Diagnosed with Arrhythmia, what about the pain?

Posted by Amy on May 12, 1999 at 14:59:24
I am a 32 y/o female, I weigh 150lbs. I have been having chest pain in what feels like my heart, since June 1997.
My chest pain was tender to the touch to the right of my heart by the solar plexus,it would also hurt just below my armpit and it spread to my arm (a cold line that would run down the inside of my arm) in Nov/Dec of '97, the pain then climaxed with a severe pain in my left upper arm in Jan. 98, I could not lift it above shoulder level, then it disappeared. Gradually that spring the chest pain started to come back and spread into my arm again. Through the summer & fall of '98 I noticed a definite increase in pain
when I would get excited (bookstores are the worst, I'm an avid book-a-holic.)
I have a very strong family history of heart attacks (no male survivors over 55 -most die at 45, and no female survivors over 65)and my cholesterol level has always been over 350 - 400. I had chest x-rays (7/97), ekg's (7/97), heart sonograms (8/97), thallium stress tests (7-97), some special test to look for blood clots in the lungs (2/98), A gallbaldder test (3/98) and I wore a Holter moniter for 24 hours (1/98). The only test to show
anything was the Holter monitor (arrythmia,tachycardia).
At the beginning of April 99, I began to have very strong pains in my chest and down my arm,  My family doctor suggested Thoracic Outlet as a possibility, he ordered a Nerve Conduction test (4/99) which came back normal & a MRI on the right side of my brain, normal. I still have these strong pains, I am very weak on my left side, no headaches. Can arrhythmia cause all this? My cardiologist thinks I have stress just because I am a mother. What can I do?

Posted by becky burton on May 17, 1999 at 13:30:31
i am 26 and i have had chest pain into my left shoulder and arm for 2 years and have had heart tests and all and they tell me stress and anxiety attacks!!i get short of breath the whole works there's not a day that goes bye where i don't have a chest pain into my arm or straight through to my back!!stress,anxiety,tension.i am 5 monthes pregnant now definetly not planned and go to the cardiologists thurs for reaaurance

Posted by CCF CARDIO MD - CRC on May 17, 1999 at 16:44:28
Dear Becky,
Thanks for your comments.  As I suspect your doctors have told you the risk for a 26 year old woman to develop heart disease is very low.  Most, but not all, of these types of symptoms are benign and nothing to worry about.  Best wishes on your pregnancy.  Feel free to write with any questions.
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.