Chest pain, arm numbness and upper back pain

[laurenissick]

I have been to the hospital 3 times for chest pain, mostly on the left side, left arm pain (sometimes numb, sometimes achey), and sharp pain in my upper back.  They ran an EKG, CT scan (they thought i had a blood clot in my lungs), and a chest x-ray.  Their results where all basically the same, that it was anxiety or indigestion.    Now, I have been on Zoloft for a long time now for anxiety, but when I started having chest pains and numbness in my arm, I began having panic attacks. (Mainly because nobody can figure out what the problem is)  So, I am now on meds for anxiety attacks, which isn't helping because nobody can tell me what is wrong with me. Now I still have numbness/sharp pains in my left arm, which varies in strength.  I have a pain directly to the right of my left shoulder blade and another about 2 inches below my collar bone.  Pain medication temperarily helps. The other thing that really helps is drinking beer, which is very costly.  Sometimes it hurts when I breathe in, but it may just be the expansion of my chest that hurts.  Does anyone know of anyone who has the same sort of thing. This has been going on for 4 months and I just cannot take it anymore. I am basically afraid its my heart since my arm keeps getting numb and my chest hurts.  Help!!! Please! (Oh yeah, Im 26 years old, I smoke, but I am pretty healthy. I am 5'5'' and weigh 124 lbs)

[Paulula]

Dear Friends, I, too, have your symptoms, so I truly sympathize with you all.
Please consult with an ELECTROPHYSIOLOGIST, a person trained beyond regular  cardiology to operate on the electrical circuitry of the heart. This is a specialty about which I'd never heard. I was merely seeking a second opinion and picked the right doctor--he operated immediately in October, and said without the procedure, I would have not lived to Thanksgiving. I had chest pain, pain and numbness in my RIGHT arm and hand, a swollen right leg and foot, stabbing pain in my upper back, extreme shortness of breath, and wide variations in my heart rate that a heart monitor finally caught, ranging from 27 beats per minute up to 255 (not a typo) beats per minute. Nobody sent me to the electrophysiologist; it was sheer luck that I picked him out of the phone book. Later, I met SIX other people in my town who had started out with the same cardiologist as I, and
who decided to seek a second opinion at the last minute and consulted with an electrophysiologist. Each person ended up having the same surgery that I had, a cardiac ablation, in which tubes are inserted in the groin and the doctor and his trained staff sit and monitor each heart beat, trying to identify the areas where irregularities are occurring before they cauterize
every other electrical cell to make the heart work properly. It can be a slow and tedious procedure, but it is well worth it. Good luck to everyone!

[Darius22]

Ask your doctor if  Gabapentin capsules will help you manage the pain.
Best of LUCK to you. May you get better soon.
Mark

[raza555]

hI THIS IS RAZA,
I have pinching and stebbing pain right bottom of my left chest. When I wake up from sleep i feel heavy pain at the back of my shoulders. I went to the doctor they did xray and blood test. All were fine and doctor discharge me saying it is muscles pain or stress.  I do not have any idea what it is. pain in my chest is some time so pinching that even i cannot sneez.

[Sizzle2010]

I have the same thing. My doc just says its anxiety but now im pregnant and cant take the meds but its hurting worse. Its miserable. Im 20  years old and overweight but have been told its not my heart at all.

[maryrose123]

my husband 29 has the same problem as most on this page, he has back pain sore ribs numbness to his arm hand  and face. Finds it hard to breath thinks hes having a heart attack. cant sleep and is very worried. He went to the doctors on friday and they said that they thought it might have been a colasped lung, blood clot in the lung or lung infection. But after he looked at him he just said everything seems good take imbrofpen for the pain if it still doesnt get any better come back and see him. My husband is in still alot of discomfort am not sure what to do, as i see most of you that has the same problem arent getting no answers. I will keep you all posted i am making him another appointment on monday to see what they say

[HunterBentley]

I'm 18 and I have been having severe chest pains for 2 years now. Panic attacks are consistent throughout the day. always nervous and uncomfortable. I've been to many doctors and specialists, they say I may have a severed nerve in my chest. I can't deal with it any more its driving me insane! I've been on so many different meds and all they do is make me feel even worse then I have to come off them because they don't help.. is there anyway of relieving the pain I used to be a heavy drug user and I know the anxiety has a lot to do with that. but I can't sit in a meeting or go to work without feeling like I'm going to freak out or have a heart attack.. everyone tells me I'm lazy because I don't want to go for a 5 hour bike ride or leave the house when I'm feeling really ******. No one gets it at all I'm hoping it goes away in the next year or so. theres no one I'll be able to deal with this the rest of my life