Tag Archive for: chest pain

Taking Biotin? Tell Your Doctor

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Biotin is a B vitamin often used for skin health among other benefits; it’s involved in many metabolic processes in the body. Due to its chemical nature, it’s used as a coenzyme in several tests. One of those tests is for troponin, a protein released from the heart into the bloodstream during a heart attack. There are no large trials that have tested the effects of biotin on troponin testing, but a physician or lab tech needs to know if you’re taking extra biotin.

The amounts in multi-vitamins appear to cause no issues, but adding the biotin in products to improve hair, skin, and nails could be enough to impact the test. Did it in our subject’s case? Maybe. We don’t know for sure.

As we approach this long holiday weekend, take a minute to add up all the biotin you’re taking in supplements. If it’s more than one gram, and if you end up in the ER because of a suspected heart attack or stroke, tell the lab tech. It doesn’t impact your having a heart attack; it impacts the test as to whether you may have damage to your heart as a result of a heart attack. You don’t want that test to be inaccurate because it’s important to arriving at the correct diagnosis.

Enjoy the July Fourth holiday, check out the audios on sale for men and women, and I’ll be back next week.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Still in Doubt? Check It Out Again

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In the last Memo, I said we weren’t done with the person who had waited three days. We spoke again after a couple of days, and she still had the same pain profile: back and chest, not as intense. She’d had a heart catheterization that came back clear: no blockages in any of her coronary arteries. Still the discomfort bothered her.

I’ve talked to many people over the years who were going through the same thing. I always recommend they go to the ER immediately. She had done that, albeit a couple of days later, and the diagnosis was indeterminate. She did have extremely high blood pressure which had come down with treatment in the hospital, but like most people, she disliked some of the side effects and didn’t want to take the meds. As we talked, she mentioned that she also had dizziness going up a flight of stairs and her vision was blurry. That was it—that’s a symptom of a stroke, so I recommended she go back to the ER if someone was there to drive her.

They ran more tests including and MRI of her head. No blockages or evidence of a stroke; her blood pressure was still way too high, but that could be managed at home. Still there was a diagnosis of a heart attack based on enzyme levels even though the ECG didn’t show it. She is working on lifestyle changes to get off blood pressure medications if possible.

But the enzyme level triggered something in my memory, and I’ll tell you about that on Thursday. Make sure you read it before the holiday weekend begins. Remember, the audios Dr. Chet’s Health Tips for Women with Dr. Pam and Health Tips for Men are still on sale through the Fourth of July.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Three Freaking Days!

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When it comes to health, my experience has shown that women tend to take a little better care of their health than men do. I checked back to when I began to use the phrases, “Never, never, ever, ignore chest pain” and “When in doubt, check it out!” It was about 20 years ago. And yet I’m still surprised when people don’t do it.

In fact, it happened within the past two weeks. A reader called me about some health issues. She wasn’t a stranger; we had talked before about her issues. This time it was an inquiry about discomfort in the chest and back—not really pain, but not nothing either. Doing some yoga and deep breathing seemed to help. I always tell people that the safest, most conservative approach is to go check it out at the emergency room. That’s the only way you know for sure. We left it at that.

Finally, a couple of days later, the discomfort got worse and moved toward her left arm. She finally went to the ER—three freaking days after the symptoms began. At least she didn’t wait ten days like my friend Jim.

I understand the hesitation; I’ve faced it myself. No one wants to seem alarmist or silly, and not everyone has health insurance to cover the costs. Still it’s better to be alive with a hospital bill than with a damaged heart or worse for delaying.

The Bottom Line

Let me be very clear about this: when it comes to your heart or your head, when in doubt, check it out. Delaying may make things worse.

Or the problem may turn out to be nothing. You thought we were done with this person? Nope, but I’ll save it for next week.

Women’s hearts are different and the symptoms related to heart disease may be different. This may be a great time to pick up Dr. Chet’s Health Tips for Women with Dr. Pam. As an incentive, I’m lowering the price on the MP3s to $4.95 for Health Tips for Men and Health Tips for Women through the Fourth of July.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

When In Doubt, Check It Out

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Father’s Day reminded me of some of the wonderful men I’ve known who’ve passed on. The one I miss the most is my best friend Jim even though he’s been gone over 20 years. I can’t help but believe he might still be with us if had done just one thing: check it out.

Jim started having chest pain at Thanksgiving Dinner; he told his wife that he was just tired and stressed from the holidays. He actually went to work on the following Monday, but as the week went on, he felt worse and worse. He was having a heart attack for nine days! By the time his family insisted on calling an ambulance on the following Saturday, it was too late. He died in the ER.

When in doubt, check it out. That’s where the phrase came from, although the symptoms in Jim’s case were clear. It doesn’t apply only to chest pain or other symptoms of a heart attack. If you have blurry vision, a sudden headache, or your face is drooping, that could be a sign of a stroke. Even if the symptoms subside, you have to get them checked out. Better a trip in an ambulance than a hearse.

Jim left behind a family. His wife, three kids, and grandkids needed him desperately at times over the following years; I needed him, too. I want you to be safe and healthy, not the gaping hole left in the family photo. So when in doubt, check it out.

If you haven’t heard my Health Tips for Men, now might be a good time to purchase a copy. There’s more to Jim’s story and nine other health issues that impact men. But what about women? I’ll cover that on Saturday.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet