Chest pain for almost 2 months now
Posted , 17 users are following.
I am 29 female, 127 pounds, 5,4 foot
Don't smoke, Don't drink alchohol or caffeine, cut down on sugar, Don't do any drugs.
It started with a gastritis attack which landed me in hospital a few months ago, now that, that is cured after almost 3 months of using omeprazole (PPI) which indicates that it should only be taken for 2 weeks (doctors never told me) now I have this chest pain on the left which radiates to my arm and I also have a sinking sensation that feels like my heart is stopping. I have had 2 ECG's and a chest X-Ray, also ultrasound of abdomen and an endoscopy...Every blood test available and doctors can't find anything. I am not on any medication right now since nothing is helping me. I was prescribed valium when I had the gastritis (missdiagnosed as anxiety) so I tried taking them to see if anxiety is causing this pain and it does not help. Anti - acids do not help either. I am not stressed at all just miserable that something is going on in my chest and everyone is telling me that it is in my head. What could this be? Should I see a cardiologist or should I ask my doctor to book me into hospital to have a full checkup of my entire body? or am I being silly? I am starting to feel like I should just ignore my symptoms and if I drop dead then oh well too bad.
0 likes, 36 replies
jody95680
Posted
karen05887 jody95680
Posted
Hi Jody
I have had chest discomfort for years with no diagnosis. I have a lower and upper GI, throat scoped altra sound on stomach even a cath, nothing! I still have it sometimes lasting hours to days. I have gone as long as 6 months without any. I've become very frustrated, I know my body and this is not normal. The feeling I get is tightness, achy, pressure that radiates into the breast and shoulders occasionally pentitrate to my upper back. Along with this my pulse rate will go up. I have an app with my heart doc in a week and one with my Gastro doc I want an MRI of my chest! I'll let you know what they do if anything.
jody95680 karen05887
Posted
Thank you so much Inbox me if possible? I will also keep you updated on my progress. Any other symptoms you've experienced?
I sometimes have heart palpitations but they are not painful, like after eating or showering I've measured up to 120bpm. I sometimes think my heart is working too hard but ECG's never pick it up...and the sinking sensation is the most scary feeling almost as if my heart shakes or stops. I'm starting to suspect my lungs too. I am scared of getting a cath. Are you able to lead a normal life? I find myself just wanting to stay home because going out means I have to pretend that I have no pain and discomfort.
nancy36508 jody95680
Posted
I always feel so bad when I read that someone who is so young like you is having all this pain. I have been going through a lot of pain, too, but I'm a lot older than you. Anyway, after being hospitalized in 2004 for chest pain and fainting, I was seen by a cardiologist in the hospital. Even though they did not find anything wrong with my heart, I have continued to see the same cardiologist every six months for peace of mind. Over the years, I have had several stress tests and even a cath when a stress test showed a false positive. After seeing many specialists and lots of trips to the ER, I finally had a doctor tell me it is costochondritis. In your case, you may want to see a cardiologist for further testing at least for peace of mind. I still get pain in the left side of my chest occasionally, and I alternate between ice and heat. If it doesn't go away, I take an Advil. Best of luck to you.
nancy36508
Posted
By the way, I forgot to mention that I spent years going to a gastroenterologist, starting in 2007. He had me on various medicines for heartburn, acid reflux, and IBS. I am not now on any of those medicines. It may have been costochondritis all along, I really don't know. All I did for all that time was try to manage my symptoms. After seeing specialists (pulmonary, rheumatology, urology, cardiology, obgyn) and having so much testing with each of them, nothing ever turned up. I don't use alcohol or caffeine. It's hard to believe costochondritis can cause so much pain, but that has to be what it is.
jody95680 nancy36508
Posted
Thank you for your reply, I think I will ask my new doctor to refer me to a cardiologist just for that peace of mind, my old GP says he doesn't know what it is and that I should go to casualty/ER but the last time I was there they laughed at me, prescribed valium and sent me home when it was not anxiety but gastritis, so I am pretty tired of the 3rd world incompetence. This is the 1st time I've been sick in 12 years and it is shocking to see how corrupt, unsympathetic the medical industry is. I am glad you finally got a diagnosis, do you think it is the correct diagnosis? Are you able to go out and live a normal life?
nancy36508 jody95680
Posted
It is hard to believe how most doctors do not know what costochondritis is. It took me years to find a doctor who actually told me what it was. When they don't know what it is, they say it is anxiety. I had that happen too. They put me on Prozac at one point, but nothing changed and I still had the pain. My 16-year-old daughter suffered with stomach aches for four years because they did a few stool tests and blood tests and could not find anything wrong. They told her she had anxiety and even gave me the name of a book she should read! It wasn't till this past summer when she had a toilet full of blood that they took her seriously. After a colonoscopy and upper endoscopy, they found out she had H.Pylori bacterial infection. She was put on strong doses of medicine and a special diet; long story short she is OK now. As for me, yes, I do think costochondritis is the correct diagnosis. There is no test to diagnose for it; it is by process of elimination. I can live a normal life finally but I always carry Advil with me in case I get the pain when I am out somewhere.
jody95680 nancy36508
Posted
That is horrific Nancy, 4 years!? I too had to vomit blood first for them to believe me. What a shame! I have to warn you about something, advil is an (NSAID/aspirin) very bad for the stomach, that is where my problems started actually by taking aspirin for headaches etc. Non-NSAID is the safer option for pain relief (unless you are taking aspirin to prevent stroke/clogged arteries)... I don't know why I switched to aspirin in the first place. I'm also off of all pharmaceuticals right now as I feel they do more harm and doctors prescribe them for too many months. If they gave your daughter PPI's please be careful with them I read that they should only be taken for 2 weeks as they can cause Tachycardia (rapid heart rate) and loss of bone density among other various side effects I was never told about. I think that is where my chest pain started after 3 months of Omeprazole. Thank you again for your comment it gives me hope that I will find my issue, just need to find the right doctor, I don't want to self diagnose as I have no idea what this is. Pretty sure your comment will help others too.
nancy36508 jody95680
Posted
Jody, My daughter did not vomit blood . . . she had bloody diarrhea. She was not on PPIs . . . that was me. She was on two very strong doses of antibiotics to kill the H.Pylori and one medicine to heal the lining of her stomach. As for me, I went through years of taking so many meds for pain. I now only take Advil if I really have a lot of pain and I have to go somewhere, like one of my daughter's school activities. I agree that too much of it is detrimental to your stomach. Please post after you see the cardiologist or if anything else changes. I hope you feel better soon.
jody95680 nancy36508
Posted
ankush16288 karen05887
Posted
your symptons seem same as what i am suffering for months.i had done all the test including blood, ecg,treadmill and all came fine.even costochondritis and anxiety medicines were taken by me nut still.nothing worked.i have chest tightness which follows for months and sometimes pain in shoukder.if you have diagnised yourself can you please advice me
dancingdee jody95680
Posted
Hello. I am a 30 yr old female suffering with un-diagnosed chest pains for nearly 3 weeks now. Over a month ago I had a small pneumothorax (punctured lung) which is fully healed. About a wk after I was starting to feel normal I got chest pain above my breastfeeding and down the centre. I had a dull ache and stabbing jerks twitches and pulses randomly. In hospital emergency dept I had blood test xray and ct scan. Nothing showed up! Sent me home with no meds n said it's PROBABLY musculoskeletal. I've had pain all over my chest since on n off good days and bad some stabs under breast behind over down the centre . I'm going go again tomorrow. I think it cud b costochondritus
dancingdee
Posted
dancingdee
Posted
Oh but when I suggested costochondritus the hospital doc laughed n said no that's very serious..... erm I think pain in my chest all over for weeks on end is serious!!
have you had any more tests? I'm afraid of needles and hate all these tests but I need answers. I tried resting sometimes not moving feels worse n tablets just mask the pain they don't make it better. X
jody95680 dancingdee
Posted
Hi Dee
Can you describe the jerks, twitches, pulses with more detail?
What caused the pneumothorax and how did they diagnose and fix it?
What were your symptoms when you had the pneumothorax?
Out of 10 what would you rate your pain?
Does it hurt when you lay dow, eat, sleep or breath?
Any other sensations like burning in chest or getting dizzy or not feeling your body when walking?
Do you drink alcohol or caffeine or do you smoke?
Sorry for all the questions but let's try figure it out together.
My pain seems to be subsiding. I have decided to wait it out since my doctors can't help me...the weird feeling in my chest persists but it is not as violent as before? Or maybe I am just getting use to this new hell, can't tell...also feels like jerks, twitches and pulses to me (difficult to describe in detail) I am distracting my mind from feeling it by sitting on the computer and sleeping long hours.
Very disappointing to hear your doctor laughed at you too.