

Another lad I ride with had chest pains and struggled to get back to the car while out on a solo walk 2 years back and he went straight to the docs. 2 hours later he was in the hospital cardiac ward and the next day had 6 stents fitted. He was also 51 at the time. He has since made a full recovery and still rides with us.

Get a proper go appointment, today if possible or get yourself to your nearest walk in centre/ urgent treatment centre. They are very good , ime.

As the others have said - thats classic cardiac pain / symptoms. You need real medical advice ASAP

I had chest pains (due to Covid flu that wouldn't go away after 5 weeks) and so on advice of a GP friend rang 111 who said go to A&E.

First thing they do is heart ECG to check that is Ok. If it is then they spend ages trying to work out what is wrong but have a good look for anything potentially really bad before sending you home.

The ECG tells them really fast whether to worry (took less than 5 mins including hitching up my shirt to be covered in stickers). Just ring 111 and go to A&E with a good book. The staff are lovely and at least then you know whether to worry 😊

PS my troubles fortunately seems to be nearly worked out, partly thanks to the lovely folk in A&E and outpatients over a few days.

I had your symptoms 11 weeks ago and like you put it down to a chest infection went to GP 4 days later when the chest pain really became a Pain I was given an ECG, then it as blue lights to hospital, all the advice was, I should have rung 999 and if I have anymore symptoms do the same as the ambulance has ECG facilities and they will assess if it is a heart issue, please do it now and not later like I did.

Get it looked at ASAP; it certainly sounds like it could be cardiac related.

I had 2 heart attacks in 5 months or so despite being given a lifestyle risk score of less than 5 percent (the first, whilst out cycling, was a biggie, the second, fortunately, only minor) and I'm still suffering with angina.

There's always the chance that it's nothing major but then again it might not be; why risk it? The frightening thing about hearts is just how easily they can fail (sometimes completely).

Please don't risk it and if you get any similar pain call 999.

If you ring 111 with those symptoms they’ll tell you to go head to A&E straight away.

I would be proceeding straight to A+E.

And don't be concerned about the current 'situation' as hospitals are quieter, safer and more efficient than ever - as everyone is (wrongly) staying away thru covid fear!

Yep, my dad was getting chest pains during exercise, had pins and needles down his arm one night and dropped dead next day playing cricket. He was 44 and a keen sportsman, football, cricket etc.

For a bit of balance a year or two ago I woke up feeling like shit and had chest pains and tingly left hand. 101 sent an ambulance that took me to cardiac ward, I was fine, had a virus. Key point is that no one thought I'd done the wrong thing getting checked out.

If you go to A&E and as with the thousand other replies thats what you must do, you won't have to wait and not as suggested need to bring a book.
These things can go bad very quickly, and they understand that so will act immediately. The EEG machine tells them of any oddities off the norm, but also if there have been any previous minor attacks.
Sooner you get there the better. Though its now Monday night, and I first posted a warning this very morning.

Christ man, you've got an 11 year old. Get checked now for him!

@boomerlives - its this kind of thread that really needs an update: how are you?

Indeed any feedback or do we need to change your forum name?

Well, I'm not dead yet 🙂

Rang GP today, gave them the rundown as above.

They said they will ring me back; could be tomorrow...

I'm a heart doctor. That sounds like angina but "it took about 48 hours to feel right again" is a concerning statement. It does not sound at all like asthma from your description.

We have had lots of people fail to seek help or delay seeking help because of the Coronavirus. It's tragic, people are dying of preventable conditions. It's heartbreaking because they're clearly doing what they think is best, but their death is probably the result of a poor decision. That itself has awful ramifications for families / wives / husbands etc.

Get it checked out. Your GP can probably do phone consultations. Our ED (can't speak for others) is very well-segregated and the 'clean' side (for patients not displaying Covid symptoms) is very low risk and well-staffed. Whilst I'm sure some people can stay away from ED without detriment, this is a potentially serious problem so if you get any more symptoms just go straight there.

The same goes for anyone else. Far too many middle-aged men (and presumably fewer women) die because they ignore cardiac symptoms. The Coronavirus situation has amplified this effect. Don't become a statistic because of poor decisions!

Can only add my own experience from a few years back when I had chest pains at work. They threatened to call an ambulance for me (which would have been bloody embarrassing!) so I grudgingly took myself off to A&E to get checked out.

In the end, there was nothing wrong with me but (and this is the really important point), not one person that I spoke to suggested that I had done the wrong thing by coming in to be checked over and the doctor actually told me that he wished more people would take this more seriously and come in to get checked out.

@superficial sounds like he knows the score. Listen to his advice!

FFS, do what @Superficial says. Heart issues occur in people who have no history of high blood pressure or high cholesterol counts. My heart disease nabbed me out of the blue in 2012 – thankfully I got checked before I had a heart attack and after 3 stents, I'm fine. One of my best mates wasn't so lucky. He thought he had acid reflux. He was having heart attacks as he rode! Needed a quadruple bypass. DO NOT WAIT.

My dad is another of the statistcs- brushed off shoulder & chest pains and pins and needles in his hand as a strained muscle. Dropped dead from a massive heart attack.

Well I went to the GP yesterday who plugged me in and checked me out.

Heart fine, chest fine. Nothing looked out of place or like it might fall off

I asked what might have caused the issues he said it could be a local irritant, like pollen, smoke etc. It doesn't seem a good use of resources to call an ambulance for hayfever.

I'm going out later, what could possibly go wrong?

Good to hear. Better safe than neatly boxed up surrounded by grieving kids...

It doesn’t seem a good use of resources to call an ambulance for hayfever.

Quite the contrary, if you could walk into that ambulance from it to A&E and out of the hospital with a "don't worry it was nothing, but in future maybe still worry a bit" it's a lot less of a waste of health care resources than dealing with an actual cardiac arrest by the side of the road, it's a lot less of a waste of you and, from a fiscal point of view, you get to carry on paying your taxes and reimburse them for it.

Prevention is invariably cheaper (and better) than solution

I asked what might have caused the issues he said it could be a local irritant, like pollen, smoke etc. It doesn’t seem a good use of resources to call an ambulance for hayfever.

I’m going out later, what could possibly go wrong?

Good to hear that the ECG is looking good so hopefully it's nothing to worry about. However, when I went to the surgery it was suggested that my chest pain could be a virus (I was booked in for a non-urgent ECG); I had a major heart attack a few days later whilst out cycling. The ambulance crew did an ECG during my trip to hospital and even when I was having the heart attack it was fairly ambiguous.

If you get pain again just stop & get help, please! (& make sure you take a phone).

You did have an ECG OP ?

you get to carry on paying your taxes and reimburse them for it.

I quite like that train of thought 👍

I need to go to the heart doctor. I never have chest pain or dizziness but I do get ectopic heart beats. I'm a bit concerned that I have that scarring that can occur in 'endurance athletes' (lol) having pushed it too hard for too long.

OP - a negative test for heart pain is to take a proton pump inhibitor. Basically if you get reflux it burns your oesophagus. Some people do not know they are getting it, and don't feel the burn in their oesophagus, but it also gives chest and heart pain, irritated by movement.
So they try you on PPI's for a few days and if the pain goes away then it likely due to reflux.

https://www.jwatch.org/jw201301240000001/2013/01/24/esomeprazole-unexplained-chest-pain

Or try gaviscon for a few days. IANAD..

+1 for anyone with concerns to go get checked out.

I've had some chest "tightness", only when resting for a little while - given no issues when riding hard including hitting 190+bpm at 43 years old I figured all must be fine. I had some slight tingling type sensation in my left arm, and on the basis of this thread took it a bit more seriously, checked out NHS111 online, which said go get this dealt with.

Yesterday afternoon I headed to A&E, told them the above and within 10 mins was in and being checked out - ECG, blood sample, chest X-Ray etc. All fine. Everyone who dealt with me said that getting checked out is the right thing to do. Not a hint of "why did you bother us with this etc" which I did worry about beforehand - wasting their time etc.

So - as above I confirm that if anyone is in any doubt, go get checked out. Better safe than sorry.

I need to go to the heart doctor. I never have chest pain or dizziness but I do get ectopic heart beats

I get a wobbly feeling like a palpitation if I have too much coffee, if I have any more than 2 or 3 in a few hours, could set your watch by it.