Thursday, September 27, 2007

Hot tea and chest pain

Mr Ramesh is a good friend and also a patient, a dreadful combination. He came to me complaining of chest discomfort and insisted that it was due to drinking scalding tea that morning. Ignoring his diagnosis, I started asking him the usual questions we doctors ask to exclude pain due to heart disease. Where was the pain, did it go up to the neck and down the arm, was there any sweating, how long did it last, etc.

When I was asking these questions, he sat there giving me a bored look. I knew what was going on his mind. ‘I came here with some trivial problem and this fool is asking me these stupid questions. He looked at his watch twice in those few minutes I spent trying to get a proper history.

Despite his protests, I did a cardiogram. The tracing showed severely compromised blood supply to a portion of the heart. I explained the gravity of the problem, gave him a note for hospital admission, called the cardiologist friend of mine and sent him on his way.

The same afternoon I went to the hospital to see him. I went directly to the coronary care unit. I did not find him there. Then I went to my cardiologist friend to find out what had happened. Before I could open my mouth, he asked me, ‘where is your friend?’ Having made sure that he was not in the hospital and worried, I called his office only to be told by his well-meaning secretary that he was fine but in a meeting and would I mind calling him after an hour or so? The knowledge that he was alive was reassuring but all the same the worry was no less.

I went to his house to apprise his wife about the serious nature of the problem. I found her having her prized afternoon siesta. After I finished my tale regarding her husband’s erratic behaviour, she gave me a splendid piece of advice. ‘Doc, you always worry too much. He gets these pains after drinking hot tea. You have advised him to stop this bad habit [I did not remember this piece of expert advice having been given] and if he does that, he will be OK, you wait and see!’ I requested her to please send her husband to the hospital with out wasting any more time, drank the cup of tea which she made and returned home thoroughly depressed and worried.

Are you wondering what happened to my friend? He didn’t want to go to the hospital, especially now when all the pain had gone and he felt very good. He made an uneventful recovery. His subsequent ECGs showed a small scar and his treadmill test came back negative. According to his wife, he gets no chest pains now because he has stopped drinking hot tea. No credit whatsoever to the poor me who spent several sleepless nights and anxious days looking after an unwilling and, I suspect not very grateful patient! Even now he says he takes the medicines to keep me in good humour!

This true life story I wrote several years back. This episode illustrates the fact that many patients do well despite us doctors.


Of the many pleasant sounds that go unheard
Of the many magnificent sights that go unseen
Of the many unfelt emotions
That most of our lives are made

10 comments:

WoodenChicken said...

Interesting. I wonder, how is your friend doing now, some 3 years later?

Bwet said...

Heya, for two years I've had athsma now (adult) but have gerd for 10 years... thought I was having an heart attack on advair, and it was panic attacks- So I just use 3rd party combivent (i like cfc)- but wonder if my asthma is side by side my gerd. It's winter now I've been drinking hot chocolate... and it burns in the spot that all my problems start. I slouch on that side I suppose. Had negative EKG they would never give uninsured me a chance... I dunno swears it feels like I am disintergrating around the heart but all pain is masagable back and front.. sorry for length peace

Unknown said...

iam the same, whenever i drink tea i have short nreaths and chest pain through out day and arms pain at times.iam only 30 and having this issue since i was 19..i stopped and noticed the chest pain didnt came back and tried again and the chest pain developed again,it the pain i could feel right in my heart..I done with tests and nothing so far

Anonymous said...

I'm 66 years old and have had heart tests which were normal.
I can drink the occasional hot cup of tea without pain, but if I begin drinking hot tea daily I will develop pain in my chest and left arm. Happens every time.
I really love my hot tea, but it's not worth the pain it causes. I was happy to read here that I'm not the only one with this problem.

Anonymous said...

Interesting I have the same issue with hot tea. I have become aware of this the last few years, but have lived with it for several I think. I can drink all the coffee I want which is probably more than I should. If/when I drink hot tea, I experience chest pain later in the evening, which feels what I can only image is a mild heart attack. Thankfully the sensation is not permanent, and is remedied by refraining from hot tea.

Anonymous said...

I also experience chest pain if I drink hot tea regularly. I first noticed the connection many years ago when I started drinking 2 or 3 cups of hot tea at work. I started developing occasional chest pain that later became severe. I realized that my chest pain started a few days after I started drinking tea, so stopped drinking tea and the pain ended. That was over 20 years ago, but I've noticed that if I drink (and caffeinated) tea for even two or three consecutive days, mild chest pain often begins. I don't seem to experience this with coffee or with iced tea, although I rarely have iced tea two or three days in a row.

Anonymous said...

So good to hear im not the only one. I am slim 36 year old lady, and the minute I drink tea I get the pain centre in my chest slightly to the left, ive been to the emergency department - had all tests done but nothing has shown up - Dr said I should try yoga......in the end I stopped drinking tea (just one in the morning to get me up) and the pain went away...shame because I LOVE a good cuppa!

Unknown said...

I think this is my problem with coffee now. Thought it was all the sugar in the coffee so tried a sip of hot water and had the same feeling in my chest and arm. Soo, as I write this I am waiting for my coffee to cool down and if that doesn't work I will give it up all together:(

AL from Englishpoint.es said...

Nice to read these posts as I ve had sharp pains Centre left under my ribcage...it must be all those cups of Irish tea! That said it's quite tender when I press below my centre left ribcage too...hopefully teas the culprit!

Unknown said...

Hi it has only started happening 2 days ago but when i drink a anything or eat my chest hurts