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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
Continued Jaw and arm pain w/ other symptoms
Answered by
Cleveland - OH
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Continued Jaw and arm pain w/ other symptoms
by Eddie 14, May 17, 2006 12:00AM
Background - 33y male, slightly high BP before Altace. Choleterol 240, ldl 140, hdl 68. 15 lbs overweight. (bad family history) can't take statins.
Current meds- 2.5mg altace, baby asprin, tagamet. (after trying a ton of others)
ER trip for chest pain late last yr - High BP, but otherwise normal including thallium stress.
Treated on max GERD meds for 3 months - no help
Xanax for 3 months - no change.
64 slice CT negative.
So, thallium stress was clean 6 months ago, 64 slice CT was clear, but was done in a new center. Calcium score was zero.
For the past 3 weeks my jaw pain has gotten worse and more consistent. Along lower jaw, sometimes radiates up jaw. Bi-lateral, and the muscle between my jaw bones in my neck also tightens up. This many times comes with shooting pains in my arms, more left than right but both. Mainly shooting, sometimes an ache and on rare occasion the whole left arm aches for a while. I've woken up with tingling in my fingers also. I "feel" like I'm having heart palps or spasms down the center of my chest to my stomach a lot. But, my HR is consistent. Pulse feels normal, and heart reat monitor confirms. I also get "spasms" that feel like quick cramps in my lats, and lower chest a lot. They feel like a "catch". Some cramps in upper and lower legs similar to arm pain. Veins in hands and forearm will swell and go away quickly with pain.
Concerned that with the arm, jaw, and chest pain is that it is still heart related. No pattern, no change with exercise.
Q's
1. Heart Related?
2. Other suggestions?
Current meds- 2.5mg altace, baby asprin, tagamet. (after trying a ton of others)
ER trip for chest pain late last yr - High BP, but otherwise normal including thallium stress.
Treated on max GERD meds for 3 months - no help
Xanax for 3 months - no change.
64 slice CT negative.
So, thallium stress was clean 6 months ago, 64 slice CT was clear, but was done in a new center. Calcium score was zero.
For the past 3 weeks my jaw pain has gotten worse and more consistent. Along lower jaw, sometimes radiates up jaw. Bi-lateral, and the muscle between my jaw bones in my neck also tightens up. This many times comes with shooting pains in my arms, more left than right but both. Mainly shooting, sometimes an ache and on rare occasion the whole left arm aches for a while. I've woken up with tingling in my fingers also. I "feel" like I'm having heart palps or spasms down the center of my chest to my stomach a lot. But, my HR is consistent. Pulse feels normal, and heart reat monitor confirms. I also get "spasms" that feel like quick cramps in my lats, and lower chest a lot. They feel like a "catch". Some cramps in upper and lower legs similar to arm pain. Veins in hands and forearm will swell and go away quickly with pain.
Concerned that with the arm, jaw, and chest pain is that it is still heart related. No pattern, no change with exercise.
Q's
1. Heart Related?
2. Other suggestions?
Doctor's Answer
by Cleveland Clinic, May 17, 2006 12:00AM
, May 17, 2006 12:00AM
eddie,
Youve been through a lot of testing that says your chance of having significant atherosclerotic disease is near zero. This is in addition to the low risk given your age, and the level of atypical character of your symptoms.
With these results I probably wouldn't pursue more invasive testing. There are a lot of causes of chest pain. Its hard to know what to do next without a thorough history and physical.
I would express your concerns with your physician. If you have a bad family history, it is very important ot get back on the right path as you remian overweight.
good luck
Youve been through a lot of testing that says your chance of having significant atherosclerotic disease is near zero. This is in addition to the low risk given your age, and the level of atypical character of your symptoms.
With these results I probably wouldn't pursue more invasive testing. There are a lot of causes of chest pain. Its hard to know what to do next without a thorough history and physical.
I would express your concerns with your physician. If you have a bad family history, it is very important ot get back on the right path as you remian overweight.
good luck
Just a thought...
good luck
Sounds to me like you are having some cervical issues. I am basically dealing with the same thing for over three months. Started with tingling in my face, neck and shoulder than went to a severe tightness in all these areas. I had a MRI done which showed a lot of arthritis and and nerve inpigment. I went into therapy for a month and it was no help. My symtons are getting better, seems like body position causes the symtons to increase, like leaning on my elbow and being on the pc too long.
You may also have TMJ, that causes svere jaw pain that can radiate into the neck, shoulder and arm.
Go to your DR. and get checked out. Does your jaw make noise when you open your mouth, I have TMj and mine cracks like crazy when I open my mouth all the way.
Linda
other weird thing is I have a feeling of general weakness at times in my arms, like I've worked out, without working out.
This situation can be overlooked as the more serious issues are ruled out.
I'd consult a physical medicine specialist, orthopedist, osteopath or chiropractor and I'd ask them to check a couple of muscles: sternocleidomastoid (abbrev SCM--the muscle on each side of your neck that you can see when you turn from side to side), scalene muscles, your supraspinatus muscle that lie above your shoulder blades and your pectoralis muscles.
Spasm in SCM muscles can refer a lot of pain to face and jaw and the other muscles can give you the arm/hand numbness tingling or sense of fatigue. So you may have one area of discomfort, or more. I know it would be nice if just one thing were causing everything because that would be the simple answer.
One more thing to check is "thoracic outlet syndrome". Again, just an irriation of nerve or blood vessels in your lower neck/shoulder area. These are all just thoughts....but if I were you, I'd have them checked.
Given your keen sense of awareness of your health, symptoms etc. sounds like you could possibly be anxious about your health and this may be leading to a anxiety condition.