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sharp chest pain, involentary spasms in fingers/toes and more, any advice please

Posted , 6 users are following.

jennie90
jennie90

Hi, I really would like someone's opinion on this, I apologise for how long it is

My partner has been suffering for a couple of months now, starting with pins and needles in his arms/fingers and toes. Over the past few weeks this has developed into quite painful muscle spasms, sometimes clawing of the hands and also severe chest pain, usually localised to the left and spreading to around his side to a point he has rang emergency services more than once suspecting a heart attack.

When going to the hospital he has been told he is having a panic attack and has been told he is suffering from anxiety and been put on beta blockers which are not making any difference.

The problem we have with this is that he has no other anxiety symptoms, his breathing is fine and so is his heart rate, ecg always comes back fine and he has had a standard blood test done, which was OK, only abnormality was his oxygen level was 100% they did not follow up on this. one of the paramedics who came after calling the hospital last week said he has no idea why they have said it is a panic attack as he has never arrived to someone supposedly having one, and for them to have his pain symptoms yet be as calm as he is, without any elevated heart rate or breathing.

I think this is something neurological but I'm not sure that would explain the chest pain.

Any advice would be much appreciated

Thank-you

1 like, 17 replies

17 Replies

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  • alan68537
    alan68537 jennie90

    Posted

    hi jennie this sounds a bit like what i had once,the terrible chest pain pins and needles and deffo short of breath, i also had dag doc out 6 out of 7 nights a week i had blood tests which came bk clear but i was still up and down the hospital untill the dr said ok lets do a full count blood test it came bk that i had dangerously high cholestrol levels of 8.9 or maybe other way round cant remember,i brought those cholestrol lowering drinks and the milk and butter and within a day it was like it was all sucked out of me no more pain nor dodgy breathing,but i also had acid reflux which caused pain a lot as i have a hole in my stomach so on tabs for life,but if he hasnt had 1 ask for a cholesterol test u never know i wish them the best smile
    • jennie90
      jennie90 alan68537

      Posted

      Thanks Alan, he was actually told early in the year when he had a medical done at work (routine thing lol) that he has a slightly high cholesterol, but I was just doing some more research online about another problem he has, and I always thought it was a sleep disorder, but could never find out what, I have just discovered it is very probably (90% sure going off symptoms) that he is having nocturnal temporal lobe epilepsy seizures, them being nocturnal as they only happen when he's asleep, which apparently if not getting much sleep can start to occur cause seizures when awake... And he hasn't slept much lately, so I'm going to query that too..

      But the cholesterol thing is most definitely the cause as I've said, he knows it was slightly high anyway. Thankyou

  • alan68537
    alan68537 jennie90

    Posted

    how weird i used to have epilepsy but i think it was called full crown or morn something like that i had mine at night but never knew of any of them besides my mum telling me, the long 3 years u have to wait and if u have 1 again it starts all over again,but my chest pain all started many years after,im up late every night well its 02.21am so there u go lol i constanly am in pain for last near on 6 years they said all my bk pain chest pain etc was from a complete muscle tear both trapezeus muscles nearly gone muscle wasteage that i dont have that at all i have brochial neuritus(inflammed nerves)they said no cure can only help to try and help the pain so i know what its like having pain 24/7 so i wish him the best and hope u can get it sorted just list all these things u notice he does etc write them down and see a doctor who actually will and does listen and act upon it yes i know that can be hard nowdays only to well but gl plz let me know how u get on ty all the best jennie
    • jennie90
      jennie90 alan68537

      Posted

      He has been having these episodes in his sleep for about 4 years... Only way I can describe it, is it's likes he's eating something... But the epileptic symptoms listed for that particular type are chewing, lip smacking and swallowing which is what he does. Also excessive sweating... But that can also happen while he's awake, even when it's freezing cold. He has had chest pains on and off for a couple of years but only mild ones, nothing to concern him like it is now especially with the painful spasms in his fingers... I just think its silly the automatically say... Panic attack... And its caused by hyperventilating, when he isn't breathing abnormally at all, the pain has usually calmed during the 20 minute wait for the paramedic or the 3 hour wait in a&e so how they can just diagnose like that without seeing the actual problem is beyond me

      Thank-you Alan and I wish you all the best too smile hope you feel better

    • jennie90
      jennie90

      Posted

      Oh and he is completely oblivious to what he does in his sleep too, until I told him..I usually end up kicking him because he won't stop... 😝 Think I won't do that anymore if it could be epilepsy.. just thought it was a habit because I could never find a reason for it lol
    • alan68537
      alan68537 jennie90

      Posted

      lol 1 thing to watch if u see him doing it is that he doesnt swallow his tongue i did twice but DO NOT  put your fingers in his mouth have a spoon or something at hand as he could well bite your finger off and wont even know,i unfortunatly punched my doctor in the face and my mum in her stomach and i knew nothing about it,after that the doc just run in and stabbed me with the needle to get the medicine in me to help me,i felt terrible couldnt belive i done it as i wasnt aware,
  • alan68537
    alan68537 jennie90

    Posted

    i just read this about the hands...Cramps in your hand can arise from a number of different causes. Hand cramps develop as a result of conditions affecting muscles and nerves in your hand. Trauma or injury to a nerve in your hand can also cause hand cramps. Even breathing too fast (hyperventilation) can result in hand cramps, as carbon dioxide levels in the blood become too low. Everyday, simple reasons, such as fatigue from overuse, can lead to temporary, acute cramps in the hand.

    Hand cramps are usually brief, but they can be severe and painful, and sometimes accompany a tingling or burning sensation (paresthesia). This is a common in those with diabetes and others who have suffered damage to the peripheral nerves (peripheral neuropathy, a disorder that causes dysfunction of nerves that lie outside your brain and spinal cord). Dehydration is a common cause for cramping due to low levels of calcium, magnesium, and fluids in the body. Heat exhaustion can lead to dehydration and cramping in the muscles of the hand and other extremities like your legs.....dont know about the rest unless its nerves which r the prob which is what i have but my pains dont just last 30 mins or upto 3 hours mines constant so i dont know but nerve damage or whatever could be a poss,ty hope my pain stops aswell its so depressing at times cant even work cos of it normally when pain is gd or bad it gets me when and whereever it desides bit bk and chest and legs are the worse,i was on gabapentin they helped believe it or not but then nearly 2 weeks ago it stopped working now on amitriptyline hopefully they will help but nothing so far,only saying this as maybe u can ask a doctor if he thinks it could be that or something smilar might help with the elimination to get to the cause but alot is trial and error gl smile

    • jennie90
      jennie90 alan68537

      Posted

      Oh gosh my mother was on amitriptyline for p.t.s.d it made her like a zombie, to be fair she was on 100mg a day, my partner has also taken them for I.b.s and didn't like it,he was only on 10mg... I hope they work for you, everybody reacts differently to medications... I did look up peripheral neuropathy, that was what I thought it may be.

      As I say with the breathing... It doesn't change... But I think because of the results of hyperventilating and him having 100% oxygen level, they've assumed he has been hyperventilating but hasn't lol.

      He is due to visit his doctor tomorrow so I will definitely be telling him about our conversation and to ask his doctor

    • alan68537
      alan68537 jennie90

      Posted

      read this jen   About gabapentin

      Type of medicine An anti-epileptic medicine

      Used for Epilepsy; neuropathic pain

      Also called Neurontin®

      Available as Tablets, capsules and oral liquid medicine

      Gabapentin belongs to a group of medicines known as anti-epileptic medicines, although it is prescribed for the treatment of several different conditions. You may have been prescribed it for the treatment of partial seizures, which are a type of epilepsy. A seizure is a short episode of symptoms which is caused by a burst of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. With a partial seizure, the burst of electrical activity stays in one part of the brain. Therefore, you tend to have localised or 'focal' symptoms. Gabapentin is used to control the symptoms of seizures and works by reducing the abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Exactly how it does this is not fully understood.

      Gabapentin is also prescribed to treat certain types of long-lasting pain caused by damage to nerves. This type of pain, called neuropathic pain, can be caused by a number of different diseases. These include diabetes (where it is called diabetic neuropathy) and shingles (where it is called postherpetic neuralgia).Although gabapentin is only licensed for use in epilepsy and neuropathic pain, it is also prescribed to help to prevent attacks of migraine. If you have been given it for this reason then you should speak with your doctor if you have any questions about your treatment......im only on 10mg i got to make appointment tomorrow aswell to c if ive had any side effects or to higher the dosage,well thats if i can get appointment prob be a week or so usually is lol

       

  • alan68537
    alan68537 jennie90

    Posted

    anyway im off to watch ghost hunters international now lol so will say good night gl for him tomorrow let me know how u go tc night smile
    • jennie90
      jennie90 alan68537

      Posted

      Lol I know they're shocking doctors lately it takes forever to get seen, you always feel loads better by the time you get there lol I might ring mine now and say I might need an appointment in 6 months time can you fit me in

      OK thanks Alan, and I'll keep all this in mind for tomorrow, enjoy your show and I will let you know how we get on smile

  • Attempt82
    Attempt82 jennie90

    Posted

    Hi Jennie

    Your partner may be having neuropathic spasms, and trust me they can be agonising, you don't say if he has seen his GP, if not then I suggest do that as soon as possible, there's obviously a problem and that needs sorting out

    Regards

    John

    • jennie90
      jennie90 Attempt82

      Posted

      Hi, thanks for your reply, yes he's been to see his gp and told him his symptoms and also about what happened on his visits to hospital, they did a test for carpel tunnel but that's about it, no-one seems to want to actually test him for anything just keep telling him he's having panic attacks and it's winding us up. They've now told him if the beta blockers aren't working just don't take them but not offered any other help sad
    • alan68537
      alan68537 jennie90

      Posted

      hi jen just read what u put they r terrible some of these docs well so called docs anyway see another doc or just go and sit up the a&e i know thats a long thing but at least u will be seen just explain your torment with your gp and ask for there help ive had to do it b4 aswell,its like no 1 gives a toss aslong as they get there money for seeing ppl for 5 mins thats all that matters its very frustrating mines been going on for 6 years so i know only 2 well but dont give up,or what ive done when i felt i was going nowhere was to sit with the doc and say im recording this as im not happy with my treatment or lack of as the case may be,they soon help u then gl smile
  • acydgod
    acydgod jennie90

    Posted

    Hi Jennie,

     I'm having almost the same symptoms you describe.  I'm 42, good health/fit and it started with a numbness/tingling in my hands and feet (cold).  Since then I've had other symptoms (low appetite, burning sensations various places, dizziness). 

    I had blood tests and an MRI. All normal except they found some arthritis in my neck and a bulging disc.  I 'may' have heard it at the gym but have no actual neck pain (cracks like crazy though).  

    I would suggest he get these tests and an EMG (nerve conduction) to see if they can identify it as peripheral neuropathy.  The treatment varies depending upon the underlying cause and they may not find any.  I'm having mine tomorrow.  

    I agree that Gabapentin may help with the symptoms in the meantime.  I tried 100mg at night but didn't seem to do much.  I think the dose is probably too low though.  

    Also might try taking:

    1. B-12 supplements (I got 5000mcg at costco) daily (empty stomach)

    2. Alpha-Liproic acid (300mg) morning/night

    3. Some people have told me accupuncture may also help, I tried once but hard to say if any benefit.  

    If you find out any helpful tips or have more questions, please write back. 

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