Ongoing centre chest pains, breathleness, upper back pain, been to A&E 3 times in 1 month

[Bighugs88]

Hi 👋
I have spoken to my gp for medical advice. I am just hoping for reassurance, support and if anyone else has or is going through the same thing. I will try to keep this short but a lot has been going on.

Background: 33 yrs female, no high bp, normal cholesterol levels, never smoked, never taken recreational drugs, bmi of 20, active and work part-time as a Midday Assistant. No previous or known heart conditions. Both parents are in their 60s and high high bp, high cholesterol and are on medication (blood thinners). My mum recently has been suffering from breathlessness and chest pain so is under going tests through the NHS relating to Angina.

So from Feb to April I had random pain in my upper left arm which went after a week, then randomly I had a sharp pain right in the centre where my heart is and this pain travelled across my right chest to my shoulder. I couldn't move and had to sit down then after 4 mins the pain went and I was completely fine. This then happened again numerous times after 3 weeks gap. I only started to take this as a serious health concern when on 30/5/2022 in the evening the pain happened again, terrified in quickly went to local A&E they did an ecg which was normal and then said I could go home and a doctor will call u tomorrow. I didn't ask for further testing as I felt fine, but on the same day at night when I was sleeping 10:45pm I wanted to turn and then then pain started again but this time my right shoulder up to my elbow was hurting. Went back to A&E in the car as the ambulance didn't come. They kept me in and did ecg, chest x ray & blood test for inflammation, viruses & tropnin, the results all came back fine. The doctor was surprised I was having these pains since Feb, said it might be costochondritis eventhough my ribs and sternum were not tender or sore. Since 31/5/2022 I have been having continuous dull ache in the centre of my chest (feels like my heart is injured or bruised 😞) I get random sharp chest pains for a few seconds on my left and right side. Having fluttering of the heart which feels like in my throat, breathlessness & upper back pain. When breathing in or laughing my chest hurts at the centre. I was back in A&E 2 days ago and again chest x ray is clear (no inflammation & no swelling of heart), blood tests normal, ecg fine. The doctor tested for blood clotting, haemoglobin & d dimer for clotting all the results are fine so ruled out anaemia & doesn't think clot in lungs.

My anxiety levels have been really high, thinking the worse that I am having an impending heart attack, swelling of heart, blood clot in lungs . I have a 5 years old daughter who has autism and she is my world. Due to hig levels of anxiety I have loss my appetite and have now a sensation that there is a lump in my food pipe and finding it hard to swallow.

My gp finally has referred me to a cardiologist as the rapid access chest clinic do not take female patients under 40 yrs if there is any abnormal result (high bp, abnormal test results from A&E). She has referred me for 24 has ecg and also an ultrasound scan of my abdomen to rule out problems with gall bladder. This might take weeks, but the doctor said if I feel very unwell or unable to keep down liquids then I need to go back to A&E.
I am just so worried that I am going to drop dead, that there is something seriously wrong with my heart. Even typing this now I am getting weird palpitations. Seriously I am not disregarding pain, but if the pain was somewhere else I wouldn't be so worried but as it is my chest area right in the centre I am thinking the worst is going to happen even though 2 different doctors at A&E have reassured me there is no instant danger. Please anyone there for support

You are scared you are ill and the anxiety is causing symptoms which you interpret as illness.

All the phoning, tests and monitoring yourself isn't helpful. You have even directly called the people doing the ecg tests and they told you it isn't an urgent referral. That's a great thing because it means the drs haven't found any reason to believe you are ill.

The baseline known as an isoelectric line is absolutely fine. When interpreting an ECG we look for deviations from the baseline. The line itself can wander due to breathing and muscle movement, known as artifact.

I agree with PP, you need to manage your anxiety. You don't have cardiac pain or a cardiac arrhythmia, but are making yourself unwell by worrying.

Be as healthy as you can, eat well, exercise, stop smoking if you need to, go out with friends and look after your mental health.

Hi everyone
Just an update I will be getting the 24hr ecg monitor (gp requested) this Friday 15th, the cardiology referral has come for 26 sept appointment
And I have the abdominal and pelvic ultrasound on 23/7/2022. Have a nice evening everyone x

Hope you get some answers soon OP.

Been to A&E yesterday felt really nauseous, hardly could eat and heart was jumping all day. But ecg came normal while in hospital. But have horrendous abdominal pain. A &E doctor said to stop taking lansoprazole if it's not helping. When I was lying down she pressed on my abdomen it was hurting but she noticed the pain is travelling around middle, around belly button and middle left and right, but already have abdominal ultrasound scan booked on Saturday so they didn't do anything in emergency. When I came home my heart was fluttering so much. I feel really uncomfortable around my abdomen and feel really sick. I am taking gaviscon but it's not helping. They are asking me to wait for 24 hr ecg results from gp, but I gave back the monitor on Monday so will take around 2 weeks. I don't know what to do as with paracetamol the pain in the abdomen keeps coming back and has gotten worse whereby I am unable to eat. Stools and urine are fine no change in pattern. What shall I do? I feel really unwell

Just woke up at 5.00pm felt really nauseous and passes my bowels but are very loose. This has been happening for the past 4 days, I am going once a day but the stools are very loose and I have been very unwell and nauseous. Doctor when pressing my abdomen had notice pain around whole of my middle abdomen. Also muscles around the body especially legs have been twitching/spasming a lot

I wonder if the stomach pain and the palpitations are unconnected. Re the palpitations has anyone checked your b12, foliate and iron levels? Anemia can cause me heart flutters and breathlessness. As for the stomach issues , you probably need to see a gastroenteritis. Gp can do the bloods to check for anemia.

My haemoglobin and thyroid tests were done last week at A&E the results were normal. My vitamin b12, ferrtin and vitamin D were tested yesterday and will take 24hrs to get the results at outpatients. So will be calling the hospital day. 2 doctors at ambulatory care at A&E said I am not anaemic.

Probably feeling unwell for so long has caused my body to twitch and spasm a lot, as palpitations have been going on for 6 weeks and recent bad nausea for the past 1 week with abdomen pain and tenderness

Vomiting now on empty stomach

If I continue to vomit I will call 111

Aware this is an old thread
OP I was in your boat this time last year my symptoms were slightly different
doctors will not take your seriously at all if you’re a female. The amount of times I was told it was anxiety or just costochondritis is unreal. Push for a CT, and the other ecgs. What you’re experiencing isn’t normal.

another thing to note is that many abdominal issues such as appendicitis can appear as chest pain

Do you know if your wbc is normal? This will indicate if you have any infection

Sorry to hear you're unwell OP. If it makes you feel better, I've had almost identical symptoms not that long ago. I have always had ectopic heartbeats, which run in my family and have been checked out and told they're harmless. I'm not a doctor, but if your pain gets worse when you move then could you have injured a muscle?

When I went to A&E with similar pain, they ran all the tests and said it was muscular. I then remembered that I'd been carrying bags that were much too heavy the day before- the pain was excruciating and covered my whole shoulder and that side of my chest. The X-ray also showed damage that would be consistent with a recent Covid infection, which explained why I had been feeling so breathless and rough. Have you had it recently?

If you're feeling anxious, that can make all these symptoms feel worse. I get that 'lump in the throat' feeling when I'm very stressed- it's like a golf ball in there. I also tense my shoulders without realising, which makes me feel sore around that area. I know how scary chest symptoms can be, but it does sound like trying to reduce your anxiety might help.

WbC have been checked when I went to A&E in June and different doctors said your inflammatory markers are low. Chest x rays are fine. Blood tests for infection were done 3 times

I am trying to reduce my anxiety and telling myself it's ok, breathing exercises and keeping myself busy, but symptoms have got worse in 1 week. Have do I request for ct scan. In A&E they keep sending me home and saying wait for ultrasound scan on Saturday. I don't know if gp will request for ct scan and if they do it most likely be non urgent.

Chest X-rays won’t show anything really and are pointless. Allergies can also show up with these symptoms. Is there anything that worsens it?

Nothing that I can think off. Palpitations throughout the day, constantly being nauseous and feel unwell. I am getting very relentless if I am lett alone with my daughter. What was your diagnosis if you don't mind? How are u doing now?

August last year I got extremely ill and it was potentially covid. I wasn’t tested but my son, who had the same cough but not as bad, was negative. 2 weeks after I started getting the chest pains and palpitations, doctors didn’t take it serious till they did the d dimer test and my results were through the roof. Scans showed I had a pulmonary embolism. But you have been tested for that so it can’t be that. Anyway, my story doesn’t stop there because ever since then I have been getting chest pain all the time similar to yours as well as palpitations and feeling breathless. They say it’s costochondritis which it obviously isn’t as that only lasts a couple months and it’s not the place I’m having pain. Then they say it’s anemia but my levels are fine. Then some doctors say it’s anxiety / post traumatic stress from the PE. I have a family history of heart problems. Have you had an abdominal check over where they touch your stomach etc? Have you had cardiac enzyme tests?

I was like this when I was anaemic ended up in a&e and they did a ecg which showed my heart rhythm to be abnormal and a few weeks of iron and folic acid sorted the problem out.

Sorry didn't read the bit where they ruled out you being anaemic did they run blood tests also low b12 can cause similar symptoms

Gosh you sound really unwell now. I'm baffled if it's not stomach related. Back to the hospital I guess

My D dimer test and clotting profile was done done in June when the palpitations started the A&E doctor said all results are fine very low chance of blood clots that's why they didn't do ct scan chest. However,yesterday when the doctor was pressing on my abdomen I was flinching when she was touching my middle part above and around belly button and the pain was radiating everywhere not one side. The twitching muscles everywhere could be anxiety then I did ask her if there is any medication I could take to help with that she said she said it's best to rule out any issues first but all my appointments are non urgent.
Vitamin b12 results and for ferrtin I will find out today when I call in the afternoon. I have booked an appointment now with my gp they will call after 9am.

God I'm so sorry you're still so unwell

Heart palpitations, muscle spasms, stomach problems and vomiting. I would possibly ask if could be a central nervous system issue ????