Left hand side chest pain
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Apologies in advance that this is quite a long one.
Last year around august time I started with an intermittent pain on the left hand side of my chest. It’s roughly around the first 2 ribs and sometimes underneath my left breast.
For background information I am a 30 year old female in generally good health, good weight, have moderate exercise (walking twice daily and yoga 2-3 times per week). I am an ex smoker who now uses a very low dose nicotine ecig. I have never been a big drinker but don’t drink at all now and haven’t for the last 3 months.
I attended the GP surgery in November of last year with the chest pain and was diagnosed with constipation and given a laxative (laxido) following the use of laxido I experienced both constipation and diahorrhea intermittently and general gastro complaints. I went back and was told IBS (even though I’d never had IBS symptoms before the laxido). I was told to try fibogel instead of laxido. Which basically gave me diahorrhea again.
The chest pain is very intermittent I can go months with no problems and then it returns. It is not provoked by certain foods, medication or exercise. Sometimes it happens when I am resting, other times straight after a meal (but not a particular food).
After some reading online I called the doctors in June of this year and suggested it could be GERD. I was put on lansoprazole for one month. It didn’t help. Again I went a long time without the pain then it started again in September this year along with an issue of feeling like there was a lump in my throat. I was put back on lansoprazole but once again it wasn’t helping. I attended the GP surgery and saw a genuinely helpful GP who ran several blood tests which all came back clear no thyroid issues, no coeliac, no infection, no inflammation, no deficiencies in fact my blood work was perfect. I had 3 stool tests which also came back clear these were the FIT test, a standard one for infection and a calproctin test. I’ve had an upper endoscopy including 2 biopsies and a camera up my nose in ENT to look at my voice box and upper throat area. Again everything clear.
The GP has repeatedly suggested anxiety I think mainly because I had a history of depression and anxiety although I have not suffered or needed medication for this for nearly 2 years. I feel like any stress and anxiety I have now has been caused by this condition not the other way around. Although I think the swallowing problem is definitely related to anxiety as when I am calm it is not as bad but the chest pain comes regardless of calm/stressed etc. Nevertheless I eventually agreed to try an anti depressant.
I started 20mg of citalopram but unfortunately the side effects were horrific and actually gave me anxiety the likes of which I haven’t felt for many years as well as diahorrhea, nausea, sneezing repeatedly, hives, feeling weird and spaced out etc etc.
The problem I have no is this. The chest pain still exists. Yet I feel I am getting nowhere in finding out what it is, or what can be done about it. We have ruled out anything gastro causing it but now it seems to be getting brushed off as anxiety and I genuinely don’t think that it is. I am a bit concerned that at no point has any doctor considered a heart or lung related issue as the cause.
Just to add as well I completely overhauled my diet (which wasn’t horrendous but could be better) and now eat a relatively acid free diet no caffeine, alcohol, red meat, fatty foods, fried foods, tomatoes, milk, onions, garlic, citrus etc) I do still have my ecig although I have cut down a lot with a view to eventually quit but have tried not having it e.g when at work and it makes no difference. I just feel at a loss now, I have another phone call appt with the GP on the 22nd December but I think at this point she thinks I am just making it all up because I’ve been on at them for so long. I feel like I must be really annoying her.
Any advice or comfort that can be offered would be much appreciated. Has anyone had a similar situation? If so how was it resolved?
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