any clue what this is? (birdgirl perhaps?)

yeah the dr. was a total moron...we waited forever...luckily he's ok (or so they say >< ) but what if he'd actually been dying? he coulda been dead and the dr. was nowhere to be found. he got an EKG and x-rays and they sent him to a room. we waited there for over an hour and the dr. comes, says "your ekg was fine i'm gonna get some x-rays" we're like, "uh...we already went and got em" and he's like "ok i'm gonna go look at them" over an hour later he comes back and says they looked fine. told us its probably just a chest wall problem (didn't elaborate and was in a hurry to rush us out) and said "i'm gonna give you this prescription, we're gonna unhook you from the machines and you can go" then almost another 30mins to an hr. later someone unhooked him, then about 15 mins waiting to do paperwork before we could leave....

the prescription is indomethican (sp?), an anti-inflammitory

thank you everyone for your thoughts though...especially you birdgirl...i can't help but think your words are what finally prompted him to get offa his arse and go in

You're welcome, Snookums. I'm glad he went, too, but I'm sorry the ER was such a bad experience. Did y'all go to the Hermann ER by any chance? ERs are notoriously bad, and people often do have to wait far too long to be seen because the places are so full of uninsured people who use the ER for routine health care. If they have decent triage nurses, the desperately sick people get sorted out and seen sooner and don't die while they're waiting, but sometimes that still happens anyway.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to follow up fairly soon with a regular doctor in his office. I know that's the last thing you want to hear, Slipknot, but it won't hurt you. If, as the ER doc suggested it might be, it's a chest wall problem, then that's likely to be pleurisy, which is basically when an air bubble gets trapped in the double-layered membrane that surrounds the lungs. It can cause serious chest pain and be very painful. Happens when people have had lung infections like bronchitis or pneumonia, and it sometimes happens for no reason at all, especially in smokers. Like I said, it hurts like the devil, and it takes a while for that air to reabsorb and for things to feel better. If it's a big enough air bubble, it'll be visible on the X-rays, but often they're not visible.

I was so worried about you yesterday, Slipknot, and am glad you went in. Even though I know you hated doing that, it was a good thing you did because, if that'd been a heart attack, you would have been in deep doo-doo if you'd waited. Sorry it felt like a wasted trip, but I don't think it was. Still, if you keep hurting, I think it might be prudent to follow up with someone who'll take a bit more time with you and help you figure out what's up.

Take care, my friends!

nope....we went to San Jacinto Methodist *gags*

good to hear it wasn't major...

I've been reading up on the pleurisy thing lately because I think I may have it... after my stent my chest pain did not go away... The chest pains are accompanied by some weird gas that if I release it,,,the chest pain subsides,,,baffling... the pain is usually bought on by exercise or eating a big meal... I also think it could be a rupture in the lining of my stomach that is restricting an artery and causing the pain,,,there's a name for it but it escapes me atm...

anyways get the Xrays,they are yours!!! and see someone else like BG suggests... and be careful of prescribed meds,research it,maybe start with Erowid...

Peace...

Yes, please, go to the hospital.

And for everyone else: heart attack symptoms can include pain in the chest, back, arms, and even the jaw. So don't ignore sudden intense pain of ANY kind. Better safe than sorry.

Most knowledgeable doctors will use the information that you smoke cannabis responsibly; please tell them if you think it might be relevant.

wtf stop writing on the site and get to the hospital GOOOOO DON'T DIE

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Billionfold

He already went. :thumbsup:

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Yeah, I read that just now... my attention span just isn't what it used to be. :o

And regarding that... get some more opinions. No doctor has all the answers.

I've had chronic stress-related pain for several years now, I've had to just accept palliative care because nobody can pin in down to anything more specific than "stress" or "anxiety". I can't feasibly reduce my stress (sadly) so I have turned to weed. And booze. And cigarettes.

I tried acupuncture and herbal cures and the chiropractor; they all helped but nothing really "cures" my pain.

So I know all about doctors not knowing and I think the best cure is to get second and third and fourth opinions until you are satisfied, if not with your diagnosis, at least with your palliative care.