My Friend had a Heart Attack - oddly enough

[Dirty Hippie]

he thought he had the stomach flu. He had been vomiting over a period of several days. He briefly mentioned chest pain in our conversation several days ago but he attributed it to all of the vomiting.

The vomiting stopped, he thought he was on the mend, even went back to work. Yesterday when the vomiting resumed, he went to the ER. The cause - heart attack.

This guy is a PhD biologist and even he missed the symptoms.

I hope he is ok. He is a very dear friend to our family.

[lavenderdiva]

1. I'm so sorry to hear about your friend, Dirty Hippie

Is he stil in the hospital? Is he doing better now? I know the symptoms of a heart attack are often missed in women, as they are different than for men...

[Nikia]

2. Unfortunately chest pain can be a symptom of gastro upset

Especially when one is vommitting. One can even feel warm, sweaty, and dizzy for both. He may have had pain similiar to that with gastro upset before and didn't think much of it. A now retired woman at work said that she knew she was having a heart attack rather than a digestive problem because she took her blood pressure and pulse at Walmart (I forget whether it was high or low and have heard that heart attacks can do either).
I think that a lot of people are afraid of the trouble of going to the ER as well as the cost.
I hope that your friend gets better.

[ScreamingMeemie]

3. My uncle actually went to the ER, was told he had the flu and was

sent home...only to return by ambulance 2 hours later in the throes of a massive heart attack. I hope your friend heals.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

4. My mom was told her chest pain was reflux esophagitis in January

turned out it was a heart attack

[wain]

5. I hope your friend comes out of this okay

Yes, sometimes it's hard to see the telltale symptoms of a heart attack. As the voice of experience it sometimes is a matter of thinking a heart problem couldn't possible happen to me.

Thankfully, he was able to get to an ER in time.