Ongoing Chest Pain

Posted by kttormoen @kttormoen, Oct 17, 2018

A week ago, I woke up at night from chest pain. It was pretty intense and I thought it was heartburn. I took Tums, which always help, but they didn't help. The next day I went to my doctor. She did an EKG and it was normal. She prescribed Omeprazole for GERD. Even after days of taking it, I do not feel better. My chest pain is constant. It's minor but it moves around. For example, it is in the middle of my chest right now but has been on the left side and then the right side today as well. My cholesterol is normal, I am a 28 year old female, I am not overweight, and there is not history of heart issues in my family.

Sometimes I feel like my heart is fluttering. I've also been very tired and a bit dizzy. I am not sure if part of the cause of my symptoms is anxiety, but anxiety attacks don't typically last for days on end. I have a hard time focusing on anything lately because of my symptoms. I feel shaky too.

Please help me. I am not sure what is going on and I feel like my doctor doesn't think it's a big deal.

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@gabbys24

Hello, thank you for your response... & no not that i can remember but i forgot to mention , years ago when i was like maybe 10 years old i felt this pain for the very first time & it was horrible, it was the middle of the night & i didnt want to tell anyone so i tried sleeping it off but it hurt soo much the whole night till the next day i felt better & i never got that pain ever again till recently 2 years ago. Ive gone to the Er several times in those 2 years because the pain wasnt going away & it felt like i was having a heart attack🙁 the pain doesnt last too long maybe like a couple seconds but i get it daily every hour almost....

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Seems like you'd be a good candidate for a halter monitor as you can press a button and log the symptom while your monitor records the heart.

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@gabbys24

Hello, thank you for your response... & no not that i can remember but i forgot to mention , years ago when i was like maybe 10 years old i felt this pain for the very first time & it was horrible, it was the middle of the night & i didnt want to tell anyone so i tried sleeping it off but it hurt soo much the whole night till the next day i felt better & i never got that pain ever again till recently 2 years ago. Ive gone to the Er several times in those 2 years because the pain wasnt going away & it felt like i was having a heart attack🙁 the pain doesnt last too long maybe like a couple seconds but i get it daily every hour almost....

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@gabbys24 Just got this post thank you Ethan Have you seen a cardiologist if not I would have him do a complete workup If your heart is o.k. see a gastroenterologist between the heart and stomach it's hard to tell what it is.I started out with a pain in my chest but also sweating when I would work outside the pain would go away then one time it stayed so had a cardio workup glad I did as it ended in a by pass I needed your arteries might be clogged and that's a silent pain that comes and goes there are so many things it could be Be your own advocate if one Dr brushes you of it's your right to seek other Dr.,s Good luck

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@kttormoen Welcome to connect where we care and try to help with what helps us. You are young to be having these symptoms Have you thought of seeking another opinion You have the right to. I wouldn't put this on especially since it's been going on quit awhile. How are you feeling today.?

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@helena4000

Seems like you'd be a good candidate for a halter monitor as you can press a button and log the symptom while your monitor records the heart.

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Would i ask for that at my drs office? Thank you at this point ill try anything to at least know what is causing my pain.

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@lioness

@gabbys24 Just got this post thank you Ethan Have you seen a cardiologist if not I would have him do a complete workup If your heart is o.k. see a gastroenterologist between the heart and stomach it's hard to tell what it is.I started out with a pain in my chest but also sweating when I would work outside the pain would go away then one time it stayed so had a cardio workup glad I did as it ended in a by pass I needed your arteries might be clogged and that's a silent pain that comes and goes there are so many things it could be Be your own advocate if one Dr brushes you of it's your right to seek other Dr.,s Good luck

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I saw a cardiologist when the pain started 2 years ago & they said my heart was fine. My dr asked if i would like to be reffered back but she thinks they wont do anything as they already told me several times my heart is fine. My dr thinks it can be inflammatiom or muscle pain but I really doubt it as none of the pain meds she prescribes help with the pain. I just really wanna know whats causing my pain already i hope i find out soon thank you

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@gabbys24

I saw a cardiologist when the pain started 2 years ago & they said my heart was fine. My dr asked if i would like to be reffered back but she thinks they wont do anything as they already told me several times my heart is fine. My dr thinks it can be inflammatiom or muscle pain but I really doubt it as none of the pain meds she prescribes help with the pain. I just really wanna know whats causing my pain already i hope i find out soon thank you

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@gabbys24 In my experience, thoracic outlet syndrome can cause chest pain that can be confused with a heart issue. It's a stress related problem with tight neck and chest muscles. It's like living in a straight jacket. I have had ribs twist because of spams which are painful in the chest and sternum. I have had a neck spasm start and go into my chest which is quite painful, but after massaging it, in a few minutes, it subsides. Since you have already ruled out a heart problem, it could be a physical problem like TOS. For me that also causes one side of my chest to not expand fully. What helps for physical therapy is myofsacial release. Here are some links that you might find of interest. It is hard to find doctors who really understand TOS. Look for them at teaching medical centers like Mayo or Universities with medical schools that treat TOS.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/myofascial-release-therapy-mfr-for-treating-compression-and-pain/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/thoracic-outlet-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20353988
https://trainingandrehabilitation.com/how-truly-treat-thoracic-outlet-syndrome/

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@gabbys24

I saw a cardiologist when the pain started 2 years ago & they said my heart was fine. My dr asked if i would like to be reffered back but she thinks they wont do anything as they already told me several times my heart is fine. My dr thinks it can be inflammatiom or muscle pain but I really doubt it as none of the pain meds she prescribes help with the pain. I just really wanna know whats causing my pain already i hope i find out soon thank you

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@gabbys24 I read the post from ,@Jennifer Hunter I don't know anything about this but sounds pluasible One thing I know from my research is inflammation is at heart of alot of our problems Ice bag @Ginger_tumeric tea are anti inflamatory I'm just researching what else there is The tea is found at Trader Joe's 😁 It has a good taste We have to be our own advocate and research everything for our health I hope you keep posting as to what this is and what helped

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@jenniferhunter

@gabbys24 In my experience, thoracic outlet syndrome can cause chest pain that can be confused with a heart issue. It's a stress related problem with tight neck and chest muscles. It's like living in a straight jacket. I have had ribs twist because of spams which are painful in the chest and sternum. I have had a neck spasm start and go into my chest which is quite painful, but after massaging it, in a few minutes, it subsides. Since you have already ruled out a heart problem, it could be a physical problem like TOS. For me that also causes one side of my chest to not expand fully. What helps for physical therapy is myofsacial release. Here are some links that you might find of interest. It is hard to find doctors who really understand TOS. Look for them at teaching medical centers like Mayo or Universities with medical schools that treat TOS.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/myofascial-release-therapy-mfr-for-treating-compression-and-pain/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/thoracic-outlet-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20353988
https://trainingandrehabilitation.com/how-truly-treat-thoracic-outlet-syndrome/

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I am reading about it now i had no idea what this was, im definitely making an appointment with my dr to discuss TOS. Thank you soo much for sharing this!🙏🏼

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@lioness

@gabbys24 I read the post from ,@Jennifer Hunter I don't know anything about this but sounds pluasible One thing I know from my research is inflammation is at heart of alot of our problems Ice bag @Ginger_tumeric tea are anti inflamatory I'm just researching what else there is The tea is found at Trader Joe's 😁 It has a good taste We have to be our own advocate and research everything for our health I hope you keep posting as to what this is and what helped

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Ooh i definitely need to try out that tea!☺️ Also, ive been using CBD salve pain rub & its helped a bit. It helps when i have the pain but the pain still comes back .. but forsure helps me relief my pain for a bit

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@gabbys24

I am reading about it now i had no idea what this was, im definitely making an appointment with my dr to discuss TOS. Thank you soo much for sharing this!🙏🏼

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@gabbys24 A primary care doctor may not have much knowledge about TOS, so if that is the case, you might want to request to see a neurologist. I was told it was rare by an orthopedic shoulder specialist who kept telling me I didn't have it. I told him a neurologist diagnosed it several years earlier. Finally after I had by hands turn blue and cold at an appointment (because of my neck position), a doppler test he ordered demonstrated my circulation was diminished by changing my arm position, and he couldn't explain that, he finally accepted the previous diagnosis of TOS, but didn't understand how to rehab it. A neurologist told me that TOS is glossed over in medical school and is often misunderstood. It's actually fairly common and can be caused by a whiplash, or repetitive stress injury. Physical therapists who treat it understand, and may be able to direct you to a doctor with knowledge of it. There are several different types of TOS, and multiple compression points that can contribute to it, and physical build even plays a role. A person with a long neck is more at risk (according to my doctor) because the collar bones are attached lower on the spine which makes the space under them smaller where everything has to pass through. The specialist I saw for this was a thoracic vascular surgeon who also diagnosed it. I had TOS and was in therapy for it when I developed a spine problem. I had overlapping pain symptoms from TOS and cervical spinal stenosis that was generating pain all over my body which made the correlation of my symptoms and my imaging a bit confusing. That's why I came to Mayo because the doctors who saw me couldn't figure it out. Likewise, TOS has overlapping symptoms with carpal tunnel syndrome, and my TOS diagnosis was missed at the time I had carpal tunnel surgery that did not resolve the issues completely. I did also have some big stabbing chest pains right after my spine neck surgery that started as a muscle spasm in my neck and moved down into my chest. Of course, right after surgery there is a lot of trauma and swelling to the area, and the surgical incision was very close to where the TOS problem is. Prior to spine surgery, there were times that my neck position initiated a painful muscle spasm into my chest, and massage and myofascial release was able to dissipate it within minutes.

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