Left sided chest/back pain for 2 1/2 years, please help.
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Hello, this is a long story so please bear with me.
i am a 36 year old male, for the last 2 and a half years i have had pain in my chest on the left hand side just below my nipple which spreads right round to the left side of my back a few inches below my left shoulder, the pain is constant and never goes away, i describe the pain as dull, achy and sharp and stabbing, almost as if there is a knife permanently there.
it started off 2 and a half years ago as a come and go pain which was sharp and stabbing, i went to see a doctor and he prescribed me with some naproxen and some omaprazele - gastro resistant tablets, none of this helped so i returned to the doctor, he sent me for an x ray on my chest which showed nothing, meanwhile over the next few months the pain has now gone from a come and go pain to a constant pain which eventually developed to my back also as it seemed to just be in my chest to begin with. After going back to the doctor again this time he did some blood tests which again showed nothing, after that he told me theres nothing more that can be done so ill just have to put up with it and that its most likely my age anyway, which is rubbish. I went to another doctor for a second opinion, she then told me it was stress and to try doing some yoga to help calm me down, i thought perhaps she was right as i had just been through a break up so i left it for a few months, when it didn't get better i went back to the doctor again, this time she upped my pain killer dosage which again didn't help so back again and she then gave me an ecg for the heart which showed up fine, the pain continued so i went back again, this time she decided to send me to hospital for a heart ct scan, i waited 6 months to have this which again showed up nothing. So by then any heart problems were ruled out.
The constant pain continued so i went back to my doctor again, she told me the problem is they have ruled out anything serious such as cancer, heart problems etc so there's nothing more they can do. by this point i felt very frustrated, and started to feel really down as i was left in constant pain with no explanation, i kept thinking that surely i shouldn't have this pain for no reason. It was then i decided to see a private doctor, he said it is possibly nerve pain/a pinched nerve or something like that, so first he did some vitamin d and b12 blood tests, there was a slight defficiency with my b12 but nothing significant, he prescribed me with some amitriptyline tablets for nerve pain, he said to try for 4 - 5 weeks and if still no difference then maybe an mri scan might help. Id also add that i have been to physical therapy and been for osteopathy.
There's still no difference in my pain but a private scan would cost no less than £700, which i can't afford, the private doctor told me to ask my nhs gp but i have asked for an mri scan before and they refused as unless this pain is physically stopping me from working or doing things then they cant justify me having one. What they don't seem to realise is how much of an impact this is having on my mental health, its not the sort of pain i can ignore, its just there all the time, i go to work because i have no choice but i barely do the activities i enjoy anymore due to the pain, i avoid social outings where i can as the pain is too distracting and uncomfortable and i just feel like i cant be fully present, i havent dated or seeked any new relationship for over 2 years which is unlike me. i just feel like its put a hold on my life, and Im just fed up, I feel really alone with it. Ive also turned quite negative which has caused people who are normally close to distant themselves from me.
On the scale of 1-10, 10 being the worst pain, the pain is around a 6 but seems to go up to 8 during anything really physical and my job is physical which makes it harder (i suspect my job possibly caused my pain in the first place, always lifting and twisting my body etc)
The worst thing is nobody understands quite what Im going through because i look ok, i just dont feel it, and worse still i have absolutely no way of managing this pain, everything i do or try doesnt help, i regularly exercise, my diet is fine, not amazing but fine, I dont smoke or drink, i sleep well (that's the only good thing about this pain is it actually lets me sleep) and nothing eases it. I'm starting to feel like Im stuck with it for the rest of my life. Basically this post is to ask anyone if they have anything simular, and what do you think i should do, should i give up or try and persuade my doctor to send me for an mri scan? Or save my pennies and go private. I'm sorry, I know this is one long post of me feeling sorry for myself and i know there are people out there far worse off than me but i have had enough. Any advice you have I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you
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