OH MY - IT HURTS!

I started getting real bad chest pain last week and it won't stop! It make sit hard to breathe at times. I first thought it was my asthma and allergies but nope ..used my inhaler and it did nothing. The pain is bad under the arm and into the chest. The PT said my muscles were so tight and it hurt when he touched me. He didn't say what to do about it thought...other than "surgery"

I just don't know how I'm gonna make it through the next few weeks/month like this. I can't do it. I feel like I'm gonna have a stroke or somethin.

Also, I have been reading about some of you having issues with clots? Is that something that goes with TOS? What do you look for? Signs/Symptoms?

Just a little worried....

momz

yes !
I had similar feelings during my worst spasms.
Quite a few have gone to ER to make sure it's not a heart attack or something like it. It might be worth doing just for the possible pain help and the documentation and to be sure it's not a HA.??

Do you think you might have fibromyalgia too?
Was PT just touching the area or pushing/working on you at the time?

I never had any sensitivity to others touching my skin or muscles.
Only when my ulnar nerve was flared up I couldn't stand for my elbow it to be rubbed or bumped by furniture or the mattress.


I'm curious if others have the pain/sensitivity when tight/spasmed muscles are touched??

I found a few posts about it too- chest pain-
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...56&postcount=3
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...00&postcount=1

Not sure of this will help but...I have tight chest muscles...they will loosen up sometimes then go into spasms and when I go for a massage or even for a PT appt just the pressure applied to these muscles will cause enough pain to leave me short or breath or nauseous. I also get pains in my side, like a stitch in my side...hurts like mad. Like you I have been able to distinguish these pain flares from an asthma attack (the thing is not panicking about them enough to cause an asthma attack!) but it definitely is not comfortable! A trip to the ER is definitely warranted to put your mind at ease though!

Hi Momz,

I really have to agree that you need to have this checked out...just in case. It is a hassle, but TOS symptoms can be very similar to a Heart Attack. I have had to wear 24 hour heart monitors and a bunch of other tests because of chest pain and pain down the left arm. Sound familiar?

You might try one of those 24 hour medical clinics, although I would call to determine if they have the equip. for proper tests. They will probably tell you to go the the hospital, because time is obviously of the essence with chest pain.

I had fairly routine chest pain when I was still working or when attempting to exercise, (you know, walk slowly on a treadmill even). The asthma is nothing to take lightly if you are feeling panicky at all.

The last time I had chest pain of note, it was triggered by a stressful event and I could not sit/stand/lay down, or even hardly breathe, without extreme discomfort.

You can have a 'pharmaceutical' stress test which means you will have stress on your heart via drugs and not on the treadmill. Otherwise, it would be impossible to determine if your resulting symptoms were related to heart issues or TOS.

It really is not worth the risk to ignore your symptoms, especially since women commonly have heart attacks. If you are having surgery, that stress may be triggering this, but you don't want surgery if your heart is acting up either.

Just TRY not to be overwhelmed and take care of yourself as you would your own child.

Warmly,
Anne

Hi Momz.......Boy, when it rains it pours, huh ?

Is your doc aware ? You've got to let him know to rule out anything cardiac. It can certainly be the TOS, but God forbid it isn't !

Check Melissa's thread.....a few of us have similar sounding sx's, except for that you can't lesse4n it with meds. I have been concerned at times that I might be ignoring cardiac symptoms, but then figure if it hasn't killed me in a few days, it must not be a heart attack (good nursing assessment, huh ?) Mine does not feel like crushing chess pain like an elephant is on my chest, but feels heavy and like something is constricting me....like I'm ace wrapped up.....so I can breathe, but can't get a deep breath.

Take Care ! I hope you get some relief soon.

Ok, now I am going to look like a hypochondriac, which I am the LAST person to be one, since I hate doctors and being sick.

Today, the right side of my chest hurts BAD. Opposite side of the affected arm. I am trying to get cleaning done, but I keep stopping cuz of the chest pain.

Weird

Hey momz.

You should go see a doctor and let them know about the chest pain, just to be safe and rule out anything that may be really bad.

Clots happen mostly in venous TOS, typically the subclavian vein in one shoulder gets pinched shut causing a life threatening blood clot. Swelling is usually the first sign. The few people whom I have spoke to who had this, like me, had no prior TOS symptoms, including chest pain. However, all but one of us had massive arm swelling - and I mean huge! Up to almost double the normal size in a matter of days, my arm got so big that I had streachmarks in a matter of hours and blistering where the skin was tearing apart (sorry, its gross...) The one person who's arm didnt swell, had no signs until he suffered severe shortness of breath, turned out he had a pulmonary embolism (the clot went to his lung).

I dont mean to scare you, but there you have it - some of the most obvious signs and symptoms associated with venous TOS and a blood clot.

Hope you are feeling better.