tell me what dr to see next

[luvmyfam444]

I have had what I call chest pain for a couple years now. It comes and goes, it sometimes exercise induced, but not always. (I've been just sitting here & had some pain). The usual pain is on the left side above my breast - pretty much just a sharp pain- though sometimes a dull pain that lasts a while.

When I get on the treadmill to run or do zumba it'll be pain for just a few mins & usually goes away (when I ran regulary I could go days without pain)

But then.....I've had some days of activity (not telling specifics, you can use your imagination) and afterward I will get pain toward the center of my chest that feels like someone is leaning on my chest.

I have been to my reg dr & x-ray (about 2yrs ago maybe) & all was fine. I've been to an internal med dr earlier this year - she did blood work & all was normal.
Went to Cardiologist & did stress test (on treadmill) (2yrs ago or so)
Have had a mamogram (sometimes the pain is under the breast) to rule that out -
Also had the ultrasound of my heart (is that the echo?) and of course all that was normal. (though that was again a few years back)

Went back to caridologist again this summer - different dr -same practice & had another EKG (I think - that's the one -with the wires attached)

Sooo the caridologist (2 of them in fact) have completely cleared me & can't explain the pain. One of the drs was so blatant to say he could prove it wasn't my heart....

I guess maybe I should call it discomfort - it's usually no more than about a 4 on a 1-10 scale. It doesn't usually stop me in my tracks.

The cardiologist said the only other test I could get done would be the calcium test & that would completely clear up that mmy heart is completely healthy - it wouldn't give me an answer - it would just rule out.

So my question is - should I still pursue this? If so what kind of dr do I go to next? What other things could it be? I am stumped. I have just gotten use to the feeling & that its something I'm always gonna have.

No - there's no other systems like numbness or anything. I'm beginning to assume I'm a hypochondriac - but there's still that nagging thought that I need to keep hunting the answer - ya know?

 

[Handbag Lady]

I have had what I call chest pain for a couple years now. It comes and goes, it sometimes exercise induced, but not always. (I've been just sitting here & had some pain). The usual pain is on the left side above my breast - pretty much just a sharp pain- though sometimes a dull pain that lasts a while.

When I get on the treadmill to run or do zumba it'll be pain for just a few mins & usually goes away (when I ran regulary I could go days without pain)

But then.....I've had some days of activity (not telling specifics, you can use your imagination) and afterward I will get pain toward the center of my chest that feels like someone is leaning on my chest.

I have been to my reg dr & x-ray (about 2yrs ago maybe) & all was fine. I've been to an internal med dr earlier this year - she did blood work & all was normal.
Went to Cardiologist & did stress test (on treadmill) (2yrs ago or so)
Have had a mamogram (sometimes the pain is under the breast) to rule that out -
Also had the ultrasound of my heart (is that the echo?) and of course all that was normal. (though that was again a few years back)

Went back to caridologist again this summer - different dr -same practice & had another EKG (I think - that's the one -with the wires attached)

Sooo the caridologist (2 of them in fact) have completely cleared me & can't explain the pain. One of the drs was so blatant to say he could prove it wasn't my heart....

I guess maybe I should call it discomfort - it's usually no more than about a 4 on a 1-10 scale. It doesn't usually stop me in my tracks.

The cardiologist said the only other test I could get done would be the calcium test & that would completely clear up that mmy heart is completely healthy - it wouldn't give me an answer - it would just rule out.

So my question is - should I still pursue this? If so what kind of dr do I go to next? What other things could it be? I am stumped. I have just gotten use to the feeling & that its something I'm always gonna have.

No - there's no other systems like numbness or anything. I'm beginning to assume I'm a hypochondriac - but there's still that nagging thought that I need to keep hunting the answer - ya know?

Have you ruled out the usual suspects other than the heart? Gall bladder, stones (kidney or gall), indigestion, GERD?

 

[Abbie]

Since you've been cleared by cardiology, I would head to a gastroenterologist at this point. Could be gi-related, gerd, gallbladder, etc. Hope you figure it out!

 

[quentina]

I am not a doctor however; I had very similar symptoms.....gall bladder. My pain was on the left and they say gall bladder should be on the right....somehow it was re-directing.

Do you feel "squished" at times? That was the best way I could describe it...pain in chest, back, side and occasionally shoulder.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Or Chostochondritis? Inflammation of the chest area.

 

[luvmyfam444]

oops - forgot to mention - no gallbladder - been gone for 12yrs

But as far Gerd wouldn't that show up primarily when I eat?

 

[luvmyfam444]

I am not a doctor however; I had very similar symptoms.....gall bladder. My pain was on the left and they say gall bladder should be on the right....somehow it was re-directing.

Do you feel "squished" at times? That was the best way I could describe it...pain in chest, back, side and occasionally shoulder.

No pain anywhere else - well if I do get other pain its never at the same time - ya know my low back will hurt - but I chalk that up to being overweight - or sitting poorly or something - nothing that matters.

Well I don't know if squished would be the right term - it really feels like one of the kiddos leaning on me - but that specific pain is ocassional the other pain that's more constant isn't that feeling

 

[luvthatduke]

I would recommend seeing a Pulminologist (probably spelled wrong).

And, even though your gallbladder has been removed
it may be worth a shot to see a Gastro specialist.

Blessings ~ Saying a prayer for your health

 

[NHdisneylover]

GERD is weird and does not always show up when you eat. Mine tend to show up either when I haven't eaten in a while (nothing to absorb the acid) or, when I am prone to it anyway, when I exercise (all that movement apparently stirs up acid) AND my major symptom for the first 6 years was sinus headaches--which I would have never in a million years associated with GERD. Now I tend to get more of the pressure in the chest feelings like you are describing. I would definitely have that ruled out.

 

[MoniqueU]

The only thing that comes to me is anxiety

I have a friend that is totally put together, has any and everytbing under control. Great kids, nice house , great husband, money in the bank. Nothing you would think would trigger it. She used to come to her door from time to time clutching her chest. No other symptoms just chest pain. Nothing really ruffles her feathers so I was surprised that was the diagnosis actually. It happened when her older girls were teens. I think they gave her some meds for it but I am pretty sure she just powered through it. She now has her oldest daughter divorced with the DD's 4 kids, NOW she has stuff to stress over but she didn't when I first met her. That may be the problem.

 

[scrapquitler]

The only thing that comes to me is anxiety

That's what I was thinking of, too. When I have anxiety attacks, it feels like my chest is getting tight. And it seems like it doesn't always happen when I am worrying about something, it just seems to randomly happen at times, but that's what it is.

 

[Disneylover79]

Are you KIDDING me?!?!?!?

I am a NP (cardiology) and if you were in my office I would do everything they did for you but if everything came up neg I would send you for a cardiac cath.

The last time you went to the cardiologist had you already had the pain at rest?

BTW yes the ultrasound of the heart is an Echo, and the EKG/ECG is the test with the wires.

Women present with completely weird (not saying yours are) "heart" pains.

With women I don't mess around. If all the testing (even the cardiac cath) came up clean then we would go elsewhere to find the pain. I am not trying to scare you but I am just concerned with the pain "at rest", no matter how infrequent. Do you have high blood pressure? Did they start you on any new meds?

I hope you feel better soon. Please keep us posted.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Are you KIDDING me?!?!?!?

I am a NP (cardiology) and if you were in my office I would do everything they did for you but if everything came up neg I would send you for a cardiac cath.

The last time you went to the cardiologist had you already had the pain at rest?

BTW yes the ultrasound of the heart is an Echo, and the EKG/ECG is the test with the wires.

Women present with completely weird (not saying yours are) "heart" pains.

With women I don't mess around. If all the testing (even the cardiac cath) came up clean then we would go elsewhere to find the pain. I am not trying to scare you but I am just concerned with the pain "at rest", no matter how infrequent. Do you have high blood pressure? Did they start you on any new meds?

I hope you feel better soon. Please keep us posted.

I was wondering that too--didn't seem like the cardiologist did as much as I would have expected. There's a monitor I wore once when I had issue while pregnant--I think they called it King of Hearts. It was kind of like a mini EKG that they kept one me for 48 hours and I pushed a button to record whenever I felt anything "odd" At the time, after they looked at "everything" they decided I just happen to have an abnormally large number of irregular heart rhythms for no real reason. Those all went away once my Pernicious Anemia was found and treated though

 

[zoemurr]

Or Chostochondritis? Inflammation of the chest area.

does it hurt when you push on it? You might also want to look at the trigger points for fibro. Two of them are in the chest.

A chiro helped me out quite a bit. They should be able to tell if it is muscle related.

 

[luvmyfam444]

Are you KIDDING me?!?!?!?

I am a NP (cardiology) and if you were in my office I would do everything they did for you but if everything came up neg I would send you for a cardiac cath.

The last time you went to the cardiologist had you already had the pain at rest?

BTW yes the ultrasound of the heart is an Echo, and the EKG/ECG is the test with the wires.

Women present with completely weird (not saying yours are) "heart" pains.

With women I don't mess around. If all the testing (even the cardiac cath) came up clean then we would go elsewhere to find the pain. I am not trying to scare you but I am just concerned with the pain "at rest", no matter how infrequent. Do you have high blood pressure? Did they start you on any new meds?

I hope you feel better soon. Please keep us posted.

I don't take any meds -

This last doc did mention a cath - but I'm thinking that was once he saw the cadiac calcium results -he gave me the order for that test just in case I choose to go

I believe the doc said that insurance won't cover the cath & he really felt that it wasn't needed - but he'd order the test if I wanted.

 

[phorsenuf]

I was wondering that too--didn't seem like the cardiologist did as much as I would have expected. There's a monitor I wore once when I had issue while pregnant--I think they called it King of Hearts. It was kind of like a mini EKG that they kept one me for 48 hours and I pushed a button to record whenever I felt anything "odd" At the time, after they looked at "everything" they decided I just happen to have an abnormally large number of irregular heart rhythms for no real reason. Those all went away once my Pernicious Anemia was found and treated though

Ugh....don't get me started on women and cardiologists...
OP, I have terrible issues with chest pain as you describe. Did they mention anything about angina? Did they give you nitro to try? An EKG is all the cardiologist did and then cleared you?
This is going to sound bad, but was the cardiologist a man? If so, find a woman.

I use to get terrible chest pains and I'd go to the ER. They would do an EKG, looked good, they would pat my hand and say I need to relax more.
Had another bad episode, went back and had a woman Dr. Said women present different and actually ran tests on me. Turns out I had a heart attack. Go figure. Wonder if any of my other episodes were.

After my HA I still had lingering issues but my Drs would still poo-poo me. Unfortunately they were the only ones around so I had to go to them. One time it got pretty bad, I persisted and they found fluid around the heart.

My Drs did give me nitro to take when the pains got bad. If it helps then it's usually cardiac related and then I know how to proceed.

Anyway...sorry to go off on a tangent. I'm reminding myself of someone. Hmmmmm :

I would pursue the cardiac issue. It really sounds to me they didn't do enough. I don't want to scare you but when I hear about women being dismissed for chest pains it makes my nuts.

 

[luvmyfam444]

I was wondering that too--didn't seem like the cardiologist did as much as I would have expected. There's a monitor I wore once when I had issue while pregnant--I think they called it King of Hearts. It was kind of like a mini EKG that they kept one me for 48 hours and I pushed a button to record whenever I felt anything "odd" At the time, after they looked at "everything" they decided I just happen to have an abnormally large number of irregular heart rhythms for no real reason. Those all went away once my Pernicious Anemia was found and treated though

I wore a holt? monitor 4.5 yrs ago when I had tachycardia when pregnant with dd. Just for a short time (1 night?) -it was just tracking my hearbeats I believe & once I delievered dd I haven't had any instances of tachycardia - they said it was all hormone related.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

oops - forgot to mention - no gallbladder - been gone for 12yrs

But as far Gerd wouldn't that show up primarily when I eat?

Nope. Most of the GERD is when your stomach has no food. That really kicks up the acid.

I am sitting here in pain as we speak. It freaks me out. My reflux is pretty bad right now.

It is like am I haing heart issues or am I having a reflux problem. I hate this.

 

[luvmyfam444]

does it hurt when you push on it? You might also want to look at the trigger points for fibro. Two of them are in the chest.

A chiro helped me out quite a bit. They should be able to tell if it is muscle related.

No - I can't duplicate the pain when pushing - my internal dr tried that with me -pushing around & of course her pushing was uncomfortable but it didn't duplicate the pain.

Most of the time I can put my fingers exactly on where it hurts.

 

[luvmyfam444]

Ugh....don't get me started on women and cardiologists...
OP, I have terrible issues with chest pain as you describe. Did they mention anything about angina? Did they give you nitro to try? An EKG is all the cardiologist did and then cleared you?
This is going to sound bad, but was the cardiologist a man? If so, find a woman.

I use to get terrible chest pains and I'd go to the ER. They would do an EKG, looked good, they would pat my hand and say I need to relax more.
Had another bad episode, went back and had a woman Dr. Said women present different and actually ran tests on me. Turns out I had a heart attack. Go figure. Wonder if any of my other episodes were.

After my HA I still had lingering issues but my Drs would still poo-poo me. Unfortunately they were the only ones around so I had to go to them. One time it got pretty bad, I persisted and they found fluid around the heart.

My Drs did give me nitro to take when the pains got bad. If it helps then it's usually cardiac related and then I know how to proceed.

Anyway...sorry to go off on a tangent. I'm reminding myself of someone. Hmmmmm :

I would pursue the cardiac issue. It really sounds to me they didn't do enough. I don't want to scare you but when I hear about women being dismissed for chest pains it makes my nuts.

Yep a man - 2 actually - I don't even know that there are women cards here - this group has like 15 docs but I think all men

NO, not just an EKG - cause I had the echo & stress one done too - they just weren't done the most recently