Sporadic chest pain, help?
Posted , 3 users are following.
For the last 10 years or so I've had sporadic chest pain and can't seem to pinpoint the cause. My symptoms range; quick sharp pain in my chest or ribs, long dull ache in my chest, jaw, back, neck, burning in my sternum, upper back, and neck, pressure ("collapsing" feeling) of my ribcage.
I've seen a Cardiologist, Rheumatologist, and Allergist. I've done a stress test, EEG, EKG, echocardiogram, MRI to check for blood clots in my lungs, blood panel with a +ANA, but everything has come back normal.
I've tried altering my diet (no gluten, dairy, alcohol) and see some improvement.
I'm hoping maybe this will provide me with a direction to go in because I'm feeling discouraged and lost.
1 like, 3 replies
shadestcm niknak001
Edited
Hi, i think im experiencing the same thing, do you feel the pain when squeezing your chest?
vetsyd shadestcm
Posted
Yes my pain can usually be touched which is a good rule of thumb that it USUALLY isnt heart related. However, if its ever severe enough or scares you, ALWAYS seek emergent care just to be safe.
vetsyd niknak001
Posted
I want to say that our situations sound almost identical. Of course we all know that there are tons of variables in addition to the usual ones like age, sex, lifestyle, habits, etc... However, in both of our cases, we have been through the usual order of specialists to rule out the life threatening issues first like Cardiological(thank God:) and then on to each speciality.
Just for FYI purposes for you and the new poster, I am a 54 yo female with a history of smoking. I actually have been going through this since my 20's and 30's though. After REPEATED ER visits due to various types of Chest Pain and even admitted back in 2016 for a full Cardiac Workup including Stress Test, Ultrasound, Labs with Negative Triponins (the enzyme only present with heart attack or damage), my diagnosis every time has been COSTOCHONDRITIS and MUSCULOSKELETAL CHEST PAIN. I have FIBROMYALGIA, ARTHRITIS and NEUROLOGICAL PAIN.
I have been previously diagnosed with Autoimmunity along with Mixed Connective Tissue Disease among a very long list of related symptoms and signs too long to list here. However because of all of this, my Neurologist with whom I have seen since 2009, is still trying to decide if I have MS, my Rheumatologist keeps on checking to see if my MCTD has turned into Lupus or RA, but my Opthalmologist did diagnose me with Sjogrens. I was even referred to a Geneticist to find out if I have Ehlers Danlos which is still up in the air due to varying criteria. Basically I have two forms or more of it, but at my age there is not a lot more that can be done for me. If someone would have cared enough to diagnose me younger, I might not have as much joint and soft tissue damage NOW. Thats why I have already got my daughters in testing NOW, so hopefully further damage can be prevented in their young little bodies!
Sorry if TMI here but I just wanted to put all of this out there for yall and anyone else who may be suffering in silence out there. Also, to let you know that there are tons of people with these problems, but many physicians just stop looking if they either cant find something concrete or they do find one disease and then stop there. It is almost like they think that it is not possible to have MORE than one condition at a time!
Good Luck Everyone and pain free hugs to all!