Question Title: A lack of concern

After living, camping out West in California for 7 months, the first day of my departure I had dull pain in my left, upper chest. Three weeks later I slowly developed symptoms for what appeared to be giardia, but the symptoms kept changing. I saw one doctor, complained of chest pain and loose, bloody stool. He said the pain was viral and called myocarditis and gave me Lodine which seemed to improve the pain, but hampered the other problem. After becoming employed with insurance, I saw another doctor who sent me to a gastro specialist to treat the bloody diarrhea. He said the chest pain was probably a side effect of the intestinal distress. The gastro specialist treated me for protozoic infection with flagyl and antibiotics, to no avail, then prednisone and sulfasalazine which is helping. However, I am not cured. I am just coming off a bout with Infectious Mono. After all of this, I still have inconsistent dull pain in the same spot of my left, upper chest and my resting heart rate has increased 12-15 bpm which does not seem to concern this doctor, either. They both just dismiss the questions.

I have been the picture of health, physically, for my 25 years. Excellent diet and exercise, daily. I have been patient over the last 4 months and let the HMO procedures take their course. BUT, I am becoming very restless and frustrated. This sounds like a very minor problem compared to many you have to deal with, but how do I know when I have strived so hard for my health. Should I press this issue with my doctors or am I being irrational?? I know this may not be the correct forum for this, but I would really appreciate any suggestions.

Dear Eric,

Thank you for your question. Of course no problem is minor to the person suffering from it. I have a few questions for you. How long of an antibiotic course did you take? Has the diarrhea improved? Is there any family history of inflammatory bowel disease?

I hope you find this information useful. Information provided in the heart forum is for general purposes only. Only your physician can provide specific diagnoses and therapies. Please feel free to write back with additional questions.

If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.