Months of Chest Pain - Please help

Posted by capt209 @capt209, Nov 19, 2017

Hello all,

My name is Brandon and I'm a 34 year old male. I'm excited to get signed up on here and hopeful this may help my anxiety which is through the roof! I have been through ongoing chest pain for the past 4 months. The pain started off as a pinch on the left side of chest. It evolved into a pinch and pressure onto the right side of chest. It would be nearly daily, but didn't really get worse after meals or doing a lot of exercising. The pain then started radiating to my shoulders and sometimes into my arms but rarely. Now, it radiates into my jaw occasionally. I get a wierd fluttering in my chest occasionally when I lay down, but when i sit up and get doing stuff I don't realize it much. Now the chest pain mainly feels like pressure in my chest snd i get occsssional sharp pains on the lower portion of my ribs and sometimes on each side of my sternum. What could this be?

Here's what all I've had done....
CT scan of heart and heart echo - found i have a slightly dialated aerota at the base that they will monitor yearly. I also have a bicuspid aerota valve with moderate regurgitation. Cardiologist does not think my heart is causing the pains. I have no blockages at all and they aren't concerned at all of a heart attack.

I was scoped and found i have a moderate to large hiatal hernia and esophagitas. They also did a manometry test and found I was having esophogas spasms. I am set to have a bravo test this week to see if acid reflux might be the cause. I bet that will show that is the case because I've had acid reflux since my late teens / early 20s.

During my CT scan, they saw a slightly enlarged lymphnode...which i think was on the right side of my chest. They said they would recheck that in 6 months. I had a cold or infection during that test and had some congestion and they say that may of been the reason for that.

I have been on a proton pump inhibitor, zantac and tums as needed but i haven't really noticed much of an improvement on them, if at all.

I have back problems and a neck injury as well. They also think that may be the cause of the chest pain. I had an MRI which did not show any nerve compression but I am constantly battling neck and back pain, sometimes severe.

Any help would be appreciated,

Thanks all,
Brandon

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manda304 | @manda304 | Apr 21, 2020

In reply to @jemrich "Hey thank you for replying! I see cardio next Wednesday so I’m excited to see if..." + (show)

I am 34 yr old female and also have bicuspid aortic valve and murmur with heart fluttering. I do have a tachycardia (from bicuspid valve) so anytime I’m stressed or get my heart rate high it causes pressure and skips. I also take Adderall for hypersomnia and this started to get worse after script coincidentally as well? They don’t think any pain I have is from heart neither but I’m pretty sure it is and just from my anxiousness and higher heart rate which makes my lungs work harder too and that’s when I get symptoms. I also do take Metoporal which is blood pressure medicine to lower heart rate and it helped me tons!

izzadora | @izzadora | Jun 26, 2020

Hi all,

I'm so glad I've found this community ❤️ I've been having chest pains for about 4 months now and similarly to most of you the pain comes and goes.
I'm 32 to female, have been diagnosed with high blood pressure (runs in the family unfortunately) and have been taking meds for about 10 months now.
The pain is mostly in the middle of my chest or travels to left or right side. I sometimes do get it during the day but mostly when I'm home and not doing anything or when bedtime is near that's when it's most prominent. I usually massage my chest or rub, also put hot bottle on and out usually helps. But unfortunately it brings a fair amount of anxiety.
I've had chest X-ray done, bloods and ECG all good. I'm booked for stress test in two weeks. My GP tried to put me on nexium first but it didn't change a thing.
Reading about some of you experiencing the best pains for over a year it makes me really worried.

Have any of you resolved your chest pains?

cim37343 | @cim37343 | Jun 26, 2020

I had chest pains for several years. I finally stopped my once a day cocktail and they subsided and are almost completely gone. Every once in awhile after eating too much or too fast or food particularly hard to digest I may have a spell. But I just use my heating pad until they go away. But I’m also dealing with stress. Meditation is very helpful.

Ingegerd Enscoe, Alumni Mentor | @astaingegerdm | Jun 27, 2020

@izzadora - welcome to Connect! We are happy you found us too!
Chest pain can be anxiety provoking- there are quite a few reasons.
Is the chest wall tender when you rub it over the bony parts? There is one type that is caused by inflammation of the cartilage between the ribs and sternum- costochondritis. Applying heat usually helps, as well as taking an anti- inflammatory medication- such as ibuprofen.
Reflux into esophagus is also a fairly common cause - you are taking Nexium for that.
Let’s hope the stress test is normal.
The most common cause for chest pain like yours is musculoskeletal.
Can you please get back to us after stress test?

moo1 | @moo1 | Jun 27, 2020

Ingegerd, your answers are all good possibilities! May I add a hiatal hernial to your suggestions? Moo1

Ingegerd Enscoe, Alumni Mentor | @astaingegerdm | Jun 27, 2020

In reply to @moo1 "Ingegerd, your answers are all good possibilities! May I add a hiatal hernial to your suggestions?..." + (show)

@moo1 - Excellent addition to the list!

izzadora | @izzadora | Jun 27, 2020

In reply to @astaingegerdm "@izzadora - welcome to Connect! We are happy you found us too! Chest pain can be..." + (show)

Thank you so much for your suggestions. As I mentioned, Nexium didn't help at all so I don't think it's the reflux.
Costochondritis has been discussed with my GP but we ruled that one out too as my pains are not connected to position or breathing which is common for Costochondritis. But with saying that, nurofen usually work as well as rubbing the chest. I do feel it might be musculoskeletar and plan to see physio soon as I have upper back pains too.
I'll get back to all of you soon with any progress x

cim37343 | @cim37343 | Jun 27, 2020

I think my chest pains were caused from esophageal spasms.

Ingegerd Enscoe, Alumni Mentor | @astaingegerdm | Jun 27, 2020

You are right. I have had them too.

oldkarl | @oldkarl | Jun 28, 2020

@capt209 I have about the same pains, but I am quite certain of the reason. Some time ago I read an article focusing on Dr Morie Gertz, Mayo. It noted that he had pinpointed the enlarged spleen as being the culprit for at least the pain which speaks from just above and to the outside of the nipple. The cause of this is often a form of Amyloidosis, typically Finnish Amyloidosis or similar. In the systemic form, the protein fibrils invade whatever portion of body tissue they choose, and do their damage. Internal organs such as thyroid,, spleen, prostate, heart, liver, kidneys are standard targets. The fibrils invade the Actin of the connective tissue holding the organ skin and muscle together, leatherize the tissue, and cause pain anywhere. All the listed organs in my body are enlarged, and several are cancerous. But the real thing is to start with some simple tests. Have you had an echo done by a skilled tech? Has your lab done molecular diagnostic studies? Have you had The Bindings Site serum Free Lite Chain test and the 24-hour urinary volume and protein collection and measurement? These are essential. Production of more than 0.5 grams per day of liver-produced protein is a certain sign that your body is trying to tell you about yourself. There are other causes of splenomegaly, but apparently most of them are either some form of protein fibrils or other physical damage.