Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
At my wits end, chest pain, arm pain, pvc's
Answered by
Cleveland - OH
This forum is for questions and support regarding heart issues such as: Angina, Angioplasty, Arrhythmia, Bypass Surgery, Cardiomyopathy, Coronary Artery Disease, Defibrillator, Heart Attack, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Mitral Valve, Pacemaker, PAD, Stenosis, Stress Tests
At my wits end, chest pain, arm pain, pvc's
by spartan94, Sep 15, 2006 12:00AM
I'm looking for some clarity and sanity. I turn 34 years old today, and the last 10 month have really been difficult.
Christmas 05 - I went to the ER with chest pain in the center of my chest. I had been having some arm and jaw pains with and without the chest pain. Brought on during stress at work. My BP was 250/150. I have high cholesterol and am a bit overweight. Parents in their 50's, no known CAD. All tests came back fine - including a thallium stress test with exercise.
April 06 - continued chest pains during stress and sometimes at rest, sometimes dead center, sometimes more of a "fullness" in my upper chest. Same jaw and arm pain. 64 slice CT ordered. NO calcium, no other blockages seen.
Since May 06 I haven't had much of that center chest pain, however I developed PVC's that drive me nuts, and sometimes make me feel I'm winded. When I get the PVC's many times I get jaw, shoulder, neck and arm pain with them. I ignored them for a while but finally went and got a stress echo (July 06) - again it was fine.
It's like I progressed from this dead center chest pain a few times over 5 months, to these PVC's. The jaw, neck, shoulder, and arm pain has continued to become more frequent and intense. In fact, my jaw hurts right now as I have PVC's. But, no center chest pain. The dead center chest pain was VERY Different than the PVC's. However I'm worried something was missed, or is progressing? Stress didn't CAUSE this, I'm stressed because of it.
Should I push for more tests - cardiac or otherwise (lyme? systemic?) I know so far, they say I'm clear.
Christmas 05 - I went to the ER with chest pain in the center of my chest. I had been having some arm and jaw pains with and without the chest pain. Brought on during stress at work. My BP was 250/150. I have high cholesterol and am a bit overweight. Parents in their 50's, no known CAD. All tests came back fine - including a thallium stress test with exercise.
April 06 - continued chest pains during stress and sometimes at rest, sometimes dead center, sometimes more of a "fullness" in my upper chest. Same jaw and arm pain. 64 slice CT ordered. NO calcium, no other blockages seen.
Since May 06 I haven't had much of that center chest pain, however I developed PVC's that drive me nuts, and sometimes make me feel I'm winded. When I get the PVC's many times I get jaw, shoulder, neck and arm pain with them. I ignored them for a while but finally went and got a stress echo (July 06) - again it was fine.
It's like I progressed from this dead center chest pain a few times over 5 months, to these PVC's. The jaw, neck, shoulder, and arm pain has continued to become more frequent and intense. In fact, my jaw hurts right now as I have PVC's. But, no center chest pain. The dead center chest pain was VERY Different than the PVC's. However I'm worried something was missed, or is progressing? Stress didn't CAUSE this, I'm stressed because of it.
Should I push for more tests - cardiac or otherwise (lyme? systemic?) I know so far, they say I'm clear.
Doctor's Answer
by Cleveland Clinic, Sep 15, 2006 12:00AM
, Sep 15, 2006 12:00AM
spartan,
Im not really sure how I could reassure you much further over the internet.
I would look into secondary causes of hypertension in you sine your presentation is so marked at a young age. If this were negative, you probably have early onset hypertension and the need for aggressive medical management.
Good luck
Im not really sure how I could reassure you much further over the internet.
I would look into secondary causes of hypertension in you sine your presentation is so marked at a young age. If this were negative, you probably have early onset hypertension and the need for aggressive medical management.
Good luck
My only other symptom is that if under heavy acute stress at work I'll get a tingling from my chest up through my jaw. BUT it does not last long - 10 seconds maybe? Again, only under acute stress. I could go run sprints in the street and not get that.
So, I understand pointing to stress, other than I took a 10 day vacation and had the same symptoms, and I've reduced a lot of other stress in my life because of this.
I still live my life, exercise, sex, playing with my kids etc. However those activities are a lot less enjoyable because of this. I'm worried the entire time something is going to happen.
I know my tests points towards something else, I accept that. I also feel because of my age it's not taken as seriously.
My ONLY real stress in life right now are these pains, pvc's and sometimes random chest pains. I've had a few days they are not there, and I feel GREAT, I'm completely myself if only for a few hours.
Most days I spent a large part of it with some sort of jaw, shoulder, or upper arm pains, mainly on the left but both.
I get PVC's and sometimes chest discomfort. I mean, I really am uncomfortable. After a bad bout of PVC's I feel physically tired.
I've been tested a lot I know, but I still feel bad and many of my symptoms, chest pain, jaw, shoulder, arm, and neck pain, PVC's really point to my heart. I have high cholesterol and elevated BP (take meds for both).
I just really don't know what to do. 12 months ago I felt GREAT life was good. Life is still good, outside of this ****. My PC doc says I'm a mystery and I figure he thinks it is just stress. BUT my PVC's are documented so that isn't NORMAL. But it's not the PVC's alone, it's the chest pain, jaw pain etc.
If it is not cardiac, I'm not sure where to look and neither is my PC.
I've spent a lot of money, and I don't care if I spend more. I simply want to feel normal again.
Thanks.
Hope you have Happy Birthday despite feeling unwell. I know the feeling. I've had/have those same symptoms, always had sinus tachy and PVCs, but the chest pain, very slight jaw and shoulder pain , even numbness and tingling in my hand and arms has been around since I was about 33/34, I'll be 42 in less than 2 months. Like you I never really made it interfere that much with my other enjoyments in life but it was always in the back of my mind what if. I had echos, EKGs too many to mention,holter monitor, and regular stress test, all essentially normal.I started getting all this testing back when I was 22 for PVCs and tachy and had several repeats since then. PVCs , PACs and even some sinus tach is normal and the vast majority if not everyone have them at sometime or the other whether they are aware of them or not.
I was finally diagnosed in 2000 with a connective tissue disease( ankylosing spondylitis) now classified as a connective autoimmune tissue disease which simply means its a little worse than once thought though rarely life threatening.
At least this finally explained the chest, shoulder, neck , jaw pain and numbness and tingling in my arms and fingers, in my opinion it is probably responsible for some of my other "cardiac symptoms" also. Just sharing my experience this might not apply to your symptoms at all, but it might be worth getting a muscloskeletal check up also, as nerves and compression