Chest pain

[Sandra]

Hi everyone, wishing you all the best. I have an issue that is a bit of a pain, it's chest pain. I have been pretty lucky for the past few months re pain, fibro or sjs.....I started back on my amitriptyline 10mg at bedtime...it had been working pretty good to handle the muscle pain and stiffness which in turn helps with the fatigue....but this past month or so has been trying, almost lost my mom in Dec, she is home now doing great thankfully but she was in hospitl for a month. So lots of trips to be with her and see that she was getting good care. It did cause some extra fatigue. But then about a week or so ago my friend asked me to help her make table arrangements for her mom's 75th birthday celebration, which was great and fun , I was/am a florist in a past life....There were 10 in all and it seemed to really fatigue my neck, you know the chin to chest thing/looking down for a couple days. Boy I have been trying to get the kink out of my neck since and sometimes the pain is undescribable as it radiates up into the base of my head and the headache that brings  then there is the jaw clinching and eye and face pain, I ended up after taking 2 tylenol 3's at about 9:30pm which didn't help much going into the ER at about 2pm...terrible pain, so much I felt nauseated. I was given a shot of demerol and gravol and sent home with muscle relaxers. At least I slept, I've been in bed all day and although the headache has settled the neck pain is still very much alive and just waiting to pounce. Another thing I noticed is breathing trouble and chest pain. Well i just hurt everywhere so i think it's just the fibro rearing it's ugly head...at least i hope! How does one know if there is a heart issue going on? The chest pain is center chest right through to my back and then there is the upper back and neck pain...How does one know if it could be a heart problem? The ER doc said he elt it wa just tight muscles. Sandra

[ktfabian]

Sandra-

I wouldn't mess around with chest pain.  If it's still a problem, you need to get back to the ER and make sure he runs and EKG and the other tests used to make sure you're not having some type of heart problem.

Once heart trouble is ruled out - I can say that I do sometimes get pain in my chest that is related to my fibro.  But it's usually right in the middle of my chest and if I rub the area, I can feel the sore muscles.  If I'm really tired, it can make my breathing tight and sometimes I use an albuterol inhaler to help loosen things up.  But I've been to the ER when this has happened and they ruled out any possibility of heart problems, then I went over it with both my family doctor and rheumatologist. 

Unless you've had all of that done, please don't assume it's the fibro or Sjs.  We have to remember that even though we have this disease, it doesn't mean we can't develop other health issues.

Please go back and make sure you get thoroughly checked out.  I know how much it stinks to go to the ER, but when it comes to chest pains, I think it's the best place to be.

Please let us know how this resolves.  I'll be thinking of you,
Tracy

[Bucky]

Sandra,

Did they do any type of chest X-rays while you were in the ER?  I went thru some chest pain myself back in November.  It hurt all day long and I finally went into the ER after having the pain for 11 hrs.  They ran an EKG and did chest X-rays.  After staying there for several hours for observation, I was sent home.  They told me there was chest wall inflammation and I followed up with my PCP.  It still hurt for days afterwards, then went away.  Did they do any bloodwork while in ER?  They found out in doing mine that my blood pressure medicine needed to be adjusted and my thyroid TSH was high and those meds needed to be adjusted too.

Thirteen yrs. ago when I had chest pain in the center of my chest that went to my back I ended up having gallbladder attacks followed by surgery.  Have you had any gallbladder problems?  That hurts like crazy.

If you continue having chest pain I would definitely check with your doctor ASAP.

Bucky

[Sandra]

Yes i had an xray of my chest a couple of weeks ago, it showed that there was a shadow in my left lung, the ER dr thought it could have been because the pain was bad enough that I couldn't take a deep breath or a possible pnuemonia. She gave me and antibiotic and I guess things eased up a bit but I don't think it has ever really stopped all together. I am being investigated for gall-bladder, as there is an abnormality with the wall of my gallbladder but the surgeon has read my referal from my rhumey and deemed it elective. Here that means no man's land, his office isn't even looking at elective surgeries until "April and beyond"....crazy healthcare system....I suppose I should contact my rhuemy as I don't think it's what she had in mind. But I do wonder if the gallbladder issue is really just another inflammation issue. I have all kinds of inflammation everywhere so how does one know just what is inflammation and what is really broken? I also have been told about chest wall pain, costocondritis, the first ER dr thought it possible too with all my AI stuff. I just get so tired of sitting around in hospitals, it's a bit better today although i am still doing tylenol 3's. Sandra

[Bucky]

Sandra . . . I hear you . . how does one tell if the symptoms they are feeling are something to be concerned about or part of the disease, or not part of the disease at all?  I don't know.  I do think that if something persists and is painful that it DOES need to be checked out by a doctor.

From my experience, if you have something going on with your gallbladder - you will definitely know something isn't right.  My "attacks" came quite frequently each day.  The kind of take your breath away, can't talk, feel like you're gonna throw up pain.  It was not fun!!  Good thing I had my surgery when I did as there were over 100 stones in the gallbladder!!

I had this gallbaldder attacks years before I knew I had Sjogren's.  In fact, it was shortly after giving birth to our son.  The OBGYN said it is NOT uncommon to have gallbladder problem after having a baby.  Try having gallbladder surgery while taking care of a seven week old kicking baby . . . ouch!  Thank goodness for the pillow I placed between me and my son.   

I hope you feel better real soon Sandra.  If your pain continues, you really need to go to a doctor and have it checked out.

Bucky