New here and have unresolved chronic pain issues, please help!

[JTGinter]

My problem started about 1 year ago.

It started by me having pain on my right side in my rib cage every so often and it would migrate up to the right side of my neck into my throat and right ear and it would subside after 2-3 minutes and then go away completely. This would happen every 3-6 months with no explanation why.

I started seeing a doctor 2 years ago and explained this problem to him and he sorta blew it off and nothing was ever done.

The pain finally started getting worse and I finally went to the ER and they put me in the hospital overnight to observe me, they found nothing wrong after xrays, blood tests, ekg's.

So then early this year in January the same pain started in my left side but would not go up into my neck or ear but I would have sharp 1 second pains in my left chest area close to my nipple and would shoot outward to my left armpit, left shoulder and into the left side of my back about middle ways down and some pain up the left side of my head.

They put me in the hospital again after I went to the ER AGAIN and did more EKG's, some sort of other scan were they used a handheld thing that they rubbed over my chest area and neck and they also did a stress test. I passed all of them and they said nothing is wrong with my heart.

They said it was muscle spasms in my left chest area but no explanation for my sharp armpit pain.

It all went away for 3 months until May and it has started up again and my doctor says its anxiety and put me on a anti-depressant which I dont take and gave me Naproxen for pain.

This is now a constant, almost everyday issue, some days its not there at all and other days its there but now it switches back and forth to my right side and left side, armpits, right forearm, neck, throat and back and then it can switch to the left side doing pretty much the same thing but now when the pain is happening on my left side it makes my left forearm sort of tingly but not numb.

I went to the ER on Monday scared to death that this is happening and they couldnt find anything wrong with my heart.

It went away for a couple of days and now today (Thursday) its bothering me again and I am sure I having anxiety attacks because I dont know whats wrong and then last night I had a burning sensation in my left forearm and my little finger was aching.

Does anyone here have a clue what this may be? I am getting very depressed about this and cannot concentrate on anything except the worry from this.

I am a 54 year old male, 6'3, 210lbs by the way.

Any help and direction I can take would be greatly appreciated!

[philnoir]

Hi, sorry you're still in pain. And thank you for taking my comments as constructive. I meant no insult.

A pain journal is a good idea. Learning to distinguish between different kinds of pain sensations may help with diagnosis. Burning, aching, stabbing, deep, shallow, penetrating, radiating, throbbing, etc.

A thorough pain diary should include date, time, intensity of pain (1 - 10 scale), type of pain, area, and duration. Also, make a note of any behavior that helps relieve the pain, or any medication you take, and when it takes effect. All these details can help a skilled pain physician diagnose your problem.

I believe you are best to stay with a smart internist for now, but if they continue to give you no satisfaction, consult with a pain specialist.

Best wishes to you.

[Jinx_777]

in the meantime, try keeping a pain journal.  just keep a notepad by your bed and at the time you are experiencing your issues write them down being very detailed about everything.   i would keep the amount of time you felt it out of the conversation with the doctor because it will make them think 'he could have eaten something, moved wrong, etc'.  
it is very common to have difficulty communicating your symptoms especially if  you don't do it often.  many of us chronic pain patients have been doing it so much it is not too hard.  
are you a smoker?

[JTGinter]

Ive asked my doctor about my gall bladder and he said it was fine but no xrays have been done....

[Diamond_Dixie]

It's called "non-compliance" in doctor-speak. You must try the antidepression meds. I wouldn't give them a month, I'd give them 2 weeks - they're absolutely first-line protocol in your situation - especially with the manner in which you described your symptoms to your physician. Make sure to follow the other post very well - this person is absolutely steering you in the right direction. Don't feel badly - most people do not know how to relay their symptoms to a physician effectively. But. I took a hard look at yours, and has anything been mentioned about your gall bladder? Please advise, and keep on being a "squeaky wheel."

[JTGinter]

Thank you for the information.

[philnoir]

I'm not sure if this is a pain issue. They seem to have ruled out any heart problem, which is good.

I'll be frank. The way you report symptoms is a problem. When you tell your doc you wake up in pain for 2 minutes every 6 months, of course he's not going to pay any attention. You've minimized the problem. Then you say you had a burning sensation in your left forearm your pinky hurt. I'm sure that at least once in my life, I've had a burning sensation in my arm and my pinky hurt, too. Not sharing important details, while at the same time sharing miniscule unimportant details is one of the quickest way to get a doctor to turn off his or her mind.

If you want to get their attention, you're going to have to learn how to report symptoms, and what symptoms are important. Knowing that you pinky hurt, in this case, is superfluous.

No one is paying much attention to you and I can understand why.

And why aren't you taking the antidepressant? Here's another big problem with your relationship with this doctor. Antidepressants are a standard treatment for certain kinds of pain, but for some reason, you're refusing treatment. A doc can't take you seriously when you do this kind of thing.

I'm sure by now you've got a true anxiety syndrome over this undiagnosed problem. Try the antidepressant -- it can help with anxiety. If after a month you feel no change, then go back and say so, but don't accept a prescription and not take the medicine without discussing with your doc. You'll never get anywhere that way.

Try the antidepressant. Give it a month and if it doesn't work, go see him or maybe try another doc. This time give them info they can use. It's a regular problem, it affects your muscles and nerves on my side and goes around to my back. It's painful. It's not coronary cause I've been to the ER twice. I'm anxious about it and can hardly sleep. Please help me I can't go on like this. (This would be a good start.)