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Are Chest Pain, Breathing Difficulty, Fatigue And Shoulder Pain Suggestive Of Cardiac Disorder?
Question: I am 23 years old with a history of smoking. I don't know what to do. I have been dealing with a lot of horrible symptoms lately. shortness of breath, chest pain, fatigue, heart palpitations, popping sound in my chest when I breathe in, cold hands and feet and a sharp pain in my left shoulder blade area when I breathe in deep.
It started as just chest pain 5 months ago and got a CT scan, chest xray, blood work and an EKG and everything was normal. About 3 weeks ago I started getting the chest pain back with all those other symptoms.
Went back to cardiologist and he said it's in your head don't worry. About 3 days ago the pain and symptoms were still there and really didn't go away. something just felt so wrong and still does. I went to the ER and they did more blood tests and another chest x-ray and didn't find anything.
Today I went on a bike ride and it was a pretty tough uphill climb but I started to feel nauseous and dizzy and had to stop. Maybe it was too hard of exercise or maybe there is a serious problem.
My thigh right above the leftknee is feeling very swollen and stiff. it has been a few days like this and has only got a little bit better. Now my neck is feeling pain and tightness on the left side and it feels like it's right around the artery there
What do I do?! I have appointments with a pulmonologist on November 5th to see if it's anything to do with my lungs. and I have an app with another cardiologist on Oct 28th to do more heart tests including an echocardiogram. But these swellings are very concerning symptoms on top of everything else and I'm not sure what to do. Going to the ER won't help me because they can't do anymore tests then what I've had two times already. my blood work is fine.chest xrays are fine. so I can't just keep going back and spending crazy money to get the same tests and no answers. I am obviously very scared and concerned and I don't think I can wait for 3-4 weeks to see these other doctors as my symptoms are really concerning.
Do I have any options here or just wait for my apps and pray nothing happens to me?
It started as just chest pain 5 months ago and got a CT scan, chest xray, blood work and an EKG and everything was normal. About 3 weeks ago I started getting the chest pain back with all those other symptoms.
Went back to cardiologist and he said it's in your head don't worry. About 3 days ago the pain and symptoms were still there and really didn't go away. something just felt so wrong and still does. I went to the ER and they did more blood tests and another chest x-ray and didn't find anything.
Today I went on a bike ride and it was a pretty tough uphill climb but I started to feel nauseous and dizzy and had to stop. Maybe it was too hard of exercise or maybe there is a serious problem.
My thigh right above the leftknee is feeling very swollen and stiff. it has been a few days like this and has only got a little bit better. Now my neck is feeling pain and tightness on the left side and it feels like it's right around the artery there
What do I do?! I have appointments with a pulmonologist on November 5th to see if it's anything to do with my lungs. and I have an app with another cardiologist on Oct 28th to do more heart tests including an echocardiogram. But these swellings are very concerning symptoms on top of everything else and I'm not sure what to do. Going to the ER won't help me because they can't do anymore tests then what I've had two times already. my blood work is fine.chest xrays are fine. so I can't just keep going back and spending crazy money to get the same tests and no answers. I am obviously very scared and concerned and I don't think I can wait for 3-4 weeks to see these other doctors as my symptoms are really concerning.
Do I have any options here or just wait for my apps and pray nothing happens to me?
Brief Answer:
Your symptoms don't seem to be related to any cardiac disorders.
Detailed Answer:
Hello !
Thank you for asking on HCM!
I read your question carefully and understand your concern.
I would like to know the tests results that you have performed in the ER. Could you upload them for me to review?
Your symptoms don't seem to be related to a cardiac cause.
Sharp chest pain, which is exacerbated by breathing indicates an extra-cardiac cause (musculo skeletal pain, pleuritis, costochondritis, etc).
If it were a lung problem, the CT scan would have detected it. So a lung disorder could be excluded.
The neck tightness and the thigh stiffness seem to be related to musculoskeletal issues.
Do you notice that your right thigh is more swollen than the left one, when you compare them both or just have this feeling when you touch them.
Anxiety could also mimic all this clinical scenario (chest pain, muscular painful contractions, nausea, cold hands, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, etc).
A thyroid dysfunction could not be excluded too. It can trigger anxiety, palpitations, dizziness, cold hands, muscular spasms, etc.
From the other hand the pain between the shoulder blades and nausea, could also be related to esophageal spasms or gastroesophageal reflux.
I recommend consulting with your GP for a careful physical examination and some blood lab tests, besides complete blood count :
- PCR, sedimentation rate (for inflammation)
- fasting glucose
- blood electrolytes
- thyroid hormone levels (thyroid gland function)
- cortisol plasma levels (adrenal gland function)
- kidney and liver function tests.
A cervico-thoraxic column x ray would be necessary to exclude possible disorders (a slipped disk) which could cause some of your symptoms (chest and neck pain).
A fibrogastroscopy should be done if suspicions for a gastro esophageal disorder are raised during physical examination.
If all the above tests result normal, the main cause of your symptomatology would be just pure anxiety.
In such case, you should consult with a specialist of this field to help you manage your anxiety.
Hope to have been helpful!
Feel free to ask any other questions, whenever you need!
Best regards,
Dr. Iliri
Your symptoms don't seem to be related to any cardiac disorders.
Detailed Answer:
Hello !
Thank you for asking on HCM!
I read your question carefully and understand your concern.
I would like to know the tests results that you have performed in the ER. Could you upload them for me to review?
Your symptoms don't seem to be related to a cardiac cause.
Sharp chest pain, which is exacerbated by breathing indicates an extra-cardiac cause (musculo skeletal pain, pleuritis, costochondritis, etc).
If it were a lung problem, the CT scan would have detected it. So a lung disorder could be excluded.
The neck tightness and the thigh stiffness seem to be related to musculoskeletal issues.
Do you notice that your right thigh is more swollen than the left one, when you compare them both or just have this feeling when you touch them.
Anxiety could also mimic all this clinical scenario (chest pain, muscular painful contractions, nausea, cold hands, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, etc).
A thyroid dysfunction could not be excluded too. It can trigger anxiety, palpitations, dizziness, cold hands, muscular spasms, etc.
From the other hand the pain between the shoulder blades and nausea, could also be related to esophageal spasms or gastroesophageal reflux.
I recommend consulting with your GP for a careful physical examination and some blood lab tests, besides complete blood count :
- PCR, sedimentation rate (for inflammation)
- fasting glucose
- blood electrolytes
- thyroid hormone levels (thyroid gland function)
- cortisol plasma levels (adrenal gland function)
- kidney and liver function tests.
A cervico-thoraxic column x ray would be necessary to exclude possible disorders (a slipped disk) which could cause some of your symptoms (chest and neck pain).
A fibrogastroscopy should be done if suspicions for a gastro esophageal disorder are raised during physical examination.
If all the above tests result normal, the main cause of your symptomatology would be just pure anxiety.
In such case, you should consult with a specialist of this field to help you manage your anxiety.
Hope to have been helpful!
Feel free to ask any other questions, whenever you need!
Best regards,
Dr. Iliri
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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