Aa
Please Help
Symptoms are as follows:
Chest pain from level 1 to 10
1 being minor
10 feeling like a heart attack
1 is frequent nearly every day, tolerable
No problem to deal with, annoyance, can apply pressure
Anything over 4-5 escalates and peaks
Sometimes quickly, if quickly pain normally is not higher than an 6-7
This is more common
Dissapates 'usually' quickly and is over with for the day
On occasion Im not aware of pain until it starts at a 5 or above
Pain slowly escalates and peaks from 7-10
Pain disapates but starts all over and peaks again , over and over
Peaks are generally less severe each time
These are bad enough my breath is rapid, more rapid with how painful
Difficult to breath
Movement hurts more
Movement makes more intense
Trying to breath deep hurts more, makes worse and more intense
Nausea is slight to extreme depending on how long I deal with
I am hot and cold at same time, break out in sweat
Bones hurt, ribs and spine feel broken
Difficult to talk
Pain radiates from front to back , extends up and downward gripping torso
No position helps
Feels like heart attack at 10
Relaxing does not help
Pain is Excrusiating. Can not apply pressure at this point without causing much more pain
Bad attacks leave a bruised like feeling in chest that is not visable
All attacks happen when calm and happy, comfortable stress free
Went to hospital with first severe attack and d-dimmer was high but nothing else off. Heart was checked out by cardiologist and ruled to be no problems. Had endoscopy and numerous blood tests at different times. No other apparent health problems. Had MRI of torso and all organs appear fine with no problems. All gastro related problems ruled out.
What can this be? Please help :(
Chest pain from level 1 to 10
1 being minor
10 feeling like a heart attack
1 is frequent nearly every day, tolerable
No problem to deal with, annoyance, can apply pressure
Anything over 4-5 escalates and peaks
Sometimes quickly, if quickly pain normally is not higher than an 6-7
This is more common
Dissapates 'usually' quickly and is over with for the day
On occasion Im not aware of pain until it starts at a 5 or above
Pain slowly escalates and peaks from 7-10
Pain disapates but starts all over and peaks again , over and over
Peaks are generally less severe each time
These are bad enough my breath is rapid, more rapid with how painful
Difficult to breath
Movement hurts more
Movement makes more intense
Trying to breath deep hurts more, makes worse and more intense
Nausea is slight to extreme depending on how long I deal with
I am hot and cold at same time, break out in sweat
Bones hurt, ribs and spine feel broken
Difficult to talk
Pain radiates from front to back , extends up and downward gripping torso
No position helps
Feels like heart attack at 10
Relaxing does not help
Pain is Excrusiating. Can not apply pressure at this point without causing much more pain
Bad attacks leave a bruised like feeling in chest that is not visable
All attacks happen when calm and happy, comfortable stress free
Went to hospital with first severe attack and d-dimmer was high but nothing else off. Heart was checked out by cardiologist and ruled to be no problems. Had endoscopy and numerous blood tests at different times. No other apparent health problems. Had MRI of torso and all organs appear fine with no problems. All gastro related problems ruled out.
What can this be? Please help :(
Thankyou melinda! I really think that sounds very plausiable and highly likely! I even had one of those post op scars right on top of my sternum area that wouldnt close up completly for four months straight which worried me at the time. All the other small cuts they made healed within a couple weeks so now I wonder if that could be it.
Unfortunatly I will have to wait to find out because we had to drop my health insurance because Im not working currently and until I find work we just cant afford it :(
Thankyou everyone for your very valued input!
Unfortunatly I will have to wait to find out because we had to drop my health insurance because Im not working currently and until I find work we just cant afford it :(
Thankyou everyone for your very valued input!
Being technically challenged, I couldn't figure out how to email the post I just mentioned...Sooo...it is under Brooklea Posted 11-26-2007 under "upper abdominal pain"...Hope this helps! ~melinda
I know it sounds hokey, but try the ice water? It was recommended to me by a surgeon who removed my gallbladder..I was having these things, and swore, were it not for the lack cold sweats, I was having the "big one", they were so bad. ( I've passed 7 kidney stones and experienced 45 hrs of labor with natural childbirth, -and I say the spasms were BAD comparing to those!) The ice water worked for me...(I know, I thought it was weird, too.)
I can't remember ever hearing or reading about the vagus nerve causing spasms...It can slow the heart rate...drop your blood pressure...Hmm...
A straw to grasp at....One more thought...Post surgical adhesions...There was a poor lady who was on this forum in the past month that had all kinds of horrible abdominal and chest pains (post gall bladder also, if I remember correctly)..turns out, she had an adhesion that had grown from her liver to her intestines...Once that was snipped, good as new! (After several years of suffering and multiple ER visits...) Maybe this is it?
I can't remember ever hearing or reading about the vagus nerve causing spasms...It can slow the heart rate...drop your blood pressure...Hmm...
A straw to grasp at....One more thought...Post surgical adhesions...There was a poor lady who was on this forum in the past month that had all kinds of horrible abdominal and chest pains (post gall bladder also, if I remember correctly)..turns out, she had an adhesion that had grown from her liver to her intestines...Once that was snipped, good as new! (After several years of suffering and multiple ER visits...) Maybe this is it?
Oh I meant to add....God Bless all that responded. I really do appreciate your input and time reading and responding.
It was two months later when the pain started yes. Three months when the first attack happened that sent me to the ER. I never had that lung scan but the MRI showed no residual gallstones left in my system which they thought at first as well. My endo also was clean which oddly even came clear of a prior hiatel hernia I had been diagnosed with which my brother said was impossiable to ever completely heal. I drink smoothies for this and to prevent gerd and reflux which does a wonderful job ( something to do with enzymes in it ). I had a med I took for six months for esophogal spasms which didnt work one bit. I eat healthy. I have IBS so I cant have milk or corn however the two are not related.
Is it possiable for a Nerve like the vagus nerve to cause this problem by chance?
Is it possiable for a Nerve like the vagus nerve to cause this problem by chance?
That's one I didn't think of medicmommy! Wouldn't the ice water potentially cause a spasm though? Maybe I read it wrong.
That's definitely something to look into, it'd be nice if that's what was wrong, forgoing a cardiac condition. Reflux can provoke spasms, and puts you more at risk for esoph. spasms. On the topic of high d-dimer, astralmist, you said you had surgery two months prior? I read that d-dimer can be affected for up to three months post-surgery. As medicmommy said too, it can be affected by a bunch of different things (surgery, medications such as contraceptives, other medical conditions).
I hope you find something out soon, I know how difficult it is to live with undiagnosed, unpredictable medical issues. Before you go to the doctor next time, make a list of medical conditions that sound good (and by "sound good" I mean fit your signs/symptoms) go over them with your doctor and if he/she can't give you a very specific reason as to why it cannot be that, make him test for it. It might take some considerable time and money, but it's your health!!
That's definitely something to look into, it'd be nice if that's what was wrong, forgoing a cardiac condition. Reflux can provoke spasms, and puts you more at risk for esoph. spasms. On the topic of high d-dimer, astralmist, you said you had surgery two months prior? I read that d-dimer can be affected for up to three months post-surgery. As medicmommy said too, it can be affected by a bunch of different things (surgery, medications such as contraceptives, other medical conditions).
I hope you find something out soon, I know how difficult it is to live with undiagnosed, unpredictable medical issues. Before you go to the doctor next time, make a list of medical conditions that sound good (and by "sound good" I mean fit your signs/symptoms) go over them with your doctor and if he/she can't give you a very specific reason as to why it cannot be that, make him test for it. It might take some considerable time and money, but it's your health!!
I know this is going to sound crazy...Do you know what an esophageal spasm is? The next time this happens, try drinking (I mean chugging!) a glass of ice water...If it stops it, it's "diagnostic", the theory being the spasm is "shocked" into stopping...Nitroglycerin sometimes works on it too...I'm in agreement with medchick. Even with the high d-dimer, this doesn't sound like a pulmonary embolism, but it does sound like something "structural" (as in non-body chemical oriented)...The d-dimer can be affected by other things...Have you actually had a nuclear lung scan done? (Lung CAT scan with radioactive isotope) just to make sure there aren't little clots (pulmonary emboli) happening? It really doesn't sound like it because of the lack of lasting pulmonary problems..
Another thought... You could have a leftover gallstone in the duct , or scarring on the duct that is causing spasming...You'd need an endoscopy that looks up the common bile duct to the liver (if you haven't already)...Good luck..You sound miserable...
Another thought... You could have a leftover gallstone in the duct , or scarring on the duct that is causing spasming...You'd need an endoscopy that looks up the common bile duct to the liver (if you haven't already)...Good luck..You sound miserable...
Yes the green tea is naturally decaffinated. I appreciate your feedback. This makes no sense to me. Ive experienced it for a year now so can that still be under the catagory of unstable angina? I figured if it were a fracture, break or bruise it would have healed by now. If it were anxiety my D-Dimmer wouldnt not have gone up with bad attacks. I drink smoothies designed to help Gerd and reflux which help alot and I think that was why the endo didnt show anything with that either.
Have you ever taken nitroglycerin at the onset of an attack? Is the green tea naturally decaffinated? (I know nothing about green tea, so for all I know it could all be decaffinated :-) ) Otherwise, I'm sure caffiene may not be conducive.
Wish I had more for you!
Wish I had more for you!
First attack happened two months after gallbladder was removed. Went to ER. There was high D-Dimmer but otherwise all other tests were fine. Have had since MRI of torso, endoscopy and numerous bloodwork which all came back clear. Went to cardiologist and he ran several tests which showed no problems.
One sip of wine set it off once, coca cola sometimes sets it off if I drink more than a can in several days.
I took anti spasmotic med plus sucralfate and zantac and prilosec for six months straight and was very careful of what I ate and drank. Even discontinued taking any headaches pills like excedrin to ensure I wouldnt irratate it. I eat once a day plus a small snack before dinner. I drink green tea flavored with honey 98% of the time. I drink alcohol only socially which is maybe twice a year with a one or two drink maximum.
The pain is excusiating enough I cant drive when it happens and movement makes it worse.
Pressure can not be applied when its a full attack ( attacks vary in intensity and vary in times that they last )
Pain radiates from the sternum area first and radiates up to the chest and down through the torso front and back even the bones feel broken. Once pain stops everything is fine. It just stops.
One sip of wine set it off once, coca cola sometimes sets it off if I drink more than a can in several days.
I took anti spasmotic med plus sucralfate and zantac and prilosec for six months straight and was very careful of what I ate and drank. Even discontinued taking any headaches pills like excedrin to ensure I wouldnt irratate it. I eat once a day plus a small snack before dinner. I drink green tea flavored with honey 98% of the time. I drink alcohol only socially which is maybe twice a year with a one or two drink maximum.
The pain is excusiating enough I cant drive when it happens and movement makes it worse.
Pressure can not be applied when its a full attack ( attacks vary in intensity and vary in times that they last )
Pain radiates from the sternum area first and radiates up to the chest and down through the torso front and back even the bones feel broken. Once pain stops everything is fine. It just stops.
Has anyone along the line mentioned unstable angina? I believe it is possible for angina pain to radiate and feel similar to indigestion. I don't have a medical license anymore, so please don't take any of this to heart (no pun intended, really). I can't tell you how common it was to get paged out to a patient with chest pain, assuming the worst, to find it was angina, with no electrical abnormalities, et cetera. If I were in your position, I wouldn't let it be, even if a medical doctor diagnoses you with angina, as it can be indicative of something more.
Best Wishes.
Best Wishes.
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