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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

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    • 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

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    • 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.

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    • 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

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    • 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

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  • 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

  • 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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