Please read! So desperate - chest/back/side pain. Cause Unknown.

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I'll start by giving a brief history..

20 y/o female. 5'3, 120lbs. Fairly healthy & active until all of this.

August 2018: One day had pressure between my eyebrows, fullness in my ears. Had a Vertigo episode the following night. Slept it off. Felt dizzy for about a week, not necessarily the room spinning, but the feeling in my head as if I was constantly about to pass out. That feeling was accompanied by confusion, brain fog, short term memory issues, etc.

PCP prescribed me Claritin D - landed me in the hospital with a heart rate of 110-130 for hours and panic attacks. EKG - normal. Blood tests - normal. Given Ativan, sent home with 10 Ativan pills to use as needed and recommended to get help for Anxiety. Went to Psych, took 1 dose of 5mg Lexapro and had a horrible reaction. Stopped taking immediately and have not taken an anti depressant/anxiety med since.

End of August: Coming in to PCP for check up about sinus symptoms. Coincidentally that morning I woke up in some of the worst pain ever, whenever i laid down or laid my back on something, sharp pains everywhere. DR did not run tests, told me it was Pleurisy. Symptoms subsided after 6 day steroid pack. ////

ENT dr came to the conclusion that it is Eustachian Tube Dysfunction, Sinusitis, & complications due to a deviated septum. Gave me Azelastine Nasal and Fluticasone Nasal. Both steroid sprays.

September: I noticed shortly after taking nasal sprays, the sinus symptoms subsided.. But was having palpitations and chest/back pain again. PCP put me on a 24 hour Holter Monitor, came back normal.

End of SEPT; pain is getting worse. Advil slightly helps but only so much. I assume its Pleurisy again.. But why? No new illnesses? My Anxiety subsided after occasionally vaping CBD Oil.

10/16: Turbinate Reduction surgery, local anesthetic used. No follow up medication. Trouble breathing thru nose rest of day and next day.

10/18: Prescribed steroid pack again - Chest CT scheduled for 10/25. Later that night, pain got much worse. It felt like I was short of breath, I got extra winded walking up and down steps that are usually a breeze. Palpitations (always more obvious in right side of chest) Pain and fullness in mid chest , upper and lower back, and sides. Sometimes both sides, sometimes one or the other. Pain and fullness in mid chest when coughing, sneezing, even eating. Tried to sleep it off around midnight.

10/19: Woke up 5am in pain, couldnt go back to sleep. Feeling worse. BUT NOT ANXIOUS, I know the difference between Anxiety pain and actual PAIN. Gave in and went to the ER around 9am. EKG - normal. Blood tests - normal, no signs of clotting so PE is ruled out. Chest X-Ray - Normal. DR couldnt tell me what it was. She said it could be basically "left over pain" from my AUG-SEPT anxiety episodes. Could be Costochondritis, could be acid reflux, even though I'm not experiencing the burnign sensation or typical symptoms I get with it. basically nothing serious. Recommended I take Mylanta, & still get CT that is scheduled though. If nothing was found in any of these tests.. WHY AM I IN SO MUCH PAIN!?! I went home and cried because I can't even do something as simple as sleep due to this pain! & Now they can't find whats wrong!? SOMEONE please help me out with some insight!

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2 Replies

  • Posted

    I have to admit it sounds very similar to PEs but you said your blood test came back low for clotting. Is the chest CT going to involve contrast?

    Someone on the message boards had similar symptoms to PEs and they had a hiatus hernia, have you had an endoscopy?

    • Posted

      No Endoscopy, & I thought it sounded just like a PE too. The CT will involve contrast, but now they're adding the abdomen and pelvis to the CT as well.. I just went back to the ER for SEVERE pain in my lower right side, lower right abdomen, and lower back on the right side as well. Abdominal CT without contrast showed my R Ureter is swollen, some blood in urine but not visibly noticeable. But no sign of a kidney stone. Large cyst on R ovary detected during Ultrasound. Chest X-ray still clear. So right now I'm treating it as if its from a Kidney Stone, & see what happens about the chest issues when I get the CT with contrast next week.

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