My name is Melissa and I am 23 years old and have been in excellent health... until now.

I guess I should start from the beginning... Back in September I was on the computer and started getting really bad shooting pains in my left arm. When the shooting pain stopped, I had this eerie feeling come over me and what felt like my entire left side went tingly/numb. This only lasted for a couple minutes but came back again about 30 min later and lasted a little bit longer. Since that episode I have not felt that feeling again on my entire left side.

I went to the ER in which they told me whatever it was was just a "fluke." They didn't do any blood work on me and I had to push for a CT-Scan of the head just to make sure it wasn't anything too serious. The CT-scan came back normal.

A couple days later I noticed a pain on my left side right below my collarbone. It would stay for a couple days and then go. To be honest, I didn't think anything of it at the time. It's only now, with all my symptoms, that I'm really starting to think there is something more to this.

I have seen a Neurologist who on initial visit told me that he thought I had a muscle strain. Despite him feeling it wasn't that serious, he did recommend an MRI and Physical Therapy. The MRI came back as Mild Degenerative Disc Disease in C4-C7 and slight bulging discs at these levels. At the point that I had seen the Neuro, I wasn't having much pain in my left side below my collarbone, only here and there and it would never stay long. However, for the last 2 weeks it has been constant and is effecting my whole left side. It actually feels like chest pain and at one point I did go to the ER again and they did a EKG and Chest X-ray which showed nothing wrong. I get constant aching, pain in my chest along with a pinching feeling in my neck/collarbone area and it is slightly swollen above the collarbone. I went to an Urgent Walk-In Care Center a couple days ago and this is the first doctor to actually take a GOOD look at me. He pressed against my chest, assured me that what I was experiencing was not real chest pain but rather that my chest wall was inflamed, probably due to the clavicle joint. Not exactly the answer I was looking for but I felt like I was at least getting somewhere. He put me on a stronger medication (was taking Naproxen- did nothing). So far the medication is helping significantly but it only lasts for a couple hours.

I go back to the Neuro tomorrow and am hoping to be able to present what I have found on the internet about this Thoracic Outlet Syndrome because I am seriously at my last straw. I am constantly in pain, can't work and just cry all the time because of this. It also effects my left arm with pains and moe recently a numb, cramping feeling in my fingers. I also get pain in what feels like my armpit area. And to add to all this, it feels as though it is radiating to my right side as well. Same symptoms coming on slowly.

This has become long and if you've stuck it out through all this, I truly thank you. Does anyone think that I might have this Thoracic Outlet Syndrome?

Other things I've experienced: Severe tension headaches (PT said this is from my disc disease), pain in neck/collarbone, aching/pain in my entire left chest area accompanied with what feels like chest pain, pain in armpit area which radiates down back of arm to hand, cramping/numb in hands/wrist. And again, all these symptoms are slowly going to the right side as well.

Any help is GREATLY appreciated!!!! Please, if anyone has experience anything remotely like this, let me know!!

Thank you!!

Missa,

Hello and welcome to NeuroTalk. Great to see you have come to be with us. You will find a great number of caring, supporting members here willing to help each other as they can.

I am not that familiar with TOS, I see you have been to that link. There are good number of members able to assist you.

Good luck with your Neuro hopefully he will help you with information. My prayers are with you.

Again welcome, looking forward to seeing you around.

Darlene

Hi Missa and Welcome. Sorry for all the pain you are going through. I can't offer any help regarding your condition, but there are alot of good people here and I'm sure someone will come along to help.

take care and glad to have you w/us.