Chest pain: I’ve been having chest pain that... - Pain Concern

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Chest pain

Mcq123 profile image
6 Replies

I’ve been having chest pain that comes and goes like a nipping pain it also gave me a sore left arm and a sore jaw.

I went to the hospital and got a ECG and blood tests done which all came back normal, what else could this pain be?

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Mcq123
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6 Replies
Crackerjack4u profile image
Crackerjack4u

Hello. I'm sorry you've been having chest pain. Of course, only a doctor can diagnose the cause of your symptoms for sure, but don't ignore them and keep searching for answers because something is causing it, but what your particular something is, I'm sorry, but I can't answer that specific question. An ECG is just one of many tests that are available and each test looks at the heart in a different way. So if your symptoms continue, more cardiac testing may be needed to ensure it really isn't actually your heart. Even though you've been told it isn't your heart, never ignore your chest pain, always seek medical attention at least until you are sure by having another diagnoses for the cause.

Best Rule of Thumb involving chest pain Is: When In Doubt, Get It Checked out. :)

Now, once you establish that it is for sure not your heart causing the chest pain, there are other things that can cause the same or similar symptoms that it could be.

Anxiety is one of the main ones, and it can cause chest tightness which mimics signs of a heart attack.

Angina is another one: Angina causes chest pain because the heart is working harder than it should. Although Angina can be very painful, scary, and feel just like a heart attack it is actually not harmful to the actual heart muscle itself, and the way you know it's angina is if nitroglycerin relieves the chest pain.

GI problems like a hiatal hernia, or GERD, can cause chest pain.

Things like inflamed muscles or joints.

Pulmonary embolism

And here is what was apparently causing mine: I had symptoms of chest pain, Left arm/ left side of face pain,numbness, and shortness of breath for about 8 years now and they always seemed to occurred together. All my cardiac testing year after year all showed Normal. I do have a diagnoses of Anxiety and Angina both, but when I had this particular chest pain, I didn't feel anxious, and it was not being relieved by the nitroglycerin which told me it was not anxiety or angina, and all my tests were normal, so it had to be something else causing it. So my cardiologist decided to look at the shortness of breath symptom I was having along with the chest pain, and ordered a Pulmonary function test, and it came back that I have COPD. Once I started on my 1st inhaler, All my chest pain, (even the angina and anxiety related chest pain, along with all the other symptoms magically disappeared).

2 weeks later my Pulmonologist had me get a Methacholine Challenge Test ran, and it showed that I also have Asthma. ( He put me on a 2nd inhaler that had steroids in it, and the 1st night I used it, about 7 hours later, I was in ER with chest pain, face/arm pain/numbness, shortness of breath, anxiety, racy heart, shakiness, all which was unrelieved by nitro. (I suspected it was a reaction to the steroids in the inhaler because meds effect me really weird, and if there is a side effect to be had, lol I will have it. But as I mention before if chest pain can't be explained, it should never be ignored, and always be investigated. My Pulmonologist wanted me to remain on the inhaler to see if I could eventually tolerate it, and I did. Actually, the 1st night was the only time it ever caused me issues bad enough to send me to ER.

So Add COPD, and also Asthma to that list of things that Can cause chest pain because I can attest that it does. Anyway I hope this helps hun. Best of Luck to you.

ali1983 profile image
ali1983 in reply toCrackerjack4u

Hi

I agree with crackerjack4u, great reply.

Its amazing what pains anxiety can give you so get all other things ruled out and then if it turns out that it is anxiety causing it, you may find that just knowing that, helps lessen the pain.

X

Crackerjack4u profile image
Crackerjack4u in reply toali1983

Tks

johnsmith profile image
johnsmith

See a McTimony chiropractor. Pressure on the various nerves can cause chest pain. I know this from personnel experience.

amberly87 profile image
amberly87

Mcq123-

I’m not sure what conditions you have, but I have psoriatic arthritis, chronic headaches, migraines and TMJ.

I know that when I am having issues with my shoulder it can cause me to have arm/hand issues, as well as chest pains. My right shoulder and neck are my most painful areas. I have a particular spot in my shoulder that is always knotted and I have issues with the muscles that run along the side of my arm pit. On particularly bad days that knot/those areas cause referred pain that go down my shoulder to my arm and can make my hand go numb. It also causes referred pain into my chest area. It can make it feel tight, the bones and muscles can feel tender and can cause typical chest pains. Like I said, I’m not sure if you have any issues like these but I thought I’d share. Inflammation can be so tricky when trying to determine where the exact spot is that’s hurting when there is referred pain, especially when it may be in a completely different location from the area that’s actually causing it. This may be your issue.

Kubyte profile image
Kubyte

Google costochondritis see if this checks out with your symptoms

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