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What Causes Pain And Numbness In Chest And Left Arm?
Question:
Hi I have chest pain left arm pain/numbness and a very odd sensation like bubbling tingly from shoulder blade down my arm I have left sided jaw pain and neck and shoulder pain
It is like a severe squeezing pain
I've had an echo and a cardiac ct scan and drs say heart is fine but can't say what it is I have severe palpitations very regularly and I sweat/feel sick and dizzy and suffer migraines regularly
I have had a spine and neck mri which was clear
I am incredibly fatigued regularly too
I am worried it is heart related my mum had a 95% blockage which did not show up on an ecg echo or heart ct scan it was only until she had to have an angiogram that they found it and she passed as it was too late
She went for months in and out of a and e with all similiar symptoms to me but they kept sending her home saying it wasn't her heart
I had an endoscopy which showed Minor gastritis
I've had chest x rays that are clear
I've had brain spine and neck mri which are clear
I also get a squeezing pain across my left wrist and upper part if my arm and in the centre between my shoulder blades
It isn't continues it comes and goes in waves but it is severe squeezing pain and my chest feels like it's in a vice all the way around front and back
It makes no difference if I take a deep breath
It's every single day and the drs tell me it's nothing but it must be something
Some days I can't move I'm in that much pain and I feel sick to my stomach and covered in sweat
I am a nurse myself and I do feel something has been missed and it is heart related
Hi I have chest pain left arm pain/numbness and a very odd sensation like bubbling tingly from shoulder blade down my arm I have left sided jaw pain and neck and shoulder pain
It is like a severe squeezing pain
I've had an echo and a cardiac ct scan and drs say heart is fine but can't say what it is I have severe palpitations very regularly and I sweat/feel sick and dizzy and suffer migraines regularly
I have had a spine and neck mri which was clear
I am incredibly fatigued regularly too
I am worried it is heart related my mum had a 95% blockage which did not show up on an ecg echo or heart ct scan it was only until she had to have an angiogram that they found it and she passed as it was too late
She went for months in and out of a and e with all similiar symptoms to me but they kept sending her home saying it wasn't her heart
I had an endoscopy which showed Minor gastritis
I've had chest x rays that are clear
I've had brain spine and neck mri which are clear
I also get a squeezing pain across my left wrist and upper part if my arm and in the centre between my shoulder blades
It isn't continues it comes and goes in waves but it is severe squeezing pain and my chest feels like it's in a vice all the way around front and back
It makes no difference if I take a deep breath
It's every single day and the drs tell me it's nothing but it must be something
Some days I can't move I'm in that much pain and I feel sick to my stomach and covered in sweat
I am a nurse myself and I do feel something has been missed and it is heart related
Brief Answer:
i would need some info
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome to Health Care Magic.
I am Dr.Muhammad Ahmad, I have read your question in detail, I understand your concern and will try to help you in the best possible way.
In order to help you better , I would like you to give me some more information,
I will here by ask you some relevant questions to fill up the information gap.
1) what kind of work do u do ?
2) do u hv pain back of neck and left arm?
3) does it change in intensiyty when you move arm?
4) does this pain star with exertion or it srts any time?
5) soes it get piercing too? like currents running?
6) any hx if anxiety?
7) underwent ETT
Waiting for your input
Regards.
Dr.Muhammad Ahmad.
M.B.B.S ( Licensed Family practitioner)
Resident M.D. cardiology
i would need some info
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome to Health Care Magic.
I am Dr.Muhammad Ahmad, I have read your question in detail, I understand your concern and will try to help you in the best possible way.
In order to help you better , I would like you to give me some more information,
I will here by ask you some relevant questions to fill up the information gap.
1) what kind of work do u do ?
2) do u hv pain back of neck and left arm?
3) does it change in intensiyty when you move arm?
4) does this pain star with exertion or it srts any time?
5) soes it get piercing too? like currents running?
6) any hx if anxiety?
7) underwent ETT
Waiting for your input
Regards.
Dr.Muhammad Ahmad.
M.B.B.S ( Licensed Family practitioner)
Resident M.D. cardiology
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I don't work I have fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis and lupus I cannot be walk far lift my arms and my fingers curl in
Yeah I have pain on the back of my neck it feels like an itchy pain not the outside skin is itchy but the inside is itchy
No change with movement if arm
It starts any time and hurts during exhortation and at rest
No it doesn't get piercing it's more like a squeezing then it can be an achy throb
I am very composed and often feel I don't have anxiety but I must admit I am very frightened and have anxieties over this situation
I have not had an EET
Hope this gives you more of an idea
Yeah I have pain on the back of my neck it feels like an itchy pain not the outside skin is itchy but the inside is itchy
No change with movement if arm
It starts any time and hurts during exhortation and at rest
No it doesn't get piercing it's more like a squeezing then it can be an achy throb
I am very composed and often feel I don't have anxiety but I must admit I am very frightened and have anxieties over this situation
I have not had an EET
Hope this gives you more of an idea
Brief Answer:
Here is something about heart issues.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for writing back,
I am sorry for delayed response, I had some unforseen connectivity issues at my side , wanted to come up with a detailed response so waited for resolution of
connectivity issues instead of a short answer from XXXXXXX
I hope you had a great weekend ,
It's good to know that you are a health professional too, it will make it easy for you to understand the issues.
First i will tell you characters of cardiac pain , though I suppose you must be knowing them already but still here is a summary.
1) It is mostly dull ,aching, compressional pain, mostly in centre of chest behind sternum.
2) It may be referred to left shoulder cneck or jaw.
3) It may cause sold sweats but sometimes if there is pain , evenm anxiety can cause sweating.
4) It usually starts at exertion and goes at rest.
5) It is not piercing and you can not pinpount it as one place.
6) Doesn't change in intensity by breathing or changing body positions.
7)Usually gets relieved by sublingual nitroglycerine.
8) Is not relieved by antacids.
Now comming to your symptoms.
Your symptoms can not be said that they are caused alone, they are caused by multiple factors.
Your arm and wrist pain can be due to fibro myalgia or neuromuscular pain which is causing pain behind neck and wrist pain.
You chest pain seems more likely that it is caused by gastritis.
I am sorry to know what happened in case of your mother, I want to assure you that CT angiography is very acurate ...as acurate as coronary angio. It's negative
predictiive value is 99% if there is no human error in interprettation. According to very precise researches a difference of only 2-3% may occur.
I would like you to read through this.
http://www.auntminnieeurope.com/index.aspx?sec=ser&sub=def&pag=dis&ItemID=605101
Being from medical profession you must also be knowing that it's quite rare to have cardiac issues in your age , pain can be due to stomach which seems very likely in
light of your history description and investigation results
Sweating and palpitations are very common in anxiety , you are much anxious about this problem so you might well be having all these symptoms because of this anxiety.
I would suggest you not to use much of pain killers they affect stomach if you got to use them try COX-2 selective or gastro protective ones and as you have been alreayd suggested in an answer,
I would also suggest similar patients in my clinic
Pentopraole with prokinetic, they can even add zantac in night and take pentoprazole in morning that really help.
Anxiety also makes gastritis bad, thats why there is a term we use, GASTRIC ULCERS, they are caused by stress,
So i would advise you to stay calm and don't worry about heart issues at XXXXXXX you can ask your doctor to get your Exercise tolerance test done,
though it is not required after CT angio but still if that calms you down.
I wish you the best of health.
Regards.
Dr.Muhammad Ahmad.
M.B.B.S
Licensed Family Physician.
Resident Cardiology.
Here is something about heart issues.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for writing back,
I am sorry for delayed response, I had some unforseen connectivity issues at my side , wanted to come up with a detailed response so waited for resolution of
connectivity issues instead of a short answer from XXXXXXX
I hope you had a great weekend ,
It's good to know that you are a health professional too, it will make it easy for you to understand the issues.
First i will tell you characters of cardiac pain , though I suppose you must be knowing them already but still here is a summary.
1) It is mostly dull ,aching, compressional pain, mostly in centre of chest behind sternum.
2) It may be referred to left shoulder cneck or jaw.
3) It may cause sold sweats but sometimes if there is pain , evenm anxiety can cause sweating.
4) It usually starts at exertion and goes at rest.
5) It is not piercing and you can not pinpount it as one place.
6) Doesn't change in intensity by breathing or changing body positions.
7)Usually gets relieved by sublingual nitroglycerine.
8) Is not relieved by antacids.
Now comming to your symptoms.
Your symptoms can not be said that they are caused alone, they are caused by multiple factors.
Your arm and wrist pain can be due to fibro myalgia or neuromuscular pain which is causing pain behind neck and wrist pain.
You chest pain seems more likely that it is caused by gastritis.
I am sorry to know what happened in case of your mother, I want to assure you that CT angiography is very acurate ...as acurate as coronary angio. It's negative
predictiive value is 99% if there is no human error in interprettation. According to very precise researches a difference of only 2-3% may occur.
I would like you to read through this.
http://www.auntminnieeurope.com/index.aspx?sec=ser&sub=def&pag=dis&ItemID=605101
Being from medical profession you must also be knowing that it's quite rare to have cardiac issues in your age , pain can be due to stomach which seems very likely in
light of your history description and investigation results
Sweating and palpitations are very common in anxiety , you are much anxious about this problem so you might well be having all these symptoms because of this anxiety.
I would suggest you not to use much of pain killers they affect stomach if you got to use them try COX-2 selective or gastro protective ones and as you have been alreayd suggested in an answer,
I would also suggest similar patients in my clinic
Pentopraole with prokinetic, they can even add zantac in night and take pentoprazole in morning that really help.
Anxiety also makes gastritis bad, thats why there is a term we use, GASTRIC ULCERS, they are caused by stress,
So i would advise you to stay calm and don't worry about heart issues at XXXXXXX you can ask your doctor to get your Exercise tolerance test done,
though it is not required after CT angio but still if that calms you down.
I wish you the best of health.
Regards.
Dr.Muhammad Ahmad.
M.B.B.S
Licensed Family Physician.
Resident Cardiology.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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