Connection between skipped beats and chest pain

[lisaml]

I'm a 40 y/o woman in general good health.  Blood pressure, cholesterol & CBP all normal.  On may 12th I woke up feeling dizzy & noticed my heart was beating  out of rythym.  fast, then slow, then hard pounding beats, then skipped beats, then double beats.  I also had pain in my chest in the heart area.  I thought I was having a heart attack.  went to the ER and they hooked me to the heart monitor and did blood work and found nothing. told me I was having a panick attack which I never had in my life. followed up with my PCP who did more blood work &still found nothing.  saw a cardiologist who did  stress test & echo & halter monitor & said I had a lot of skipped beats but that should not be the cause of my chest pain.  The pain worsened-from May 12th through early July 1 had chest pain all day every day right in my heart and nothing was diagnosed.  I saw a neurologist,endocrinologist, pulmonoligist, rheumatologist - no diagnosis.  Finally had an angiogram- my heart was perfect.  Still the diagnosis of skipped and extra beats.  Primary care doctor took the "anxiety" path & put me on zoloft and xanax-no relief.  Its been 4 months. I am in pain all day & all night with no diagnosis. Occasionally, it goes away for a few hours & during that time I remember what its like to live normal again, but then it comes back.  Its worse at night - I wake every 30 to 60 minutes in massive pain.  I am so sleep deprived.  I was treated for Gerd -no relief. do not have a hernia.  Exercise or movement does not make it better or wose - its always the same.  Im afraid to be alone, dont want to be far from home and am terrified that every day is going to be my last.  I'm in counseling learning biofeedback and even the therapist believes the pain is not caused by anxiety, but rather the anxiety is caused by the pain - but what is the cause. Any ideas?  Please help.

[Michael J. McWilliams, M.D.]

If you have a work up like that and all tests are negative, I am not sure what to tell you.  Certainly when I hear statements like "Im afraid to be alone, dont want to be far from home and am terrified that every day is going to be my last."  the first thing I think of is anxiety, so I am not surprised that they have sent you down that path.  With a normal cath, stress test, and continuous pain, it is absolutely not from ischemia or cardiac chest pain.  I can understand that it feels like it is around your heart, but with all those negative tests I am not sure how it could be.

I know this isn't much help to you.  I hope you find answer and relief soon.

[Celeste77]

Just a thought: have you tried seeing a chiropractor?
My sternum, ribs and thoracic spine likes to "buckle up", (I have Costochondritis-Tietze's syndrome, thoracic subluxation & dysfunctional rib syndrome) and after a few adjustments in T2 through T8, the pain eventually goes away for months at a time.  I've been in the ER twice this year alone thinking I was having a heart attack because the pain feels like it's coming from my heart and can also cause difficulty breathing (pressure like feeling) and at times, makes my arms go numb. Laying down at night also makes mine worse because of the direct pressure on my spine, ribcage and on the nerves.

"Subluxations affecting the thoracic spine not only cause extreme chest pain, but can eventually affect the nerves that go to the organs and can lead to a large list of functional and systemic problems including things like asthma, certain heart problems, (including arrhythmia's) bronchitis, blood pressure problems, and digestive problems, to name only a few. When it comes to the thoracic area, doctors say that it's not uncommon for people to think they were having a heart attack."

"Costochondritis is an inflammation of the cartilage that connects a rib to the breastbone (sternum). Often the pain is sharp, though it can also feel like a dull, gnawing pain. Pain caused by costochondritis may mimic that of a heart attack or other heart conditions. Costochondritis is the most common cause of chest pain."

Hope you get some answers soon!

[lisaml]

Hi:
I have had extensive back surgery and replacment/fusion of several discs and vertabrae from an accident in 2003.  I had a lot of titanium in my back.  I cant have a chiropractor put any pressure on my spine or it can cause me to become paralyzed.  I have had my orthopedic surgeon rule out that the pain is coming from my spine.

[Celeste77]

Hi,
Sorry to hear about the accident. My dad also has had fusions of several discs and is somewhat limited, although he can still go to the chiro. I would have a hard time being limited with activity and feel for you both.

I'd look into something like musculoskeletal abnormalities before I accepted an "anxiety" diagnosis....but that's just me. With disorders like costochondritis with unknown causes, there is no significant swelling of costochondral joints and no way to rule it out with absolute certainty. I've tried.

Like you,  I had the symptoms from the disorders first, the anxiety/panic came after. (Nothing against the anxiety diagnosis, but it's dished out entirely too often and seems to be a catch all for unexplainable symptoms)

Again, I hope you find some answers.