Mystery Illness - Arm Pain, Likely Not Heart Related

[Electrichead65]

So for a long while now, I get this chronic pain in my arm. Sometimes it's in my right... rarely, but it's usually in my left. It sometimes can hover around the shoulder. Other days it can be in the forearm and bicep. It can last for hours as a dull ache, or it can come and go sharply, but briefly.

The most cause of worry that every now and then... once every week or two, and only for a couple seconds... it will HURT. Like it's on fire. My anxiety immediately kicks in right when it happens and then it takes me a while to calm down. I start feeling clammy, my chest gets tight, all the anxiety stuff.

I just had my heart checked out. Ecocardiogram was great. Stress test showed no angina. EKG was normal. I wore a monitor for 24 hours and other than sinus bradycardia that (that was considered normal), there is nothing seemingly wrong with my heart. Of course this pain didn't occur once when I was wearing this!

Someone mentioned to me once Rhoemhelds Syndrome, or gastrocardia. This seems to match everything I've gone through, but again, my heart isn't acting up.

I am having a hard time placing it. It seems to be in conjunction with days where I'm extra gassy, or am having other irritable bowel symptoms.

I was reading about splenic flexure syndrome. Gas being trapped in the transverse colon, pressing against the spleen and messing with a nerve that goes up to my shoulder and arm. I have no idea though.

This arm pain is scary. It feels like what people say heart attacks feel like, but for only a couple seconds. Even with the cardiologist ruling out heart issues, I still can't help but worry.

My primary insists it's anxiety related. The problem with that is, I don't feel anxious at all until AFTER it happens. It could happen while I'm lying in bed, driving along, or sitting at my computer. Not a care in the world.

Does anyone know anything, or have experienced anything like this, that could help me out?

[Maureen1958]

Hi, yes I get this all the time. Mainly in my right arm these days, used to be more my left arm years ago when my tummy was more running. I put it down to referred pain. Had it years and not died yet!!!

[Smoq]

I suffered with this a great deal whilst also suffering from acid reflux. I was finally diagnosed with Barretts, after lots of heart tests. This was many years ago and I still suffer now. I have regular camera investigations which shows I have an inflamed osophegus and intestinal hernia and ulcerated patches in my bowel. It used to terrify me, but now I just lie down quietly and wait for it to subside.