Please any advice, anxiety, heart, or muscle?

[imanursenscared1]

Hello. Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions. Sorry if this seems long, I will try to keep it as short as possible. Approximately two and a half weeks ago I saw my primary doctor for some concerns. This included: anxiety issues ( got off Celexa about a month ago), random jabs of pain in my left upper shoulder blade/neck area, very upper back. These pains would come last for a second and go, then return in the same pattern. He felt around the area and said there was muscle tension, most likely due to my anxiety, and basically told me to chill out. I told him I was afraid of it being heart related and he said I was too young ( I am a 27 y/o female) and if he in any way thought it was cardiac related he would send me for a stress test. That night my left upper back got all tingly feeling, almost like I applied Icy Hot to the area. I asked my doctor the next day about it and he said muscle tension and me fretting over it. Two days after that I left for vacation. Went on a cruise. On the second day of the trip, I was getting random pains in my left arm, some in the deltoid area, some in elbow, and wrist, little finger, thumb. Of course I got scared this was heart related and went down to the medical center on the boat and got checked out. BP and pulse were elevated, but I get EXTREMELY nervous when being checked out by doctors. They did an EKG, which was normal, and also believed it to be muscle tension and anxiety. They checked my BP and pulse before I left and it went down some. Throughout the rest of the trip I basically felt better, but I would still get the random pains in the left arm, that would come and go, not lasting more than a few seconds, no numbness or tingling. And also to add, the shoulder blade/neck pain seemed to have went away. Had one episode of heartburn throughout the trip ( I think it was anyways, I never get heartburn), after I drank a big mocha chocolately cold coffee drink on an empty stomach and then soda afterwards. To be continued

[imanursenscared1]

Any doctors read this? Any thoughts? Would be greatly appreciated! Thank you Achillea for your response.

[imanursenscared1]

Thanks for the advice. I actually only had one EKG done, no other tests. I asked my primary doctor if he felt I needed a stress test and he said no. And asked the doctor at the Urgi Center since I was there if I should go ahead and just have another EKG and she said no. So only one done. I did feel a ton better after having a clear EKG, but then when the symptoms persisted, I got worried that the EKG wouldn't show if I hadn't had the heart attack yet, and I was just displaying pre heart attack symptoms, which I heard can happen for weeks to months prior to an actual heart attack. So that's where I'm at...worried if it's oncoming, I guess.

[achillea]

The mild arm, shoulder, and back pains you describe sound as though they are of the cutaneous or musculoskeletal type.  The referred cardiac pain called angina is of a different nature.  It is associated with extremely serious, progressive, disabling cardiac symptoms as described by female patients here:

http://myheartsisters.org/2009/08/14/how-does-it-feel/

Since you have undergone repeated tests demonstrating that your heart is in fact healthy, you might want to visit an orthopedist to determine if you are suffering nerve compression in the cervical spine.

If given the all-clear there, one other approach would be to re-visit the specialist who is treating your anxiety, to discuss a relationship between anxiety and your cardiac worries.

[imanursenscared1]

Thanks for the awesome advice

[achillea]

You are a nurse, having studied anatomy and physiology?

[imanursenscared1]

Sorry made me stop too many characters. Anyways the heartburn went away within an hour or so. No chest pain during any of this, althought I know you don't have to have chest pain to be having heart issues, just being thorough with my explanations. The day we came home from vacation I had the random left arm pains again and the shoulder blade pain seemed to be back. This is a VERY mild shoulder blade pain, that isnt a constant pain or lasting, best way to describe it is a twinge of discomfort, just like before, only lasting a second or two, then gone but then I feel it again a little while later. However, it moved down farther, not so much my upper now, more towards my lower shoulder blade. The arms pains could be described the same way, lasting only a few seconds, but achy I guess, or slight throbbing. Got home, followed up with my primary, he felt around the neck and shoulder blade area, moved my arms different ways, and said something about a trigger point in the muscle. I read up on trigger points, but I'm not sure I am convinced? It's somewhat tender to touch, but not BAD, and would a trigger point send pains down my arm like that? I also was seen in an urgi center place yesterday, and the doctor there told me I had some tension up there, and she really does not believe it is cardiac due to my age and that I am still menstruating, but I know it can happen even to young people! She didn't feel I needed another EKG being that I had one just recently, and thinks it's all due to muscle tension. I am just terrified that it really is my heart and these are "pre heart attack" symptoms, and that a heart attack is on it's way. She told me that with cardiac related shoulder blade or arm pain, it would more than likely last for several minutes, not be fleeting like mine are. Does all this really sound like it's just muscle, or the possibility of heart related? I just don't know where to go from here, because I feel like it's being dismissed because of my age. Just wanted some advice or some info on what anyone thought, and what the pain might feel like if related to heart.