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3 weeks and no change, im getting worse!!

Posted , 10 users are following.

danielle198570
danielle198570

Hi all, sorry to drone on but i would really love to have any feedback to help put my mind at rest.

Ok so it started 3-4 weeks ago, i had really bad chest pains under my left breast, my doctor said it was a pulled muscle, the pain got much worse and moved to the centre of my chest so i went to a&e, my ECG was fine, and all my bloods were fine, Blood pressure slightly high, i got sent home again saying it was a pulled muscle.....day after day i seem to have gotten worse, so back to the doctor i go, they think its acid reflux and depression/anxiety, i wsa prescribed Omerzaprole and Citalopram, i have been taking the Omerzaprole for over a week now and nothing has changed, i havent taken the Citalopram as im pretty sure im not depresseed or anxious, i am happy at the minute and have a lot to look forward too, basically the doctors are saying there is nothing wrong with me apart from being anxious.....but i am not too sure, i think there is something going on in my chest , maybe my lungs? Has anyone been in a similar situation to me? I dont know what to do????? THeres no set time to my pain, even when its not on my mind and im at work, im fine one minute then the next the pain is there, I can be resting or doing something as simple as washing up and i get breathless with the pain,Right now with the pain i feel at my worst, and do feel breathless a lot,should i go to a & e again?? I have a doctors appointment on Tuesday but not sure if i can wait till then. Sorry for going on and on but i really am worried that no one is listening to me and there is something wrong with me, surely anxiety can not cause daily severe pains with breathlessness? Many Thanks

1 like, 40 replies

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  • Guest
    Guest danielle198570

    Posted

    Hi danielle

    i am also experiencing the same, do you do a lot of excercise ?i do a lot of yoga Pilates and we do a lot of plank excercise for Ab but I am still convinced not this, I also have acid but had for such a long time and doesn't seem to be same symptoms, I have a dull ache in my breast bone and in my shoulder blades , I have had chest shoulder x ray and I am going to ask for a scan, I do think now it is musclar but until I have had every test I won't be convinced nothing more serious, as I feel so un well, I live a healthy life style don't smoke drink but I do excercise loads , I am 52 but young fit for my age and probably do over do on the excercise but not to get these awful pains in my upper chest shoulder blades. Hope this helps . I am always googling and I have worried myself sick over last few months . 

  • stevie14
    stevie14 danielle198570

    Posted

    Hi!, I have been battling this for 5 months. There are days tht I am convinced that there is something else horribly wrong with me because I am just not getting better. I have had 2 chest xrays and they have been normal. My pain started very similar to yours. Then it moved to my back and then to the right side of my chest. I take ibuprofen and zanax everyday. Some days the pain is tollerable and others unbearable. I would do anything just to get some relief. Stress does make costochondritis worse and I have had a very stressful few months as caregiver to my husband who had a stem cell transplant for multiple myeloma. I wish I had some advice for you but I am also at a loss. I sympathize with anyone suffering with this!
    • Guest
      Guest stevie14

      Posted

      Yes I have it this evening quite bad , I do think anxeity stress make xostochomdritis worse, did you get diagnosed with that Stevie, how do they diagnose that ? very hard to care for someone  you love who is suffering , good for you, I do sympathise with you.keep up the good work also with your costochrondritos 
    • stevie14
      stevie14 Guest

      Posted

      I got diagnosed in august after having bronchitis in July and pulling some muscles in my chest from coughing. The diagnosis came after 2 chest xrays being normal but my ribs on the left side were very tender when touched. Then it just kept getting worse. Some days I cry alot. I have had it! I want to feel back to normal! My chiropractor tells me that this can last for a long time! sad 
    • Guest
      Guest stevie14

      Posted

      My sympathys , I think by reading your symptoms I have that, I am seeing my Dr Friday so hopefully she will be able to tell me if that is what I have. My symptoms are pain in left rib and shoulder blades very knotted and sometimes pain in arms and in the neck and all I can describe it as , is a gnawing pain through the left breast , when I first had it I was always thinking I had breast cancer but I have had regular checks, but like you some days your mind takes over and you think other things like to do with lung heart, but I know all my vital fine BP bloods and like yourself I had a chest xray but that was normal but did show heightened lungs what ever that means, I will ask her Friday, as when I went for bloods the nurse said xray ok but lungs heightened !!! Helps to go on these forum other sufferes smile 
    • simone_40974
      simone_40974 Guest

      Posted

      Hello Joanne, I just read your post . I have similar symptoms . What did your doctors find with your results ? Can you explain what a heightened lung

      Means ? Thanks

  • adrienne32106
    adrienne32106 danielle198570

    Posted

    You are not alone. I've battled chest pain off and on for 10 years and the last two years has been worse. I've had every test imaginable several times each and all negative. I'm 32 in good health but for the life of me can't figure out why I'm hurting. I've recently been told it's musclar-skeletal and could possibly be coming from my cervical or thoracic spine. Either way, I do have anxiety and I'm on 20mg of Zoloft but the citaphalpram worked better for me 5 years ago. Stress, anxiety and depression can sneak up on you and cause strange physical sensations. I work on deep breathing (inhaling thru nose for 4 secs and exhale thru mouth for 7 secs). It really does work. Go w/ your gut and give yourself peace of mind. Continue to Go to the doc and search for answers if you aren't sure
  • nancy36508
    nancy36508 danielle198570

    Posted

    Danielle,

    I've had pain mostly on the left under my breast for about a year and a half.  Have been to the Emergency Room so many times.  Finally I got a new family doctor about a year ago who was the first doctor to actually give it a name (costo chondritis).  I saw a gastroenterologist at Penn Medicine, who put me on Omeprazole 40.  Then my family doctor put me on Fluoxitine 10, which is for anxiety.  I did not think I had anxiety, but I guess I did.  Mostly I feel a lot better.  If I get a flare up of pain, I take two Advil.  Hope this helps you.

    Nancy

    • Guest
      Guest nancy36508

      Posted

      This is very helpful nice to know we not alone . 
  • Rodfly
    Rodfly danielle198570

    Posted

    Hi Danielle,

    In most of the cases posted under this category, it's likely to be Costocondritis. This is a largely harmless and basically untreatable condition that most often results from a previous respiratory I'll was such as bronchitis where a lot of coughing occurs. While you can relieve some of the pain with over the counter analgesics, it's  essentially a matter of just hanging in there whike your body heals itself, much like broken ribs - it hurts like hell for a long while then disappears. I had it for 4 months following a serious chest infection, but awoke one morning and it was gone.

    Hang in there, take a moderate dose of analgesics, stay away from Diazepam or similar, and life without pain will return eventually.

    Cheers, Rod

  • nancy36508
    nancy36508 danielle198570

    Posted

    Danielle,

    I want to add that strenuous exercise and stress make this condition worse.  By strenuous exercise, I mean yard work, lifting weights, strenuous swimming.  I have done some reading on this and have talked to two doctors, and they don't know what causes costo chondritis.  One of the doctors said there is some debate as to whether it is a vitamin deficiency or it is autoimmune.  I think that is why the fluoxetine helps me; it is a low dose but just enough to help me relax.  Hope this helps.

    Nancy

    • stevie14
      stevie14 nancy36508

      Posted

      Nancy, I agree with the strenuous exercise making it worse. I am a bank teller and counting money all day really aggravates this condition. My hope is that this goes away soon or at least to a manageable pain level.
    • can4484
      can4484 stevie14

      Posted

      I'm am a bank teller too and have had costochonditis pain for 4 months now. By the end of the day my back and chest really burn. Wonder if the condition has something to do with the money counting and posture
  • caroline68835
    caroline68835 danielle198570

    Posted

    Hi Danielle. If you don't feel well then I would go back to a&e. I am still trying to get rid of pain that started five weeks ago after two days at the gym and then getting a nasty virus  I've been knocked off my feet for all this time and am still in pain.  It has reduced but it still makes me anxious just thinking what might have happened. When I presented in a and e they said there was a lot of activity in the ECG. When I asked what that meant they said it may be a heart attack. 
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