Mystery diagnosis or anxiety?

[orr29]

Hey all,

If you read all of this I thank you so much I know it's a long post, but I really need to explain everything.

I posted over 6 or 7 months ago about a similar problem that still hasn't resolved even with more doctor visits.  Ever since January of this year I've been dealing with a sharp pain below my left breast that feels within the rib area.  It has also begun to spread over the right side below the breast as well.  The sensation is a quick sharp spasm type pain that is really painful and lasts just a few seconds.  Nothing sets it off and nothing relieves it, just time.  For this I have had a chest CT to check for blood clots, multiple chest x-rays, multiple CBC workups that always turns out fine.  I've also seen a gastroenterologist and had an upper GI done to check for any possible stomach abnormalities that could've been causing the pain, but there was nothing found.  Doctors don't know what it is and they say it could be muscle related, but the thing is I've barely worked out in the past 6 months and I haven't done anything that could possibly cause a muscle strain in that area.  I've always been a highly active person and I've never once hurt a muscle in that region or if I have hurt a muscle elsewhere it doesn't take 6 months to heal.  For that reason I don't believe it's muscle related.  

I had an ER visit in the past month because of the sharp stabbing pain again and they did an ultrasound of my right kidney, liver, pancreas and gallbladder, mainly looking to see if they could find some gallbladder defect, but they didn't.  

I've been told that it could also be costo, but I've done tons of research on it and I feel that the spots between the ribs would be tender or painful to touch and they aren't.  

Along with the previous systems, I've had an increased amount of palpitations with chest pain following after its over so I followed up with my cardiologist and he found some abnormality on my baseline EKG.  It showed an inverted T-wave, and so I had to have an echo stress test done which I completed today.  They said nothing looked dangerous during the exam.  I'm following up with a 48-hour holster monitor to see if they can catch anything suspicious.  Along with those chest symptoms I've had a lot of left arm pain that has been cramping and hurting a lot lately.  It's really annoying and I don't know where it's coming from (cardiologist doesn't think it's heart related).  For the past 8 months my right arm is also considerably stiffer than my left one and my limbs fall asleep very easy now than before.  

I dealt with about 3 months of heavy anxiety starting September 2011, but I followed up with therapy and it helped tremendously.  I've been able to keep my anxiety under control for the most part so I really have a hard time believe that it's just anxiety.  My symptoms seem too out of the norm for anxiety and too painful.

Any advice or suggestions that you may have are highly appreciated.  

Thanks!

[mrshuijsie]

Hi,

I'm experiencing exactly what you describe, and have also had similar tests done, including blood tests. We are still at a loss as to the cause. As you say, there is nothings that induces it, it lasts for a few seconds, and is like a pretty painful twist/squeeze/stitch right where my heart is. Maybe it is stress? I just don't know? I'm a 40 year old woman, and this is my first real health concern... Any new info you find would be welcome :-) Good luck, Laila

[SuzyScorp]

Hi, I can certainly sympathize with you and your symptoms.  Two weeks b4 my 1st wedding (I'm happily re-married in 2007) in 1987, my mother passed away unexpectedly.  It really threw me for a loop and was way too late to postpone the wedding or my dad would have lost thousands of dollars. I tried to go on w/o
my mom, have a wedding, honeymoon, bought a house, started a new job and moved out of state!  All that in a 3 month period!  I got so anxious between the two weeks before my wedding and after my mother's death that I lost an additioinal ten pounds.. After I settled into marriage, I started getting anxiety attacks everytime I left the house.. They would always start in my tummy, go to my left arm, up to my jaw -- which are all classic symptoms of a heart attack, especially for women. More women get nauseatued than men for some reason.

My stomach, over the past twenty years, has gone through a beating, with  medication for my depression and anxiety.  I've had two upper GI's that showed GERD, and some Gastritis, which can hurt like hell.  I had to go to the ER as well, a few times.. They treated me and dx'd me with Gastritis and gave me Prilosec OTC.

I overcame Agoraphobia, which to me was a modern miracle (It was before Prozac hit the market, so it was one of the older antidepressants, which I actually liked better, even though they had less desirable, yet minor side effects.

I wish you luck. I say still look into it if  you can't find a definitive answer......

[OzzyFan]

my husband had something similar and a neurologist told him he had a compressed disk in his neck causing nerve pain

[orr29]

Thanks for the reply guys.  The bills have been piling up but thanks to my insurance it hasn't been too dramatic (still a lot of money though).  I value my health more than money or anything else so this has been a real tough challenge for me.  The only blood tests my doctor always orders is a regular CBC which of course never shows anything out of the norm.  The one exception was that she also ordered a blood test to check for Celiac's disease recently to see if maybe that was the problem, but that came back ok.  I don't know if it's autoimmune, or something else I'm stumped as well.  I just can't let myself believe it's anxiety it doesn't feel like it and I just feel generally ill all around.

[jackie722]

Wow seems like Doctor's are unsure themselves... I would'nt know either?!
Seems like they been testing you for the wrong thing .....have u had blood tests as well? Your medical bills must be mounting up, but I think you need to persist in finding out whats wrong... def need to try different Doctors.....and get second and third opinions.... hope things will turn out right!!

[RheannaLove]

im know doctor or anything (im only 12) but maybe breast cancer?? hope this helped! :)

-Rheanna

[CazCorpse]

I've been having a lot of problems with my anxiety. It sounds like it could be that creeping up again. Sometimes my anxiety causes my arms/legs (worse with hands/feet) to go numb. I feel like I have to keep moving them. Can't get comfortable. I also have heart palpitations from it on a regular basis and that same type of pain happens to me sometimes as well. I'm not diagnosing you or saying there necessarily isn't something else wrong but it does sounds like it could very well be anxiety.