1. < Digestive Health

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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Mentor
Jennifer, Volunteer Mentor | @jenniferhunter | Oct 26, 2020
In reply to @funk24 "Hello, I am new to the group. I’ve been experiencing deep chest/diaphragm pain for the past..." + (show)
@funk24

Hello, I am new to the group. I’ve been experiencing deep chest/diaphragm pain for the past 4 months, I can’t create the pain, it’s just there always, better in the am but towards the night it gets worse. some light burning in the left pec muscle and pain shooting in back area directly behind chest discomfort. Had ekg, stress ekg, calcium score test(0), endoscopy, seen a DO, chest MRI, chest x-ray, ultra sound of chest, all clear. Did acupuncture, ozone/vit c therapy, massage, etc. no answers. Was told by DO I injured myself in gym, some practitioners mentioned intercostal neuralgia, costracondrotis, teets syndrome. Can’t seem to get an answer. I would sure like some insite. Thank You.

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@funk24 I would recommend looking at thoracic outlet syndrome as a possibility. I have TOS which does cause the symptoms you described for me. Basically it is a compression of nerves and blood vessels between the rib cage and collar bone in several areas. This diagnosis is often missed because it isn't covered well in medical schools. I do physical therapy with myofascial release which helps a lot and MFR removes restrictions that are causing pain and gets the body moving better and back toward normal alignment. Posture is important. It is hard to find specialists who understand TOS, so look for one at a multidisciplinary facility that treats it. Neurologists can diagnose TOS as well as vascular and thoracic surgeons. Here are some links for information.
https://mskneurology.com/how-truly-treat-thoracic-outlet-syndrome/
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/myofascial-release-therapy-mfr-for-treating-compression-and-pain/

REPLY
1 reply
lioness | @lioness | Oct 26, 2020
In reply to @funk24 "Hello, I am new to the group. I’ve been experiencing deep chest/diaphragm pain for the past..." + (show)
@funk24

Hello, I am new to the group. I’ve been experiencing deep chest/diaphragm pain for the past 4 months, I can’t create the pain, it’s just there always, better in the am but towards the night it gets worse. some light burning in the left pec muscle and pain shooting in back area directly behind chest discomfort. Had ekg, stress ekg, calcium score test(0), endoscopy, seen a DO, chest MRI, chest x-ray, ultra sound of chest, all clear. Did acupuncture, ozone/vit c therapy, massage, etc. no answers. Was told by DO I injured myself in gym, some practitioners mentioned intercostal neuralgia, costracondrotis, teets syndrome. Can’t seem to get an answer. I would sure like some insite. Thank You.

Jump to this post

@funk24 I'm so sorry to hear all about your chest pain Have you seen a lung Dr My thought is Pleurisy won't hurt to look into this

REPLY
1 reply
jacko | @jacko | Oct 31, 2020

.. hope Brandon and others are doing better... say, any alternatives to the so-called, ' Bravo (pH) Test ...have Upper Endoscopies been helpful? ...the Manometry test seems a bit uncomfortable, but I guess can be somewhat helpful ... keep us informed - Thanks & Stay Safe!

REPLY
funk24 | @funk24 | Nov 1, 2020
In reply to @lioness "@funk24 I'm so sorry to hear all about your chest pain Have you seen a lung..." + (show)
@lioness

@funk24 I'm so sorry to hear all about your chest pain Have you seen a lung Dr My thought is Pleurisy won't hurt to look into this

Jump to this post

Yes, scheduled for lung doc next for breathing test and rule out anything else.

REPLY
funk24 | @funk24 | Nov 1, 2020
In reply to @jenniferhunter "@funk24 I would recommend looking at thoracic outlet syndrome as a possibility. I have TOS which..." + (show)
@jenniferhunter

@funk24 I would recommend looking at thoracic outlet syndrome as a possibility. I have TOS which does cause the symptoms you described for me. Basically it is a compression of nerves and blood vessels between the rib cage and collar bone in several areas. This diagnosis is often missed because it isn't covered well in medical schools. I do physical therapy with myofascial release which helps a lot and MFR removes restrictions that are causing pain and gets the body moving better and back toward normal alignment. Posture is important. It is hard to find specialists who understand TOS, so look for one at a multidisciplinary facility that treats it. Neurologists can diagnose TOS as well as vascular and thoracic surgeons. Here are some links for information.
https://mskneurology.com/how-truly-treat-thoracic-outlet-syndrome/
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/myofascial-release-therapy-mfr-for-treating-compression-and-pain/

Jump to this post

Thank you so much for your insite, I’m scheduled for a Neurologist next, I’ll bring up TOS.

REPLY
1 reply
Mentor
Jennifer, Volunteer Mentor | @jenniferhunter | Nov 1, 2020
In reply to @funk24 "Thank you so much for your insite, I’m scheduled for a Neurologist next, I’ll bring up..." + (show)
@funk24

Thank you so much for your insite, I’m scheduled for a Neurologist next, I’ll bring up TOS.

Jump to this post

@funk24 I see you mentioned a breathing test. TOS can affect breathing too. When half of my chest wall is too tight because of TOS, it doesn't expand enough, and because the lungs don't move and expand as much, it can build phlegm. I also have allergies and asthma and I did have a repeating issue getting chest infections on the tight side because of this. I did also have another problem that exacerbated the phlegm that surprised me. I had problems with old dental root canals that were failing, and I am having those teeth replaced with dental implants and a restoration. As soon as the teeth were extracted, my lung function improved immediately and my allergies were much easier to control and didn't have the excess phlegm. Sometimes a few issues can combine and make a bigger health issue. I hope you get some resolution and find a path and a plan for recovery. Please come back and share what you learn.

REPLY
ken82 | @ken82 | Nov 1, 2020

@capt24 Concerning the GERD you have and the Hiatal Hernia: I had that for years caused by bad eating habits..too much too fast etc.. I was on Nexium for decades.. so a GI doctor recommended I have a Nissen ... bad move... as I ended up with a post operative Gastroparesis ... a slow emptying stomach... a life changing problem caused by injuring of the nerves that operate the stomach.. So the Gastroparesis causes stomach gases to wander around the trunk of the body causing all sorts of pains and symptoms.. So while you are at checking all these other conditions.. take the time to eat correctly to reduce all those related symptoms... and if some doctor thinks you should have a Nissen to reduce GERD... 1 in 6 are not successful .. Diet and the Eating and digestive processes are the things we subject our bodies to a few times a day... (your id capt24 may indicate that you were in the military service where you learned to eat fast.. thank you for your service... (in the Navy I learned that bad habit of eating fast...) Good Luck .. I don't know where you are located but at Mayo MN where I (now 83 years old) have been treated for several problems the doctors are in a network where they pay attention to what other may diagnose..

REPLY
chrisdennis85 | @chrisdennis85 | Nov 6, 2020
In reply to @russellbeard "Hey Brandon! Sounds a lot like me!!!!!! I’ve had chest pain for over a year and..." + (show)
@russellbeard

Hey Brandon! Sounds a lot like me!!!!!! I’ve had chest pain for over a year and it is more frequent the last few months. I’ve had several EKGs stress test echocardiogram blood tests and all look good or so they say. Lol it’s drivng me crazy! My blood pressure was a lil high so they got me on lisinopril and that helped the BP but the pain is still here. It’s normally good in the mornings and usually starts hurting around midday. It hurts normally on the left side but the last week it’s been on my right side and middle. If it’s a heart attack I’m having the longest one in history! I would live to k ow if anyone got any answers. Thanks!

Jump to this post

Hi I'm expressing similar problem did you get help

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1 reply
chrisdennis85 | @chrisdennis85 | Nov 7, 2020

I have pain in my chest left side since July 2020 till now, I have been attending doctors and taking medication but nothing better.

REPLY
1 reply
Amanda Burnett | @amandaa | Nov 7, 2020
In reply to @chrisdennis85 "I have pain in my chest left side since July 2020 till now, I have been..." + (show)
@chrisdennis85

I have pain in my chest left side since July 2020 till now, I have been attending doctors and taking medication but nothing better.

Jump to this post

Hi @chrisdennis85, I wanted to welcome you to Mayo Clinic Connect and let you know that I moved your discussion to another ongoing discussion about chronic chest pain. I did this so that you could connect with people who are having similar issues as you.

What current medication do they have you on and what are they treating?

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