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Tuesday, October, 14, 2008

Question
L Norman
06/22/08

can insomnia and tingling arms signify a heart attack?

3 years ago, I had a stress test, all clear.  Regular cholesterol ok, bad cholesterol slightly high.  In the last 3 days, I have had sharp pains in stomach, diarrehia (sp), insomnia, and a slight tingling in arms.  Any recommendations?  My diet hasn't been very good.  I drink way too much coffee, don't run much, but am a former professional athlete, age 39, throwing baseballs about 4 days a week for avg. of 6 hours.  What should I do??

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Answers (1)
Martin Cane, M.D.
Martin Cane, M.D.
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Martin Cane, M.D. is Physician - Internal Medicine
Physician

Thursday, June 26, 2008

 

L Norman,

 

Your symptoms are not the usual variety seen in people with active heart disease, but certainly a concern to you.  Your stomach discomfort, along with the diarrhea seems to indicate something going on with the gastrointestinal tract.  By your own admission, your diet has not been "very good" and might be a factor here.  Tingling in the arms could be from a variety of causes including spinal problems, vascular disease, hyperventilation, as well as many others.  The insomnia can result from a multitude of causes, among which are sleep disorders, underlying medical diseases, emotional situations, and a diet high in caffeine and chocolate.

 

So, as you can see, there is no clear-cut answer to your question, but enough is going on to warrant an appointment with your physician who will ask further questions and examine you.  Then he will be able to come up with a short list of possibilities and a plan of action, which may include treatment and/or some testing, to get to the bottom of things.

 

In the mean time please review our website area on Cholesterol to learn of ways to improve this situation, as well as adopting a healthier diet.  Glad to see that you're still physically active. 

 

I hope this has been helpful to you.

 

Martin Cane, M.D.

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