chest pain and passing out

[dcassard]

im posting this for my 32 yr old husband.  he has been experiencing extreme chest pains for last 2 months. when they started he went to er (multiple times), they did blood work, xray, and ekg everything came out normal. they referred him to a cardiologist, which did a heart cath, and chest cat scan.  also came back normal. the cardiologist referred him to a gastrologist which did the scope down the throat. everything was fine. the gastro dr. decided he wanted to try to put him on elival (up to 50 mg a night.) for muscle spasms of the esophugas. this has not helped. he is also taking 2  81mg of aspirin a day, and protonix.  the gastro dr. has referred him to a pulmonary dr. this dr doesn't know why he would send him there. there is nothing he can do.  about 2 weeks ago, he had a chest pain at work and ended up passing out.  he has done this 5 times in last 3 days. went to er again, again they did all the same test and found nothing.  we are at the end of our ropes and don't know where else to turn. we know something is causing this pain and now the passing out but don't know what are where else to turn.  Can you Please give us some kind of a answer or advise. WE ARE DESPERATE.

[achillea]

In Zachary, LA, there is at least one medical 'diagnostician,' one Clayton Brown. It seems to me that a diagnostician should be consulted at this point.  There are more such specialists in Baker, LA.

[ed34]

That's my whole point, the vasovagal syncope can cause pain in the chest. What needs to be established (if it is syncope) is the trigger for the system to kick in. There are quite a number of possible triggers, even a severe case of POTS. Other triggers can be nutrition, dehydration, stress, lack of sleep, low sugar, malfunctioning nerves, arousal. The list is extensive beyond this and can even be triggered by coughing or swallowing. The first reaction of blood being stored in the legs and the heart trying to work harder to compensate, but at the same time being slowed down could give chest pain among other reasons. I think the blood pressure monitor should show if this is a possibility because you would expect a sudden drop. However, it depends on how often the pressure is taken. When I wore a cuff over a 24 hour period, it took readings every 30 minutes which could be totally inadequate. It would be all over before the next reading is taken.

[achillea]

Pain, and the combination of pain and fear, can certainly be responsible for a vasovagal faint.

But the cause of the pain remains to be figured out.

As noted, there does not seem to be any reference to a Holter monitor, nor to a stress test.  I wonder why these were not done.

[ed34]

Just out of interest has anyone mentioned the possibility of vasovagal attacks also known as neurocardiogenic syncope?

[ed34]

The times you went to the hospital I assume that the pains had stopped by then? If so, ask the Doctor to fit your husband with a holter monitor and blood pressure monitor. The length of time these are usually worn is 24 hours, so be sure to say you want them on his body until the next occurrence of symptoms. This way you will know if anything abnormal is happening with his heart rhythm, and his blood pressure. From the recording of the heart rhythm they will be able to tell what the problem is.

[achillea]

This is indeed a mystery, and one that requires considerable medical sophistication.

If I were you, I would post the question at the Heart Disease Expert Forum, where an MD will answer.

However, I am curious about when and how your husband's attacks occur:

Do they tend to happen more during the day, or at night?

Is he doing anything in particular when this occurs?

Can he describe the pain?  Sharp or gnawing, long lasting or brief, and so on?