Shoulder blade, arm pain. Right hand side. Omg

[Knackeredhamster]

Preface this by saying I have fibromyalgia so any pain can be really heightened.

Last week I got a sudden pain in my shoulder blade, down my back nearest to outside of ribs. I was just sitting watching TV.
It was really draggy, I was a little taken aback by it and it's not a usual pain for me. Lasted about an hour.

Not a chest thing, I was alarmed a bit because of early angina in parent, grandparents. (Plus I've very recently lost my mum so I'm hyper reactive to illness)It just came so suddenly. No shortness of breath or crushing pain, but constant.

Yesterday it started up again. All down my arm, shoulder blade. Deep pain. I can move my shoulder and arm into any position so I can't say that anything feels trapped iyswim.

It kept me awake last night.

I know, I know noone can diagnose me.

I'll give it till Monday and ring GP. I'm on naproxen and omeprazole as of first thing this morning after speaking to the boots pharmacist Plus paracetamol.

Not something right now given no chest pains I'd go to a & e for. Plus it's a one hour drive to nearest hospital. I live in rural Devon.

Bursitis, rotator cuff, nerve pain. Not sure.
I've had costachondritis in the past, that was definitely chesty.

Just wanted any thoughts on experience of such a pain.

Meds have eased it a bit thru the day.

Looking forward to finding (not)! a comfy sleeping position tonight.

Might be a Frozen shoulder.

Worst pain of my life and I had three ginormous babies. I hope for your sake it's not.

I had something similar that turned out to be linked to a disc issue in my neck. So painful I could barely move. It could be lots of things and you really do need to be a bit wary of it. Do you have a walk in or anything you could access tomorrow? Assuming not given you said rural.

Yes I've googled frozen shoulder and that seems to have stages. Lasts for months?
What was your experience of it?

That sounds viable in my case, how did they find that?

What sort of pain did you have?

Yes I'm sort of wary and it's tricky when there really isn't anything like a walk in.

There is a service called Devon Doctors which I think 111 can put you thru to.

Then they'd probably tell you to go to a&e.
I'll probably see how I am in the morning.

Just helps to hear about others experience so thankyou

This could be referred pain you may have issues with your stomach particularly your gallbladder. I had pain on and off it right shoulder/arm for months getting worse and worse ended up being rushed to hospital in an ambulance

I get this often OP. Not so much the arm pain but the shoulder blade and the pain travelling up and/or down. It's excruciating and can keep me up at night too.

I think mine is muscular though as massage helps. I go for one every second month roughly and I sometimes get dh to press it in and that relieves it!

Mind is on my right side too

Any chance you are pregnant? Could be referred pain if ectopic pregnancy or cholecystitis ( inflamed gallbladder) . Probably needs checking out .

Angina can often present as arm/ shoulder/ neck pain (especially in women) rather than chest pain. If you have any kind of family history of cardiac problems then I'd get this checked out urgently (and even without a history, I'd still get yourself seen to have this ruled out asap.)

Doesn't sound like frozen shoulder op - it usually comes on very gradually with an increased reduction to range of movement. Pain (for me at least) mostly in the outside edge of the shoulder and within the joint. Excruciating beyond childbirth and I'm still not ok after 2 years. Deffo not eased by naproxen (or any of the concoction of meds I was prescribed up to and including morphine).

What side of your body is it? I'd be worried about trapped nerve pain, and remember heart attacks present very differently in women. Tbh I'd be running 111 at the very least.

It's the right hand side.

Mid 50s, not pregnant.

Yes I read how heart stuff can present differently in women.

Gallbladder referred pain etc...

I'll have to seriously think what to do.

Not wanting to panic tho. I can't cope with the stress. I had a major life threatening incident a few yrs ago so my reluctance and over reactions aren't well balanced iyswim

Frozen shoulder sounds horrendous.

My gallbladder used to hurt exactly like that.

Really.
How many episodes did you have.
Are you better?

My gallbladder pain is like that. Shoulder, back, chest area and up into jaw. All on the right hand side.

Quite a lot, it stopped when I had my gallbladder removed and I'm fine now. I had it out 10 years ago now but I was having that pain 2-3 times a week for 5 years before the operation.

I currently have frozen shoulder and it's come on over a period of 5 months so I don't think it'll be that 😩

Knackered

I don't think it's a panic (is it's not a 999 call) but I think it's a visit to your gp tomorrow to describe symptoms again and to say you are concerned about your family cardiac history so would like a referral to cardiac to check it isn't angina and would also like them to test to rule out gall bladder issues. They may give you a GTN spray if they think angina is a possibility. If your symptoms improve with gtn there's a good chance it's angina (which can be as diagnostic as anything apart from an angiogram (or ct angiogram if your health board is generous or you go private.))
Cardiac issues and gall bladder issues are quite easily dealt with and treated if caught early so if you have health anxiety, you can tell yourself that you are making things easier by having it checked out now rather than waiting for things to potentially worsen where the early interventions might not be as available.
Hope you get on ok- keep us posted?

Another vote for gallstones/gallbladder related issues. Mine presents in exactly th same.way and I've had them for over 18 months now. Get yourself in a hot bath. The hottest bath you can stand to be in and have a long soak. This is the only thing that gives me any relief. The fact it's in your right side too is a huge away for gallbladder imo. Obvs I'm not a doctor but speaking from experience.

It sounds a bit similar to the sharp pain I had in my left side with a pulmonary embolism - get a d-dimer done with the bloods and if it is high don't get discharged until they find where the clot is. I had a horrid week where they discharged me with costachondritis only to be back in a week later in severe pain. Luckily the female doctor ordered the CT the specialist had advised the week before and they found a large clot on my lung. I really do think they need to re-teach a lot about cardio-vascular in women, as it was so scary knowing I had a clot, being sent home and not having any support for the fact I couldn't breathe! I really thought I was dying going back in and was terrified I'd get the same Trust Grade Dr telling me effectively it was all in my head. Don't be afraid to keep asking and don't get fobbed off with a discharge if you've got a high D-dimer.

Referred pain from gastritis (which I assume you have as you are on omeprazole).

I can't reply individually nd I'm useless at quoting things of more than one poster but I will definitely ring the surgery in the morning.

Gastric thing, I only began the otc version of omeprazole yesterday. This problem felt like this couple of weeks ago when it came from out of the blue too.

I'll see if I can speak to a GP, hopefully the receptionist will be helpful.
I could go up there actually that might be better?

X thankyou everyone

Did you get it sorted OP?

Thanks for asking after me.
Spoke to GP who put me on naproxen and who was actually very kindly. Not convinced it was heart, gallbladder. He asked a ton of questions so I had to be content with that advice.
I saw a physio for initial chat later last week who is Convinced it's a disc in my neck causing pinch nerves?

More naproxen and it's definitely helping.
I really haven't had that type of pain b4, and for so long and for now I'm going with that being the problem.
There's no cause for other concerns although it does rattle you a bit hearing other experiences of posters.

I'm waiting for physio dept to get in touch.

Thanks all.