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chest pain questions

i'm a 32 yr old male, pretty descent shape.  about a year ago i went to the doc the first time for pain in the left side of my chest. let me clarify that this is not a bend over hurting pain, just a discomfort like poking or pulling.  over the last year i've had probably 4 ekgs, 1 stress test, 1 heart echo and a 64slice ct scan.  i was told all were normal. i've taken all kinds of anti-inflammatory meds, a steroid pack in case of muscle. none seem to work. the discomforts seem to come for a week or so then go away for a week or so. no apparent reason.  its been back this time for about 3 days and seems worse than before, kind of a burning cinching feeling. i take protonix dailiy for reflux and i haven't been having any heartburn.  the pain does not get worse when deep breathing. any body have a clue what could be going on?
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214864 tn?1229715239
Good morning :)

Don't worry about the beta blockers. Of all of the different brands or generics, only a couple are on the list of drugs that can cause drug induced Lupus! Atenolol just happened to be one of them. I also react very unpredictable to medicines these days. It is just natural for some to be hypersensitive to medicines I believe. Maggie should know :) This "hypersensitivity" has come with age it seems.

You are as healthy as can be, and I am so proud of you. You can't feel better than "perfect", can you? Ha ha ha. I believe you too. Part of it is due to your ever so positive attitude.

The other morning, my ole back was hurting. I thought "you are slumping forward". Immediately the words to the song "Hold Your Head Up" ran through my mind, and I did (hold my head up, and me back felt better). This is what I call positive reinforcement from all of our old songs, when certain phases became burned into our memories, same as when Mother told us "don't touch that...it's hot! Lol.

My very best to you,

Jack
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Avatar universal
Sorry to hear you were feeling awful Jack!  

I must stop think about how the Beta Blocker side effects might come with the years ………only 4 years for me. So far so good ,I feel just perfect,  but good to know the facts good and bad. Thanks for all the good info you put on. I wish you that non of the bad things would come from your own experience, but from researching it.
I was asking and had a talk or two about the bb long term side effects with my DR. Well of course he has the quality not quantity cliché, that is true....but…. still.:( ......only time will tell.............
I prepare for the worst and hope for the best! :)

Hope you are feeling better these days!:)

Vee
  
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144586 tn?1284666164
Dear Alabama. The pain sounds pleuritic in nature. Definitely not cardiogenic and I see no reason why anyone would waste your time with cardiac evaluations. This doesn't mean you don't have a problem. Pleuritic pain is very real. In a very worst case scenario (highly unlikely) the lung can collapse. There are many reasons for this kind of pain. Impact injuries. Work related strains. Infections.  Sometimes tuberculosis (unlikely). Often rest and a muscle relaxant will cause these pains to diminish. Acid reflux can usually be treated by modifying eating habits before fooling with medications. I explained that on another post. I don't have any simple suggestion as to the cause of the pain, but rest assured no sane physician would consider that you are having a cardiac problem.
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Avatar universal
Thanks for the info. Have noticed the same effect - Coreg reduces HBM faster than BP. I have persistent systolic BP mainly early am that is difficult to control. Tried Diovan 80, 160 and then DHzt at 80/12.5 which helps but elevates my BG so refused to go to 160/12.5 as Rxed. It can be a real challenge to get the right med.

On a side note - I had CABG at CCF in Sept 05 after my LAD was dissected while attempting to place a stent earlier 05 at Miami Baptist. They did a fine job under the circumstances and you should feel confident with CCF. Earlier this year however chest discomfort with nausea (my typical symptoms) have returned but the new cardio at CCF is reluctant to do anything invasive saying its not heart related. I may have to get another cardio. Could you recommend some names?
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214864 tn?1229715239
Sorry, I forgot to mention that the 20 mg of Coreg CR may very well lower your heart rate too low. I have found it kind of strange that even though my BP gets too high, currently on 10 mg Coreg CR, my heart rate is in the high fifties to very low sixties. On atenolol it averaged in the low to mid seventies.

Be very careful. It seems the hear rate effect of this medicine starts to work faster than the BP regulation!
Helpful - 0
214864 tn?1229715239
I am taking 10 mg/day of Coreg CR, which may have to be increased. I believe I read that is could take from 1-2 weeks for the full medical effect. I have been on it for 4 days now and it is not keeping my BP low enough. 12 hours or so after taking it, my BP has ran 155/95 on average. So I take an ARB that I cannot tolerate, lol, ( but it normalizes my BP ) until the full effect of Coreg CR takes place, or I will have to increase the Coreg CR dosage.

Here is the dosage info I got from the Coreg CR prescribing info:

HOW SUPPLIED
Capsules: The hard gelatin capsules are filled with white to off-white microparticles and are available in the following strengths:
10 mg – white and green capsule shell printed with GSK COREG CR and 10 mg
20 mg – white and yellow capsule shell printed with GSK COREG CR and 20 mg
40 mg – yellow and green capsule shell printed with GSK COREG CR and 40 mg
80 mg – white capsule shell printed with GSK COREG CR and 80 mg

http://us.gsk.com/products/assets/us_coregcr.pdf
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214864 tn?1229715239
Thanks so much for the kind thoughts :)  I wish that I could live up to your statement, lol. My health has me limited now. I guess that I am part time.

Yes FLBrat it is a bummer indeed. I would have thought it was something I picked up at the CC, but I had it before I got there. I even have the Lupus rash but not in an obvious place. My wife took some pics the other night so I could see. The dang memory card was not in the camera!

Now lets help our friend from Alabama. I have thought and thought about this. Pleurisy is another condition, but hurts more when you breathe in. You also have lymph glands in your chest cavity that can become inflammed and not drain properly, I have read. Your spleen is in the lower left side of your chest, under the last row of ribs and stomach.

You never mentioned the exact location of your chest pain. I am assuming it is directly above the heart. You could have endocarditis, but a high fever is usually associated with this. You could have either pleural or pericardial effusion, leakage into the pericardium or leakage into the pleural space.

Specific damage to the spinal cord can cause damage to muscles of the diaphragm. You may need to see a pulmonologist to fully investigate your lungs, or a neurologist for pain due to nerve damage.

Good luck and please forgive my friends for checking on me. I have been sick and away from the board for awhile. Some of us here have heart disease ranging from moderate to severe. I am somewhere in there. If I am lucky, I will have bypass surgery in a while :) So we support one another. It is very therapeutic you see :)

Jack

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Avatar universal
I have been on Coreg 6mg for some time but recently Rxed Coreg CR. The latter only comes in 20mg doses. Since my heart beat is already at 50-60 I am wondering whether the 20mg Coreg would be too strong and lower my HBM further? I also could not tolerate Atenolol even at very low doses. Would appreciate your comments or anyone else using Coreg.
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Avatar universal
Hey Jack we missed you around here,hope ur well.Your support in these forums is invaluable.
Regards,
Dimi.
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Avatar universal
drug induced lupus.  dang.  isnt it a bummer that the meds we take to make our body work better sometimes work against us!
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214864 tn?1229715239
Thanks soooo much Mrs. Vee :)

I have had a really bad month and I finally figured it out. I had drug induced Lupus from atenolol (a beta blocker that I have taken for >6 years), believe it or not. I have never been so sick in my life. All I could do was research on the net, and finally found that atenolol was on the list of medicines that could cause drug induced Lupus.

I was changed to Coreg CR (time released) 3 days ago and a lot of the pain is gone. I am still very weak but ah heck, I shouldn't be complaining. There are sick people here.

I want people to know that this can happen, drug induced Lupus that is. I feel extremely sorry for those that have Lupus :(

Thanks so much for the note and I really hope that you are well :)

Jack
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Avatar universal
I value your knowledge on the heart and related issues. I would like, and I am sure alabama and others also would like to read your list !
It could be great relive for people who has no clue or answers for why the pain they are having is there, if all tests are negative, to get some clue. Easy to say: just get over it, it is not your heart, but live with the NOT knowing what it is then, and feel the pain must be hard too.

How are you? Hope all well !!

V.
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Avatar universal
thanks for the reply, any others would be appreciated
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214864 tn?1229715239
Since you have had an echo an a 64 slice ct coronary angiogram, I could only guess that if it is heart related, it could be a coronary artery spasm. They just don't happen at the right time, or during the tests.

The ct scan would also have found lung problems most likely. Costochondritis, or inflammation of the rib cartilage would probably hurt more when you take deep breaths.

I am discovering that there are many conditions that can cause chest pain, the more I read in trying to help myself and others. I need to start making a list...

Keep nagging the doctors until you find the cause of your pain.
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