what kind of chest pain have you all experienced?

[chrisc]

just curious..

the symptoms i experience are what originally lead me back to the doctors. i occasionally experience a strong beating hearts (palpatations) and have a consistent pain/burning behind the sternum (and at times a stabbing pain under the left nipple of chest area). this pain, while quite cionsistent (almost all day everyday) can change in intensity but does not really seem to be tied to pulse rate.

for example i'll have the pain most all the time, but when driving, sitting, bending, crouching, etc it can change in intensity. i'll go jogging (like i did the other night) for 2-3 miles and get a pulse rate into the mid 160's or beyond but there is not an increase in intensity of pain/buring. i've tried muscle relaxants, pain killers, antacids, etc (of course all under the guidance of the doctors). had MRI/CT, echo, etc... i'm like out of tests here (and doctors to see as i have been to gastro, cardio, neuro)...

the demotivating part of this is i have only been told two possible things from the doctors i have seen:

*we have no idea and it is not your heart so just live your life (take cymbalta if you we think it is anxiety) and go live your life
*4.2cm aortic root is big, could have a small tear in the inner most layer (dissection) that we won't see with imaging (don't do anything that could stress aorta)

ugh, all i really want to find is the cause of this pain and really confirm it is NOT heart/aorta related. it seem most are asymptomatic so the pain is likely not cardiovasular in nature but experiences are welcomed and appreciated. is it true pain/buring could be a tiny tear and they would never see without surgery? how long would a tiny tear even last? if a doctor really though i had a tiny tear in the aorta would they just send me home?

tia, chris

 

[ElectLive]

No chest pain here that I was aware of. I was occasionally convinced I had some after I found out about the aneurysm, but I doubt it. Yes, about half of those with aneurysms are asymptomatic, but there is the other half that do have some symptoms. Cleveland Clinic lists: pain in the jaw, neck, and upper back, chest or back pain, and coughing, hoarseness, or difficulty breathing.

Am I remembering correctly that your CT did not have contrast? Was there a reason? CT accuracy with contrast in detecting flaps, tears, dissection, etc is supposed to be superb (above 95% or so). I doubt (and hope) that they would send you home with a tiny "tear" unless their definition of "tiny" is so small as to be undetectable and not any immediate threat for further deterioration.

So sorry to hear this...sure hope you get some better answers.

 

[chrisc]

my own anxiety at the time. unfortunate, but i was mentally a mess at the time the CT scan was written and didn't do the contrast as told to. now i am dealing with having less information.... at the time i had a cardiologist who was in and out and i am a patient that needs to understand as much as possible to be comfortable...

the CT was in feb of 2012 so i likely won't be having another anytime soon...

i am very aggravated at myself for declining the contrast but at this point i don't know what to do to get the information i need... i really need a rewind button for life sometimes...