Hi everyone, so I have had chest pain for many years now and over those years have had alot of tests including numerous EKG's, chest xrays, stress test, holter monitors and a calcium test score which was 0. Never any answer, have never seen a cardiologist because all my tests were normal so they didnt feel a need to see me. Anyway lately the pains have started to affect my life negatively and my mental health. The second i wake in the morning i feel fear, I check my hear rate on an app on my phone. I have become obsessed with everything heart related and now have a massive fear of death. I worry all day, every day. My sleep is affected and im always tired due to constant over thinking. I have started to spend all my time at home and am neglecting my friends and family.
What could this chest pain be. Its usually localised but can happen in any part of my chest from sternum to left side to right side. it never radiates and I never feel week or dizzy. I also have left arm pain on and off and jaw pain but never together with the chest pain. Iv had an endoscopy, GERD was ruled out but mild acid reflux diagnosed, also H.Pylori and a tiny hiatus hernia, that was 3 years ago. I still have occasional heart burn and acid reflux.
Anybody experience anything similar.
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Ckd123
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H.Pylori is a nasty monster that doesn’t seem to go away and you very well could be having a gerd attack from it which could be what your experiencing especially since you have had numerous test that don’t show heart issues ….. Have you tried taking Antacid daily and cutting back on high fat food and acidic foods?
I'm not a medic, I wouldn't attempt to explain it. When you click any link to another site from this one you get a screen asking if you really want to do that, you have to click again, I guess that's what's happening, just click again on that screen.
Sounds to me like Costochondritis. It is the inflammation of the cartilage. My doctor gave me low dose Amitriptyline (20-25 mg) to take daily and that did the trick. At its worst it felt like a knife going through my breastbone and into my back - when it was milder, my ribs and chest hurt - getting up from the floor about killed me if I used my arms to push up. I hope this helps.
As GimpALimp has suggested it does sound like costochondritis. However that pain is almost always felt in a sternum. There is also another possibility and that is intercostal muscle pain. The intercostal muscles are what hold your rib cage in place and allow it to expand and contract as you take a breath. It can be very uncomfortable and there's nothing you can really do about it. I'm assuming you've tried heat and ice. One thing you might consider is seeing a pain management doctor. They could give you a nerve ablation which might help the pain if they can identify what nerves are causing the pain.
I also suffer with very similar symptoms ie pain predominantly behind the sternum and sometimes into the jaw. It was so bad once that I ended up in A&E and had all the tests you had as they thought it was angina but everything came back normal. I also have reflux and hiatal hernia so eventually I had a test to check my swallowing and was diagnosed with Oesophagal dysmotility which can cause angina like chest pain behind the sternum. I don't notice much with my swallowing other than sometimes very hot or cold drinks cause me to cough and some foods feel like they are stuck in my chest but would never have known it could cause chest pain. Worth asking to be checked.
I thought I was having a heart attack before my doctor told me I had Costochondritis. I use a Backpod which has transformed my life. Have a look at their website and also see your doctor to get checked out properly... bodystance.co.nz
I use my Backpod every 4 - 5 days and am more happy with the pain relief it provides me....
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