Connect
Cronic chest muscle/nerve pain.
Im 70 yrs old in July. Had a heartbypass in 2004. Have had undiagnosed pain inside of of rib cage since the surgery. Has spread all across my chest and the pain is 24/7. I cant use my left arm for anything. Just swinging it will make the pain worse. Havent slept more than 4 hours max for several years now. Been an awful life. What kind of doctor do I need. Had several cat scans and x-rays with normal outscomes. Been getting worse every year since the surgery.. any ideas ?
Like
Helpful
HugInterested in more discussions like this? Go to the Heart & Blood Health Support Group.
Connect
Hi Jess,
I can imagine you are worried about having chronic chest pain 24/7. I'm bringing in other Connect members who have had bypass surgery to help answer your questions. Please meet @lyndamm @slavinray @jackj @swanny @thankful @cynaburst @contender1 @retairforceman @ronbee and @llecrup.
Jess, since you had this pain for so long (2004 right after surgery), I assume you've spoken with your cardiologist about it. Have you been to a Pain Clinic?
PS: Jess, I moved your message to the Heart Health group so members here can join in.
Yes on both counts. I spoke to my cardiologist about this beginning in 2005. He just kept saying to give it time. Well , I did give it time. Now he just scratches his head. I went to a pain management clinic for about 3 months in 2013. But they just prescribed pain meds. I wanted to find out why the pain not how to hide it. Now , I guess hidding it may have been my only option.
I had thoracic surgery 2 years ago and have had nerve pain in my left rib cage ever since. I researched the topic and discussed with my doctors and they confirm that I have Post Thoracotomy Pain Syndrome. It's caused by nerve damage when the ribs were spread during surgery. Pain meds don't help. The Pain Clinic wants to try a Spinal Cord Stimulator, but my insurance company won't cover it for my condition. Ask your doctor about Post Thoracotomy Pain Syndrome.
How did they diagnose it ? 12 years ago this pain started under my left rib. Each year afterward the pain would spread a littl farther ou until it took in my whole rib cage under my left arm and now , beginnibg last march , it has spread into my abdomen. Drs still looking for stomach issues. Ive been trying , unsuccessfully , to tell them its all connected. If the pain under the ribs eases , so does my abdomen pain. Thank you so much for the reply. I will tell them.
diagnosis was easy because the pain happened directly after surgery and never went away. I brought my own research and the term Pst Thoracotomy Pain Syndrome to my Pain Clinic doctors and they agreed with me.
Thank you do much. Been battling this pain for a long time. Ive been to my cardiologist , pain management clinic and my GP many times about this pain. Seems like one of them could have mentioned post thoracotomy pain at some point. Agravating , after all this time. Thank you again
Very interesting for me. I had surgery a little over 1 yr ago, and i've had almost constant pain on the left side of my chest (left breast primarily )ever since. I've never really mentioned it to any of my doctors, thinking it was a standard consequence of surgery. Furthermore, i figured it would diminish with time and exercise. It has not, at least not noticeably. I'm beginning to think it's permanent. Actually nice to hear i'm not the only one.
Tylenol does help me, as long as i don't do anything strenuous. And occasionally i take tramadol for back pain, which also helps. Otherwise i'm resigned to having it for a long time, maybe forever.