Recurring Chest Pains

[Janice A.]

I am a 43 year old, non-smoker, female. Over the past two years I have had recurring chest pains. I have been diagnosed with Raynaud's Phenomenom. The pains started around the time that I was working out with weights. At one point I felt like something tore inside my chest. On 10/23/97 I had severe chest pains and passed out. All tests done at the hospital including an EKG came back normal. I have seen several hearts specialists and all tests come back normal. I pretty much had constant chest pains. During a time period of 6 months I was given Nitroglycerin patches which eased the pain. Eventually it was thought I might have digestive problems and I was referred to several digestive specialists. I was checked for acid reflux and spasmodic esophagus. Everything came back normal. I was checked for gall stones, but found none. During one of these examinations my liver enzymes were determined to be very high. I was checked for hepatitus, but it was ruled out. The enzymes returned to normal in approximately 3 weeks. The pains eventually eased and would only occur off and on. I finally gave up on seeking medical advice and last saw a doctor in February of 1999. Over the past two weeks the frequency of the chest pains has increased. Most are a sharp pain in the middle of my chest. Some will last only a few seconds while others may last a couple of minutes. It is difficult to take a deep breath during an attack. Suggestions?

[patmac11]

A related discussion, Recurring Chest Pain was started.

[Jean Trotter]

Painful chest pains approximately once a month.  Left Leg swells daily.  Could this be related to heart problems from poor circulation?

[Cath]

I get pvc's and psvc's, I am now on Zebeta and have tried propanalol and verapamil nothing really seems to work.
That has been going on for almost 2 1/2 months now. Now, over the past week I have begun to get sharp chest pains 5 to 6 times a day. Is it possible to have clogged arteries when my cholesterol
is only 160. My dad has CAD, does it run in the family?
thanks,

Cath
***@****

[Cleveland Clinic, MD]

There are many other possible causes of chest pain other than the heart and GI system.  You can find other postings on this site that suggest other potential causes. I would be suspusious of a rheumatologic cause given your other conditions. You may get your best answers from a good Internal Medicine consult - perhaps at a university medical center.