What Causes Recurrent Chest Pain, Sweating And Chills?

Posted on Wed, 20 Jan 2016

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Wed, 20 Jan 2016 Answered on

Sat, 12 Mar 2016 Last reviewed on

Question : I have been having chest pains off and on always deemed not cardiac. Today I was cleaning when my chest pain started then moved under my left arm, involved my jaw, neck. I became sweaty,and cold and shakes. It lasted 2 hours and I slept the rest of day. Cold and clammy.

Answered by Dr. Anantharamakrishnan (13 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Go to ER / Get investigated

Detailed Answer:
Hi friend
Welcome to Health Care Magic

The description – but for the duration – does suggest cardiac… Relation to work, radiation, sweating etc…

The appropriate action now is to go to the ER – they will do an EKG and also blood tests (cardiac markers), to evaluate acute injury from Coronary Artery Disease.

If everything is normal, the next step is further evaluation / you need to be investigated further for Coronary Artery Disease.
You need a TMT (Treadmill Exercise ECG) / may be with thallium isotope. It is the ideal non-invasive way to evaluate ischemia / to assess the PHYSIOLOGY (function) – to see whether the blood arriving at the heart muscle.
If there is any suggestion in TMT, the next step is to see the ANATOMY (structure) – CT angio is non-invasive study for the anatomy. Catheterisation and coronary angiography with a view for possible intervention is the only way to directly ‘see’ the block, if any – and its location, extent, severity and so on, but is invasive and hence not routinely done

Good luck
God bless you

Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar