Cardiac Symptoms, Normal with Chiari?

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I figured I’d post again :slight_smile: , everyone here has been great with support, honesty, and tends to give me a kick in the butt when I get too emotional with posting (for which I’m grateful). :slight_smile:

For the previous months I’ve had random chest pains, they are like a “shocking” like pain, and it lasts for about five minutes, happens once a day, and the pain at times will travel down into my rib cage/side area. Now, for the last week, I’ve had the issue where at night, either shortly after lying down, or will wake up to it, I have what feels like a “racing heart”, feels like a “double heartbeat”, and I feel a “pounding” feeling in my chest, it lasts about 2 hours, and then once it’s gone I can sleep, but while I have it I can’t sleep, I’m bent forward clutching my chest, breathing is difficult but I manage it, and it hurts. I have an appointment with my PCM tomorrow, he is highly concerned about this, and concerned that it’s taking so long to find a neurosurgeon in NY where I’m residing with my mother through all of this, so he’s going to start ordering tests on my heart, check me out, and pull a cardiologist into play.

PCM is also putting in a specialized referral to get a neurosurgeon a Minister was kind enough to find for me, so this neurosurgeon is covered, so he can check out my Chiari, my neck (which is bending forward and downward more than normal), and the potential for having a tethered spine that I may have, so he can look at all 3, instead of 2 out of 3 issues like previous neurosurgeons wanted to.

Just curious if anyone had any chest pains, or any heart issues while having Chiari? And what helped? I know to follow my doctors advice - I just figured I’d see if others have experienced this… or know about this happening. Because my symptoms worsening again, and now cardiac symptoms arising, it scares me, and concerns me more, and makes me a tad bit impatient (lol). :joy::joy:

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Hi LilWriter
Coincidently I am a writer too:-) journalist, PR etc so good to know. I had decompression surgery 7 months ago but still experience night-time heart racing episodes like you describe. Very unpleasant and scary at times. Mine comes and goes and I have been sent to cardios at leas three times. Each time the result is that the old heart is as strong as ever and 100% normal. This leads me to believe that the signals from my brain sometimes get interrupted to either my heart or lungs causing me to startle and gasp for air. When this happens my heart races for up to 30 mins and I have to sit quietly and calm down before trying to sleep again. I recently did sleep studies and am awaiting results. Will let you know what they find as it may apply to you too.

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Hi Ray!

Thank you so much for your post! It’s very encouraging. I recently had my heart examined, and like you, I’ve been told no murmurs, no tumors, no issues, 100% healthy heart and lungs, which I’m grateful for that. I was told very likely it’s just a harmless side effect of my diagnosis, or simply as you said it would be an interruption that can be harmless. I recently started a 5k Training Program - got tired of Chiari and my over a dozen symptoms making me stuck home, in bed, and wanted to start feeling normal again. Running, my heart felt great so did my body, afterward my symptoms flared up so that wasn’t fun. Hope the results from the sleep study come out positive! and hope nothing negative pops up! I’ll keep you in my prayers! :slight_smile:

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Thanks, me too! I find that if I over-do exercises I can set myself back quite some way. Almost as if we need to take a slow and steady approach rather than a big bang approach.

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Thanks! Haha I agree!. I actually started the 5k training program, it’s 6 weeks, the app I downloaded on my phone is great. It’s intervals of walking, jogging, walking, running, etc. and I do it every other day (shins never allowed me to run every day straight haha). I agree, slow steady approach is good. I’m only at the 1.5 mile start for my training haven’t been bumped to the full 3 miles yet. How’s working in journalism while having Chiari? If you don’t mind my asking! I stared the running training to start getting back in shape so by 30 I can get into a police academy — mine as well work while waiting for this neurosurgeon to review my records and make a surgery determination.

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I started battling to put stories together a few years ago and simply put it down to burn-out. Later I called it writer’s block but in reality I think it was the fog of Chiari descending on me. Suddenly I was battling to find the words and straight forward articles were taking hours longer than they should have. Nonetheless, I learned to push through it ad although writing is not as easy as it used to be, I still think it is an awesome way to earn a living. What is your aim at Police Academy, forensics, detective? Or straight forward cop? Good luck!!! Here is South Africa its a dangerous job : -(

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Hey Ray,

I’ve heard in South Africa it can be a dangerous job. I’m sorry that it is a very dangerous job, I know law enforcement will always come with a degree of danger due to the nature of the job, but more than that is never helpful. Hopefully it’ll get safer over time for the officers where you are! I would call it writers block too! I have my prologue and first nine chapters of my novel written, and with my Chiari it is hard to sit down for more than an hour to think, write, create the story more, so I’m editing what I have so far and having someone I know who is also a strong writer editing it as well. Like you, I’m learning to push through the “fogginess” and “writers block” that comes with the Chiari. Besides, creating a world is always fun, gives people an escape from reality and sometimes that is great for helping reduce stress. Oh i agree! Writing can be a great way to earn a living. It’s just hard to get into the field and watch your work take off as an author.

I’ve interned twice, one with a local police department and one with a county police department. The county department I actually interned with a Forensic Investigations Unit. After doing the required time on Patrol, I’d like to get into criminal investigation, internal affairs investigation, community affairs/policing, and definitely in the long term behavioral profiling and ride up to chief of police if I’m blessed with that. I hope it becomes safer in South Africa for people to do this job and for those who live there! I hear Africa in general has many beautiful places and cultures to actually experience and see! :slight_smile:

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Wow, sounds interesting and exciting. Let us know when you ready for a first read:-)

Good luck with the writing and police work :wink:

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Thanks :slight_smile: and I will.