A 46-year-old woman, Nikki (@martyandnikki on TikTok), shared her unexpected heart attack experience despite having no prior health issues.

A week before the attack, she noticed left shoulder pain, dismissing it as a frozen shoulder due to perimenopause. The day before, she woke up with soreness and nausea but felt better after 15 minutes.

On the morning of the attack, she again had shoulder pain, nausea, and chest tightness. As symptoms worsened, pain radiated down her arm. She improved briefly and went to a doctor’s appointment, where she was advised to go to the ER if symptoms returned.

After lunch with her daughter, the pain intensified—her chest felt squeezed, arm pain spread, and nausea returned. Just one street from the ER, she drove herself there, experiencing extreme sweating and numbness in her arm upon arrival.

Thankfully, Nikki received immediate care and is recovering. Experts warn that women’s heart attack symptoms can be vague, often including nausea, arm, neck, or back pain.