Pain in the left shoulder: Hi, For more than... - Pain Concern

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Pain in the left shoulder

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20 Replies

Hi, For more than 6 months now, I keep having pain on my left shoulder and sometimes on left side chest under my armpit on the ribs just at my left breast level. I also experience a sensation on just the 2 left fingers of my left hand and feet and nausea. I had many trips to A&E, did blood test, echo and ECGS, chest X-rays, head and neck MRI, manography. All normal. This makes me very anxious as I always think I am having a heart attack . Sometimes it comes after exertion and sometimes without.

Stopped going to the gym scared to have a heart attack

GP thinks is a pinched nerve and the physio is not helping much.

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20 Replies
Cynthialcj profile image
Cynthialcj

I have the same thing for years, still do. I had ekg , blood work. I was told it was from my neck injury , back. Put on muscles relaxors and it helps. I was diagnosed having fibermyalgia stage 3. The under the rib pain was , is,the worst, it wraps around my ribs cage from my back on the opposite side. My fingers hurt like pinching pain and my legs just ache. Good luck to you

Blakejess profile image
Blakejess

Have u been tested for fibromyalgia. Has a neurosurgeon seen yr MRI

Medhelp profile image
Medhelp in reply to Blakejess

Hi, thank you for your reply. No I have not been tested for fibromyalgia and yes the neurosurgeon seen the MRI. All fine a part from a multilevel cervical spondylitis that he didn't even mentioned, I just read it on the result report. I just can't get out of my head the worry of maybe it's something wrong with my heart. The dull pain in the shoulder, chest, neck, ribs, fingers is nearly everyday present and this is ruining my life. I am having some blood test done on Thursday. Will how it goes.

Blakejess profile image
Blakejess in reply to Medhelp

May be u can ask ur dr to do a ecg trace won't take long. I always worry the same but defo think the spondylitis has a big part it affect s all yr nerves

Medhelp profile image
Medhelp in reply to Blakejess

Is this different from the normal ecg? Because first thing he did was an ecg and it was normal

Blakejess profile image
Blakejess in reply to Medhelp

A trace is where they just keep u on ecg machine for longer it was 20 mins for me , if he said yrs was normal then I'd take comfyftom that . Defo speak to a neurosurgeon and as personally I think there great when it comes to dealing with things like this .

Medhelp profile image
Medhelp in reply to Blakejess

Good morning Blakejess,

They have never left mine on for that long. I will speak to my GP about it. Thank you very much for that

Blakejess profile image
Blakejess

Just I have this I have fibromyalgia but I also have a bulging disc at c4-c5 and s bone spur. My neurosurgeon surgeon picked it up on my MRI . The rheumatologist did not ?

Marylyn profile image
Marylyn

Sounds very much like bursitis which can be caused from low vitamin b12.Have you been tested for active Vit b12 (serum is inaccurate) Folate,iron , ferritin,Vit d ,magnesium,MMA liver function tests.Horrible illness starts out painful muscles,joints ,rib ,neck shoulder back pain.Anxiety,sweating,fast heart rate,headaches,pins & needles in hands ,nausea,ringing ears just depends on where nerves are being damaged.Took me 15 Drs to get a diagnosis ,. they are not taught to recognise vitamin deficiencies.

Medhelp profile image
Medhelp

Hi, thanks. I have all what you have mentioned and also when I have the pain it feels like my left side including my shoulder back and front is wrapped up and keeps squeezing to not be able to have a deep breath. I am going to see my GP today and will mention all that to him. Will keep you posted. Many thanks again

Marylyn profile image
Marylyn

You are very welcome keep in mind Drs are not educated in vitamin deficiencies.Watch videos on b12awareness.org for life changing info download & give to your dr .Good luck .

Medhelp profile image
Medhelp in reply to Marylyn

Thanks

Medhelp profile image
Medhelp

Hi, went to the Dr yesterday, came back with the same questions. Just a little bit more disappointed . Again the same old song: Its stress and part of ageing. (I am 62) so you just need to learn to live with it he said. No need for rumathogist, scanning or anything to at least know what I need to learn to leave with. And if you can't cope, come back for depression tablets. But he doesn't understand that I am anxious because I don't know what's wrong with me and why I feel unwell nearly everyday and him not listening makes it worse . I feel like trapped with no help.

He agreed to the blood test though. That's somthing I guess.

alfieno1 profile image
alfieno1

o dear we all go down this road ,its your body you know something is not right ,he who shouts the loudest gets results do not give up ,keep going back your doctors that is his job, i am 63 and for the last six months i get really breathless ,i used to do 2 hour walks in the country with my dogs, now 20 mins is enough,waiting for results of a heart echo,i know something is not right.hope you too find out whats wrong with you

Medhelp profile image
Medhelp in reply to alfieno1

Hi, thank you for your kind reply. I will wait for the blood test and see. Hope everything goes well with the echo.

Marylyn profile image
Marylyn

All similar symptoms I was checked by cardiologist didn't have a clue, breathless after very little exercise, palpitations, sweating chest pain ,nausea,ringing in ears head,neck,back,kidney pain in joints,numbness,tingling in face ,arms.feet.I was told too it's stress & old age as I was falling over, now know it's nerve damage ( peripheral neuropathy)Be persistent try & educate them with info downloaded.A great resource Sally Pacholoks book "Could it be B12 ?" She states there is a worldwide epidemic happening because of misdiagnosis.Taking meds like statins,antiacids, hormones.some antibiotics,antidepressants,steroids can all deplete Vit b12 from the body again unbeknown to Drs.

E_lizab8 profile image
E_lizab8

My son 40 years old has been very ill with vit B12 deficiency, it took quite a while to find out it was this, he had so many symptoms, he had depression,anxiety, was always exhausted, sweating a lot on the least exertion, also his memory was getting worse all the time and he had episodes/nightmares with raging heartbeats when he felt so bad he thought he was going to die, then one day he woke up and could hardly move, he was trembling and couldn't speak properly, we called out the emergency and they took him to hospital, he was in for over a week and they did every test imaginable till they found out it was B12 deficiency. Apparently it can kill you eventually if not diagnosed and is so simple to treat, he had injections and special drip in hospital and after about 3 days he was at least speaking normally and could walk a bit, they found that he was also low on other vit and minerals. After leaving hospital he had B12 injections every week for 3 months and he still takes a B12 pill every day after more than a year. He is more or less back to normal his memory is better though not completely recovered and he must watch his diet, doctor checks every 2 months, so you see B12 def is a serious matter, I think it is scandalous that doctors are given no training in nutricion and vitamin therapy!

Medhelp profile image
Medhelp

Hi Marylyn and E-lizab8,

So so grateful for your posts, very helpful. Never thought about my problem from this side. Only this morning woke up with my heart beating so fast, top of my left breast near armpit aching, shivering and shaking and didn't know what hit me. Again thought I was having a heart attack. Still strongly believe It might be heart then anxiety took over. Now def I will look into this. Many thanks again

Marylyn profile image
Marylyn

Thank you E-lizab8 Yes it can kill you as every nerve can be damaged also anaemia can be obvious & still Drs do not screen for it , neuro symptoms are ignored.Low iron , Folate,white blood cells, platelets,neurtropils are all of the big picture.Dr Dave Carr on the video clip is one lucky man & he was a Dr.I am going to do my best to save lives by an awareness programme as my hubby & I have permanent nerve damage thanks to misdiagnosis.

NaturesArtist profile image
NaturesArtist

I have a damaged ulna nerve in my left arm. It causes pain in my arm. Especially the forearm and elbow. The pain isn’t too bad in my left shoulder, but when I was diagnosed as having a damaged ulna nerve they said it could cause really bad shoulder pain too! I also have fibromyalgia and because I have this it has made me more susceptible for costochondriti. This is where the cartilage between the ribs and breastbone inflamed. It is so painful. I also manage to ‘pop’ the cartilage out from between my ribs as I bend down. Like to pick up a dropped pencil from a seated position! I can hardly breathe then!! Between the pain in my left arm, the pain in my chest and my inability to breathe properly… I too feel like I’m having heart failure!! It’s awful!! Maybe you should go back to your GP. Tell them everything that is causing you all of your problems! The little finger and the edge of my ring finger in my left hand are numb. When I was sent for a dopla on each arm, the technician could not find a reaction on that nerve in my left little finger. That was how they reached the decision my ulna nerve was totally damaged!

I hope you get some answers. Good luck 🤞 💜

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