Chest discomfort

[themaster]

Personal details:
Male
29 years old
182 cm height
85 Kg
Doing sport such as playing football and jogging.

I’ve been suffering chest pain for more than one year with no breathing problems. Currently it spread to my left arm. It was not related to exercise, while now it comes even when I do sport or keep moving.

I have visited many doctors, all of them said there is nothing and it is all about stress. Although when it started I was under stress (because of exams) but however now am relax and got nothing to worry about.

I got my blood checked for cholesterol and enzymes, nothing was abnormal. Since I suffer sometimes PVC they checked me through a holter for 24 hrs it was ok, said the doctor. I did Echo, and twice treadmill stress tests during the last 6 months, it was all ok according to the doctor.

They said it might be because of gases in the stomach or a muscle, they rulled these out by medicines.


Now am still worried and don’t know what to do. The doctor said the only thing remaining is doing a CT Scan (Native Coronaries). Which I’m gunna do next week. Please advise me on the issue.

[CCF-M.D.-CA]

I agree that since you are so young the usual causes of chest pain are very unlikely. However there are issues tha remain uresolved, some of which may be life threatening. One of these is HOCM ( hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) and the other is anomalous coronary artery origins. The first of these requires an ultrasound ( or echo) of the heart to evaluate. The second requires the CT scan, gated (dedicated) to the coronaries. But remember that just because its in your chest, it doesn't mean it is your heart: there are lung problems which could present this way and even vascular ( clots and dissection) problems.
Apart from the CT scan ( which is presumably being done to evaluate for presence of a pulmonary embolus or perhaps constrictive pericarditis,) you may still need a left heart catheterization to exclude the anomalous coronaries as a cause of you chest discomfort. This is a rare condition which includes many subsets of patients/conditions which is only significant in an even small subset of patients, where one of your major coronaries comes oof the opposite side and has to course between the two great arteries in the chest and gets compressed causing you the chest pain. You most likely would need a left heart catheterization to exclude such a condition.

[themaster]

thnx for the response,

the doctor told me i cannot do a Cardiac Catheterization as u r still young !!

so do u think a CT scan would be enough ??

[no heart@ax]

I cannot tell you what is right--- or wrong--- with your situation.
I can only speak about my own experiences.
I am a male, 28 years old.
I have had a rapid heart rate since I have been a child.
I had seen several cardiologists throughout high school--- all of whom said that I was hyper active and, as a result, my heart rate was rapid.
Not the other way around.
I gave up on Cardiologists 11 years ago-- at the age of 17--- thinking that the problem was behavioral.
Last Winter, I had a routine physical done.
I did not check off the box for heart condition, as I thought that it was all because I was just hyper active.
They did various tests-- including heart related.
The general practioner sent the tests to another doctor on the other side of the country for preliminary review.
That doctor noted that I had a high heart heart rate, with an EKG that showed doglegging (perhaps signs of WPW).
He recommended that I see a cardiologist.
After wearing a 48 hour holter *again*, my cardiologist "saw no signs of any problems".
But, being overly cautious, he wanted me to wear one for 30 - 60 days.
I would then call in the reports when I had an episode.
This evidenced a lot.
I then had a EP study done--- which included 6 caths--- and showed it all.
I ended up being diagnosed with SVNRT and had several ablations.
Prior to my surgery, my heart would beat in the 200s, often in the high 100s.
I also had pains (due to premature pump and post pump).
Though I am still feeling palps and some chest pains, it isn't as frequent and my heart rate isn't as high throughout the course of the day.
A 30-60 day monitor (in which you press record during an episode, and call it into a hotline) may serve you well.
An EP study may then remedy your problem--- or take some of the immediate edge off of it.
Don't listen to "the age" thing.
I had my procedure done when I was 27-- and at 28, I may be returning for another round.

(I actually discovered this site when looking for answers on my recent chest pains and palps)
Best of luck,
GS.

[polly22]

A related discussion, mild chest pain, pvcs, atherosclerosis was started.