Mysterious chest pain.

XOCentric

Hey all, was wondering if anyone else experienced this kind of thing.

Background: I am 28, caucasian, five ten, 220lbs. I eat a steady diet with lots of "healthy" food (soy milk, sushi, vegetables, variety of meat, avacados, protein supplements, vitamins, lots of hydration). I try to stay away from crappy food as much as possible. I jog 5km to work mon-fri and I lift weights regularly.

Symptoms: I have a dull ache in my right upper quadrant that radiates between my ribs and around to my back. I have a loss of appetite that I've been combating by forcing regular meals. I had a few serious sharp jabbing pains was to the front of my chest in that right side. I belch almost immediately after I ingest any food or drink.

Tests already ran: I have already had a gall bladder ultrasound (negative for stones) and a CT scan of my chest ("normal"). Am currently giving daily samples of waste for testing. White blood cell count normal. Negative for hepatitis

Anyone have any experience with something like this? My quality of life is shitty right now because I'm constantly sore on my side. I just want to get back to nominal operating conditions again.

mts

how is your pooping?
feel boated?
pain change after eating?
does the pain make it to the space between your shoulders?

Paladin

how does your crap look

Do you feel full way earlier than you're supposed to

XOCentric

mts wrote:

1. how is your pooping?

2. feel boated?

3. pain change after eating?

4. does the pain make it to the space between your shoulders?

yes, the pain was right into my back but I got my girlfriend to crack my back and its just back to a dull ache in my side.

1. had one day of increased frequency, now its down due to lack of appetite.

2. yes a little in my abdominal area, although this is typical if I'm gassy. I have noticed an increase in gas from top and bottom though.

3. haven't noticed any pain change after meals.

4. yes, the pain was right into my back but I got my girlfriend to crack my back and its just back to a dull ache in my side.

Paladin wrote:

how does your crap look

Do you feel full way earlier than you're supposed to

My waste was yellowish but I drink a lot of soy milk. Although it hasn't turned my stool yellowish/pale before.

I don't really have an appetite but I've been forcing myself to have regular meals. I can't wolf down food at my usual military-rate (must cram food yesterday so I can keep working).

Paladin

I'd wait for the stool test results but try going on a lean diet of proteins and and carbs and see what happens. Also get plenty of fluids. Stay away from milk and avocados for a bit and other stuff that may contain fats.


How does your waste smell, does it float, what's the consistency, has that changed

greggersaurus

I had similar problems about a year ago. I ate relatively "healthy" foods and exercised regularly, but one day my system backed up and my life was a mess for the next several months. After a series of doctor visits and tests that all came back negative I experimented with some diets changes that helped me get back on track. So my chest pain (that at its worst would radiate to my back) seemed to be the result of unchecked heartburn. Tums helped occasionally, but baking soda and water is what really helped (check the box for mixing and dosage instructions). As far as the long term fix here are some things that I changed that seemed to help:

1) I switched to a gluten free diet. Kind of a hassle at first, but not really so bad once you get used to it.
2) Ingesting probiotics helped a lot. You can buy pills for this, or just buy yogurt with probiotics in it (i.e. Fage Greek Strained Yogurt).
3) I quit drinking alcohol for a period. I drink occasionally now without issue, though I obviously avoid beer unless I can find a gluten free kind.
4) I stopped forcing myself to eat. I did the same thing as you and tried to force it at first, but it never made things better. I actually experimented with light fasting to give my system a chance to rest (i.e. only fruits and veggies for a day with no strenuous exercise).
5) I taught myself to sleep on my lefthand side. I read that this situates the stomach in a way that is less likely to cause heartburn.

Anyways, I'm not a doctor, or a nutritionist, so take what I say with a grain of salt. I did some research on my own and this is what seemed to help. Maybe some of it can help you to? Best of luck and I hope you manage to figure your issues and get back to a state of normalcy.

mts

it could still be your gall bladder. look up biliary dyskensia. its gall bladder disease without stones. its essentially a lazy GB. I had it. similar symptoms to yours.

had major constipation, fatigue, bloating, abdominal pain that reached around to the back, loss of appettite etc. i would try to limit your diet for now, as it could be a gluten response. i ended up losing something like 10-12 pounds before i figured it out.

how long as this been going on for?

hamdingers

Does it feel worse when you lay down/sleep? It could be bad heartburn or acid refux. I had symptoms similar to these.

MushroomStick

Sounds a lot like heart burn. Obviously talk to your doctor about it more first, but maybe a proton pump inhibitor would help (prevacid, prilosec, etc.)

Kuroi Ookami

I suffer from Left side chest pain, scares the hell out of me, it's right over my heart. When it first happened it was a bad weekend and I just figured anxiety attack. It didn't get better but I figured if it had been a heart attack I'd be dead already.

So I made an appointment with my dr, he ran various tests, did chest xray and all that to check for TB and stuff. He thinks it's internal, caused possibly by heartburn. maybe a hernia, there are a few conditions that GERD can heighten your chance of getting in the esophagus, it is also maybe an ulcer, I'm getting a Gastroscopy in about a month. That's where they stick the scope down your throat and check out esophagus, stomach, etc, for any problems. I'm on many medications for heartburn, and I also use TUMS, but I may as well be taking candy for all the good it's all doing me. So, I feel for you, even though you and I have it on opposite sides.

Jasconius

This sounds exactly like heartburn.

I just started getting it 6 months ago and it was originally diagnosed as panic attacks, but then I bought some simple Tums-like antacids just to be sure, and sure enough, it knocked it right out

My symptoms:

Dull light to moderate ache right behind my sternum
Radiating pain to my ribs and back, especially on my right side
On the very worst day when I went to see a doctor about it I had a couple of jabs but nothing earth shattering



Here's how you diagnose it.

Are you in pain?

Take a couple of TUMS

is it gone 5 minutes later? Congratulations, you have heartburn

Your doctor offers his thanks for letting him rape your insurance company

I'm stunned he ordered an ultrasound for your gall bladder but not an EKG if the pain was in your chest

entimus

Maybe it is an anxiety attack. I´ve had all kinds of them, like vertigo, chest pains, limb numbness, difficulty breathing, headaches.
Stress can burst in many ways.
After discarding heart problems (if you have that luck), try taking a single glass of whisky. That takes the anxiety away faster than any meds. Then you can go to the psychiatrist and get some meds so yo wont become an alcoholic. :P

DrAllecon

Your symptoms still sound pretty consistent with gallbladder disease. You can still have gallbladder disease without gallstones (mts mentioned it in an earlier comment). I don't know if you notice the pain/bloating worse after dairy products or not, but that could be another indication.

You might want to ask your doctor about a HIDA scan. It's a test that intentionally stimulates your gallbladder after dye is injected, then the dye's progress is followed. Many people can have normal appearing gallbladders that still aren't functioning properly, and based on your symptoms I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss it as a possibility.

Rderdall

Is this pain accompanied by shortness of breath, and an odd feeling of panic? I've had similar feelings, and it turned out to be symptoms of a panic attack. Also, the symptoms can last the entire day after having one.

XOCentric

I don't notice more discomfort from lying down or after certain foods. I've quit even social or light consumption of alcohol (which is shitty because I enjoy trying a new beer with supper occaisionally). My appetite has come back but I've been limiting amounts and promoting healthiness of food.

I notice that I'm more gassy than usual and that I burp within a short period of eating/drinking. I'm also feeling bloated too.

I think my back pain is coming from leaning slightly to avoid discomfort. I've caught myself doing it a few times unintentionally.

I am still waiting for the results from the stool samples. They were for cultures, possible parasites and to rule out c. difficile (sp?).

Being Canadian these tests aren't costing me anything but I also don't rate any sort of priority either.

I think the fatigue I'm experiencing is coming from stress of not knowing what's wrong with me. I'm not worried about the results, I'm worried about NOT knowing.

If it's a surgery thing then they can cut it out, and if I need meds then I'll take meds.

I've gotten a little better/more accustomed to the symptoms so I've been working again too.

tldr: I'm still waiting out for results. Trying to be optomistic.

Paladin

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