Hoping you can provide some insight to my problem. About 8 years ago when I was 37, I started having pain in my upper back, left side only, which would radiate down my arm and into my hand - sometimes into my jaw as well. I would feel kind of dizzy at some points and "not quite right". No typical chest pain. This would come during stress or even at times of rest. I went to the ER on numerous occasions where they did the routine heart tests. Said it wasnt heart related. Went to family doctor and insisted on seeing a cardiologist. He felt it wasnt heart related but sent me for a chest x-ray and echo which all came back normal. My family doctor felt it was muscle related and sent me to a physiatrist who said it was the same thing and provided me with stretches to do as well as visit a masseuse. This really didnt help.
My job requires most of my day on the computer for 8 hours and then I go home and work a second job in the evening which can be another 2 hours or so on the computer.
Over the past little while, I've noticed this pain coming on more often and more severe. Now out of the blue I get these sharp jabs of pain in my chest, which is followed by the pain in my left shoulder blade, neck and jaw and then down my left arm to my hand. It comes at times of rest and with stressful incidents. I woke up one morning after a bad dream with my heart pounding, then the pain started again in my shoulder blade and down my arm.
I find it all so weird, especially now with the sharp pains in my chest. Do you think this can be heart related or muscle like was diagnosed years ago due to my computer work? I am frightened that it is something more serious now. I am 45, a little overweight, female, had a physical a year ago, all normal, blood pressure is great, good cholesterol a little low but nothing too out of the ordinary. We do have a family history of heart disease on my father's side. Doctor finally sent me for a stress test at my insistence about 3 months ago and they said I had the heart of a teenager. However, sometimes when I climb a flight of stairs or do some strenuous exercise I get these pains. Doctors keep insisting that this has been going on for so long that if it was my heart I'd be a goner be now.
I am also a migraine sufferer since I was 14 years old. My migraine symptoms have changed over the past few years - I dont get the severe headaches anymore just the aura. Could these symptoms - ache in neck, back, down arm etc. be migraine related?
Your comments are appreciated.