Long term, unexplained chest pain
Posted , 3 users are following.
Hi all
After struggling with docs for few month over this I thought I would turn to the wider world some input. I am a 30 year old, healthy (enough) male who has been getting intermitment, frequent chest pains for few month now
The pain is localised to the left side my chest in heart area and in the middle of the chest. i have blood pressure medicine amaldopine 5 mg and propranolol 20 mg when i need it. propranolol 20 mg can help alot but i take it only when i need it but the general doctor want me to take it 40 mg twice a day. but i don't take it regularly i because slow the heart rate and make me feel sleepy and tired. I have had EkGs 3 times, 2 CT chest, chest xrays , echo ,and stress test while running on treadmil and at rest. that have all been fine, and i am not affected at all during exercises. the pain always at rest all the time feeling pressure in the middle of the chest chest make me not relaxing and ancious. the cardiology want do CT coronary ango he said if this test is normal means your heart is fine but i am concern about the radiation from CT test as i didn't many tests before and all cumalative for radaition and increase risk of cancer. i am not sure if i do this test and i cam not satsified about previous test as the cardilogy didn't confirm if my heart is fine or no as the pain still constent . I am scared that I will just drop dead from a heart attack
I am at a compltete loss and doctors have been no help.
Any help/thoughts/insight/advice would be seriously welcome!
Thanks
0 likes, 6 replies
samuel16092 gamer01
Posted
Your symptons sound very similar to mine. I have recourring chest pain which has become worse over time to a point where I am gasping with the pain and immobilised. it can last from 3 to five minutes like cramp and can often make me wretch. First analysis a few years back was unstable angina (before more detailed investigation). I was a regular jogger and keep fit individual and at 40+ was starting to feel chest pain during exercise. Have been hospitalised a few times via A&E but bloods have been negative re:heart attacks. So far I've had 3 Angio procedures, numerous ct scans, echo cardio and dye tests. (Dye test revealed an artery going into a spasm and that seems to be the conclusion ever since, The suggestion being the heart muscle was strong and not being damaged !!??
My worst times are bedtime when I lie down and about 5 to 6 oclock in the morning although I can have a bad attack during the daytime as well.
Before you get to worried I am well into retirment and do have plaque in my arteries plus a hiatis hernia (which may well be a consideration).
Another area worth looking at is muscular skeltatal pain also suggested during one of my visits to the "heart ward".
As a work of encouragement i've been living with this for 12plus years so it hasn't got me yet.
Hope this give you some form of resource but not intended to diagnose your condition.
gamer01 samuel16092
Posted
yes , the symptons is similer because there are many causes for chest pain and all have smiler symptons. that's what made the doctors confused if it's heart related or not . i have been in ER 4 times and every time they said is normal and they wrote in Er report chest wall pain or anxiety but the cardiology didn't confirment that my heart is fine until he do Ct cornory ango test, and i am concern to do it because of the radiation.
brittany17229 gamer01
Posted
If I can give you any insight, I'm 26 and have had chest pains mostly on the left side and in the middle of my sternum I went through all the same work up I had 14 ct scans in a course of 3 months. I started to get worried like am I having to many ct scans so I asked the radiologist who laughed and his assistant laughed as well and said we have people who get 25 ct scans in a months time... well I have kidney stones so more often than not I have to get some kind of ct scan! I wouldn't worry to much about the radiation side of things the radiologist told me that unless I'm getting 25 ct scans and years of them that there's not a reason to worry. I went ahead and did the ct angiogram with the calcium score luckily it was 0. I will say my stress and echo were conflicting one was saying I had abnormal wall motion the other said my wall motion was normal that's why they proceeded with the ct scan, after all this testing they said I had Costochondritis... is your chest tender to touch? If so it very well could be that... are any of your tests conflicting that they would need to do the ct scan?
gamer01 brittany17229
Posted
No there is no conflict from previous tests and all normal. and there is no pain when I touch my chest and . The pain usually at rest all the time. the feeling is like something heavy in my chest and discomfort in left side and Iam not feeling well. i have been in Er 4 times and the doctor in Er said my ct chest is fine and every time i go to Er they said the ekg is normal and the cardiology said my stress test and echo is normal too. i am actually concerned about radiation because I read oline that should be 1 or 2 Ct scan in life time . the stress test that i did it has alot of radaition . the cardiaology want do Ct cornoary ango to rule out any heart issue. I am actually thinking to do it even though it has alot of radaition and if the test is normal i won't be worry anymore . I called the hospital last week and they said they will call me to make an appointment this week but they didn't call yet and i won't be able to do the test until next week. propranolol help alot and for anxiety but i don't take it until the pain become very strong
gamer01
Posted
I mean i won't be able to do the other test until next month because i need to travel to another city to do that test
brittany17229 gamer01
Posted
Don't believe everything you read on the internet because it'll literally drive you crazy! The best thing to do is talk with your doctor about radiation concerns or even talk to the radiologist. It's very possible it could be musleskeletol related or even nerves. I wouldn't jump to the worse possible conclusion if everything is normal on your tests its most likely not heart related. My tests were conflicting and that was the only reason I had to go through a coronary ct scan which ruled out plaque and things in my arteries. If it gives you a piece of mind I'd say go for it. I can tell you from my experience it didn't help me... because I still had the chest pain so I still thought it was my heart even after being told it wasn't my heart, but like I said don't believe everything you read on the internet it'll just do more harm than good.