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Chest Tightness, Irregular Heartbeats, Coldness In Chest, Out Of Breath, Have Hypopituitarism, Hypothyroidism & Gingivitis
Question: I am a 29-year-old female with hypopituitarism and hypothyroidism. I have not been taking my thyroid medicine regularly. I recently went on a very strenuous hike (which I am not used to) and my breathing was very labored.. panting a lot, out of breath. A day or two after, I had finished eating dinner when I felt what seemed like two heart attacks... very scary. I went to the ER but they couldn't find anything wrong with my heart and diagnosed it as atypical chest pain.
For nearly a week, I was experiencing chest tightness, painful spasms in my chest, and what felt like irregular heartbeats. I felt kind of a cold feeling in my chest and my throat felt wrinkly (like a sore throat was coming on.) Now, the spasms have mostly gone away (but not 100%) and I have a dull pain in my left breast -- it feels like my lymph nodes are swollen in one area near my left armpit. I also have a weird feeling in my heart like there is something wrong with my heart. I feel like I am going to die any second of a heart attack or some problem with my heart.
My BMI is about 26.5. I recently gave up my car and have been walking everywhere, so that is a big change for me. Also, my doctor told me to take birth control pills for 2 months (once every six months) to flush out my system. I was supposed to start in September and just started taking them yesterday (November 13.) I don't know if that has anything to do with it.
I have gingivitis and I am reading that this can cause heart disease through bacteria entering the bloodstream.
I am wondering if this could be breast cancer or some heart problem that the ER couldn't detect... or something else. Maybe a vitamin deficiency? I spoke to a friend who thought it could be esophageal spasms, but I don't know. Please help!
For nearly a week, I was experiencing chest tightness, painful spasms in my chest, and what felt like irregular heartbeats. I felt kind of a cold feeling in my chest and my throat felt wrinkly (like a sore throat was coming on.) Now, the spasms have mostly gone away (but not 100%) and I have a dull pain in my left breast -- it feels like my lymph nodes are swollen in one area near my left armpit. I also have a weird feeling in my heart like there is something wrong with my heart. I feel like I am going to die any second of a heart attack or some problem with my heart.
My BMI is about 26.5. I recently gave up my car and have been walking everywhere, so that is a big change for me. Also, my doctor told me to take birth control pills for 2 months (once every six months) to flush out my system. I was supposed to start in September and just started taking them yesterday (November 13.) I don't know if that has anything to do with it.
I have gingivitis and I am reading that this can cause heart disease through bacteria entering the bloodstream.
I am wondering if this could be breast cancer or some heart problem that the ER couldn't detect... or something else. Maybe a vitamin deficiency? I spoke to a friend who thought it could be esophageal spasms, but I don't know. Please help!
Hello XXXXXXX
Thanks for posting your query.
I can understand your concern for these symptoms but cardiac disease is less likely to occur in young women and premenopausal women. It is very unlikely for this kind of pain to be due to a heart condition. However to erase any doubts, you can get an EKG heart done. It does not look like a breast cancer which is unlikely at your age.
This pain and chest tightness can be due to the following reasons:
1) Side effect of birth control pills which you have recently started taking. Birth control pills can cause chest pain, abdominal pain and severe headaches. You can shift to condoms for the time being and observe if there is any relief in the symptoms.
2) Costochondritis
3) Fibrocystic breast disease
4) Last possibility although less likely is of esophageal spasm which causes non cardiac chest pain. Manometry studies and an upper GI endoscopy can confirm the diagnosis.
Costochondritis is an inflammation of the joints in your chest. The diagnosis can only be reached after excluding more serious causes of chest pain that are related to the heart and lungs and there is no specific test for this.
But people have reported improvement after applying warm compresses and taking anti-inflammatory-drugs/0000" >non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs. Even they help a lot in fibrocystic disease.
I suggest you to get the above mentioned tests done from your Physician and get prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs.
Hope this answers your query.
If you have additional questions or follow up queries then please do not hesitate in writing to us. I will be happy to answer your queries.
Wishing you good health.
Thanks for posting your query.
I can understand your concern for these symptoms but cardiac disease is less likely to occur in young women and premenopausal women. It is very unlikely for this kind of pain to be due to a heart condition. However to erase any doubts, you can get an EKG heart done. It does not look like a breast cancer which is unlikely at your age.
This pain and chest tightness can be due to the following reasons:
1) Side effect of birth control pills which you have recently started taking. Birth control pills can cause chest pain, abdominal pain and severe headaches. You can shift to condoms for the time being and observe if there is any relief in the symptoms.
2) Costochondritis
3) Fibrocystic breast disease
4) Last possibility although less likely is of esophageal spasm which causes non cardiac chest pain. Manometry studies and an upper GI endoscopy can confirm the diagnosis.
Costochondritis is an inflammation of the joints in your chest. The diagnosis can only be reached after excluding more serious causes of chest pain that are related to the heart and lungs and there is no specific test for this.
But people have reported improvement after applying warm compresses and taking anti-inflammatory-drugs/0000" >non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs. Even they help a lot in fibrocystic disease.
I suggest you to get the above mentioned tests done from your Physician and get prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs.
Hope this answers your query.
If you have additional questions or follow up queries then please do not hesitate in writing to us. I will be happy to answer your queries.
Wishing you good health.
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Shanthi.E
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