Chest pains with medications

Posted by mue002 @mue002, Jul 17 9:29am

I am a healthy young adult who was recently diagnosed with non obstructive hcm after suffering a VF storm where I recieved an ICD and then suffered a cardiac arrest not long after. I deal with the most debilitating and painful chest pains that can last from minutes to hours when doing light physical activities or even at night when I try to just fall asleep. For me, it feels like someone is ripping my heart out of my chest and slamming it back in, causing shooting pains down my arms and neck. After raising my concern to my cardiologist, I was put on nadolol to control my rhythm and verapamil for my “pain” that I have been dealing with. I put quotes next to the word pain as my doctor is extremely confused about what could be causing my pains and keeps on saying that: he does not believe it is in relation to my hcm and may be more muscular as it occurs for vast periods of time when I am stationary and not moving. After being on verapamil for over a year, I tried raising a conversation to potentially get off it as I didn’t believe it was working for me, and my cardiologist pulled me off of it without mentioning the potential to trial any other medications to assist with the pain I deal with. I guess i’m just here to see if anyone’s been in a similar situation and if there are any suggestions as to what I should try raising to my doctor next time or if there is anything I should consider with my pains.

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Linda, Volunteer Mentor | @walkinggirl | Jul 18 10:22am

@mue002 Welcome to Connect! This is your first post, and you are trying to seek help for the debilitating and painful chest and other body pains you are having. As a young adult who is otherwise healthy in terms of other health indicators, it is frustrating to not have answers, a plan of action and trying to live a well-rested best life. You wrote that you have an ICD, have you asked your electrophysiologist for input as well? Do ask if the placement of the ICD presses on a nerve or something else to cause this pain. Verapamil is a calcium blocker blood pressure medication (I took it for years before my septal myectomy 4 years ago, my cardiologist prescribed it to "make may heart work not as hard"), it's not a pain medication. Are you cared for at a COE (Center of Excellence)? Has your cardiologist consulted with colleagues? If for any reason you are dissatisfied with the care you are receiving, please do seek another opinion. I just researched body pain ICD and various related search terms and, I am sorry to say I came up emptyhanded for anything that sounds like what you describe. On the Mayo Clinic website, one can ask for an appointment, and I encourage you to seek the best care to resolve this. Here is a link to help you get started if you choose to seek another opinion from a COE: https://www.mayoclinic.org/appointments. Please let us know your progress with whatever you choose to do!