Up date on worrying pain in my left arm.

[Red20]

I spoke with a cardiac nurse today and she encouraged me to go to A&E. I caught the bus and was seen very quickly. The ECG was normal and there were no enzymes in my blood samples. The Dr's are baffled as to what the problem might be. I was advised to get a referral to the Rapid Response Clinic (6 wk wait) where more intensive tests can be done like monitoring your heart whilst on a treadmill. I would like to say my arm continues to ache because I was swinging on the chandeliers but, sadly life isn't that jolly. Thank you to those that responded to my concern, bless you.

[Zena166]

Hi Red. Glad that you sought help. It must be a relief and frustrating in equal measures. However do follow up with your GP for a referral to the chest pain clinic and hope it gets sorted for you. Take care and look after yourself. Zena x

[Qualipop]

Don't assume that everything you get is heart related. I also have arm pain and pain behind my shoulder blade but I assumed the opposite of you. What the on call doctor thought was coming from my shoulder was actually a heart attack. You should see an orthopaedic surgeon for an ultra sound on your shoulder. The tendons in mine are shredded which causes pain right down my arm. Disc problems in the neck can do the same. It's dangerous to assume everything is connected. My GP just tried giving me a lecture on that then proceeded to tell me the blood spots under my skin are from my medication- ----assuming again. They've been there months before I got any medication so I gave him a good telling off.

[Red20 in reply to Qualipop]

Thankfully I don't have pain in my shoulder, neck or any disc problems. The pain is midway between the elbow and shoulder.My Neurologist detected an inferior posterior infarct. That was further diagnosed by a Cardiologist who reported ventricular ectopic, artial salvo of 5 beats, episodes of 150bpm, and showing sinus tachycardia. It was after relaying this info to the cardiac nurse that I was urged to go to A&E. Well done you for giving your Dr.a telling off. There are times when Dr''s just won't listen to their patients

[gal4God]

I’ve had a issue where I rang 111 and was sent to the heart hospital emergency department they where amazing so if unsure ring 111 as if it can wait they may rush the wait but if it can’t they will get you to the right place. I guess u now have a care plan, but last time I rang I wasn’t sure if to press that button or not.

[Hidden]

Rapid Response Clinic (6 wk wait)

^^^ Apologies .. but that bit made me giggle.

Pains and tingling in the arms should never be ignored. Hope you find your answers.

[Red20 in reply to Hidden]

I'm not sure which part of this particular clinic is, rapid in its 6 week response

If we don't laugh we'll end up probably crying !!

[FeetheBookworm]

I too had an issue and had an excellent response from 111. I was having dizzy spells and couldn’t walk without feeling as I would fall over - thought it was ear infection. This was about 6-8 wks after chronic Heart Failure diagnosis so husband was having none of it and phoned 111 in a panic - naturally it was a Sunday. A doctor rang to speak to me and ask some questions particularly about the meds. Someone else rang back later giving me an appointment at our local hospital which has a walk-in minor emergency Mon-Fri 9-5. Saw a doctor who told me not an ear infection and he then phoned a Cardiologist to get okay to take me off one of the 2 fluid tablets I was taking. As from next day issue was resolved!

Agree about never ignore tingling & pain in the left arm.

[Red20 in reply to FeetheBookworm]

It's real scary when Doctors get the diagnosis so wrong. From an ear infection to chronic heart failure ! ...the mind boggles. Thank goodness for 111

[Qualipop]

So glad you do have a proper diagnosis and not just guesses and assumptions. If I'd believed the on call GP I saw and hadn't rung back to 111 when it got worse, I probably woldn't be here now. I had read that women often get pain in the back so I was pretty sure what it was. About a month ago I was sent to the rapid access clinic because of breathlessness. The ECG and tests showed nothing . It was a 2 week wait. They wanted to do a stress test using some drug that would make my heart work really hard and fast as if under extreme stress but both my GP and musculoskeletal doctors said I should cancel it because it was a muscular problem. Well it wasn't a muscular problem obviously but it's a good job they didn't do that stress test because it would have definitely caused a heart attack, probably far more serious than it was.

When you have other long term, serious problems you just don't kow who to believe because they can't see beyond the end of their noses. In APril my pain consultant by phone said he knew something was wrong but without seeing me in person he couldn't work out what but sadly it took 4 months for him to be able to make an appointment to see me in person even though he wanted to see me next day.

[Red20]

Gosh what a frightening episode for you. My breathlessness and constantly feeling dizzy just seems to go univestigated. It's so interesting to read your thoughts and the opinions of your GP and musculoskeletal Doc re the suggesred stress test. When it was suggested to me yesterday in A&E my first thought was..well if I'm going to have a cardiac arrest I'll be in the right place. My heart can race so fast, with so little effort, which is so unusual I feel sure that treadmills under heart duress would bring on an arrest. When I was admitted to A&E yesterday by BP was off the scale. Thank you sharing your experience.

[bee2]

I have similar pain now in the upper underside of my left arm. GTN isn't helping. It did die down overnight but started again this morning. 😢

[bee2]

Yes, I will. I had the same thing with chest pain last week when attending a CPET appoint. Which they then refused to do as their was no cardiologists in the hospital. So I was sent home with it.

[bee2]

They did an ECG and talked about previous NSTEMIS I have had. I get this pain often but its increased since Stress MRI a few weeks ago. I often wonder if these tests trigger something.