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Chronic Chest Pain

Hello, I posted here...maybe a year or more ago regarding chronic chest pain I've had for...

Posted by Nivakon

Hello, I posted here...maybe a year or more ago regarding chronic chest pain I've had for close to six years now. I'll just quickly recap my story and get straight to my question

- White, female 20yo
- Chronic pain, lasting every day, all day, for about six years now
- Medications such as oxycotin, hydrocodone, ibuprofen, naproxen, muscle relaxers, anxiety medications, acid reflux medications, or anti-depressants don't help relieve pain.
- Sharp, stabbing pain when inhaling, coughing, sneezing, or stretching arms/back in certain directions
- Pain began after having a case of strep that went untreated with a severe cough.
- Pain is on my left upper torso, costal region, that radiates to the back
- Received two intercostal injections on 3rd costal cartilage of local anesthetics and anti-inflammatory. This made pain solid 10 for days straight, with no relief.
- Pain sits at a 6 for baseline every day, with occasional 10 days on the pain scale.
- Physical activity including upper body muscle work, and anything cardio (gets me breathing more) exacerbates pain.
- Tenderness when pressing barely on costal regions on left side
- Occasionally, there is a clicking sound when I breath, or move. I've noticed if I am laying on my side and I lay on my arm adjacent with the side I'm laying on, this increases the frequency of the sound.
- Cardiac workup came up clean.
- All Xrays were negative.
- All CT scans were negative.
- Previously treated for hepatitis c via peg. interferon, ribavirin and victrelis. Was detectable with hep c for 18 years. I've been undetectable since my treatment in 2011.
- Born on methamphetamine my mother took.
- Also, I am hypermobile...not sure if this would be related.

Anyways, that's pretty much everything that I imagine could be of importance. I've seen a lot of doctors in my time. A lot of people have suggested costochondritis. My PM doctor has treated me under the assumption that this was my issue (the injections), this yielded no results.

So, onto my question..

Is it possible this is slipping rib syndrome? I've read a lot about it recently, but there seems to be conflicting information. Like that slipping rib is the same as Tietze's. I just want to clear up confusion on this. I haven't been able to see my PM about this. I read that you can do a hook maneuver to test for slipping rib, but I don't think I quite grasp the concept. Also, is it possible for higher up rib to slip?View Thread

Posted byNivakon

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Chronic Chest Pain Hello, I posted here...maybe a year or more ago regarding chronic chest pain I've had for...

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Chronic Chest Pain

Hello, I'm 19 years old, and I've been suffering from chronic, constant, every single day,...

Posted by Nivakon

Hello, I'm 19 years old, and I've been suffering from chronic, constant, every single day, pain in my chest for over five years now. I'm sort of running out of options, the pain is seriously disrupting my daily life and activities now.

It all started when I was in 8th grade. In April, five years ago, my left hand turned blue. (I know this sounds crazy.) It wasn't my entire hand, just my thumb and index finger and the area in between. After some labs, and seeing a doctor we discovered I had a severe case of strep that only infected my throat for a few days before moving on to my kidneys and hand. It's rare, but I was told it can happen. The doctor said it was an unusual manifestation of the infection, but that similar cases had been seen. Anyways, by the time I had been diagnosed my body had pretty much fought off the infection so I was never given antibiotics. Shortly after having this, a pain began in my chest. At first, I thought nothing of it.

But some time passed and I grew angry and irritable all the time because there was a constant dull ache in my chest. When I got upset, or stressed, or if I did strenuous activity where my heart rate and breathing increased the pain would go from a mild 4 to a horrific 10. After a couple months, my parents took me to the doctor. He said it was likely a pulled muscle, and prescribed maximum strength ibuprofen. Did nothing. No relief. So we went back. Same doctor gave me different medication naproxen. When that didn't work and I went back complaining of the pain he recommended I see a cardiologist. So I did. We discovered I had mitral valve prolapse and I had suffered minor regurgitation. The cardiologist gave me a beta-blocker suggesting it could relieve my pain. It didn't. By this time, two years had passed. I had a few x-rays done, and they of course found nothing.

So I was referred to a pulmonologist. I took a breathing testing and a methocholine(spelling?) challenge to check for asthma. Came back clean. By this time, I had given up entirely. A year later, I donated blood to discover I had inherited Hep C from my biological mother.

Last May the drug known as telaprevir was approved by the FDA and I started my treatment for my hepatitis. I endured six months of chemotherapy, finishing December 23rd, 2011 - all the while having this chest pain. I had a wonderful GI who treated me, and prescribed me hydrocodone for both the bone aches from my treatment and my chest pain. However, the hydrocodone did not relieve my chest pain.

I still suffer from this pain. I'm at a loss as to what to do. I've had multiple x-rays, a CT scan, I've seen a cardiologist, pulmonologist, as well as a massage therapist - and no one can offer relief or even an answer.

The pain is directly behind the heart and resonates to the front. It is a constant dull ache. When I inhale, the pain worsens. The deeper I inhale the worse it hurts. Any sort of physical exercise where my heart rate/breathing increases agitates the pain and it usually hurts worse for the rest of the day. At the very least, once a day when inhaling there is a strange cracking noise. My parents have heard it, my husband has heard it. Most days it happens 5+ times...but there are days where it only happens once.

I married my husband because he endured the challenge of being sick with me, he has helped me through difficult times in my life and he loves me as much as I love him. But this pain prevents me from enjoying physical intimacy with him. I can't be intimate for longer than 10 minutes with him, because shortly in my chest pain becomes worse and worse as I breathe harder.

I feel anxious and have been increasingly depressed about this pain. I just want help. I want it to stop. I appreciate all answers and any support offered. Thanks in advance.View Thread

Posted byNivakon

5 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Chronic Chest Pain Hello, I'm 19 years old, and I've been suffering from chronic, constant, every single day,...

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Reply: Chronic Chest Pain

Hello Peter. I appreciate you input, and you put my feelings into words exactly. The...

Posted by Nivakon

5 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Chronic Chest Pain Hello Peter. I appreciate you input, and you put my feelings into words exactly. The...

Includes Expert Content

Reply: Chronic Chest Pain

I also forgot to include the list of medications I have tried for this pain: Naproxen...

Posted by Nivakon

5 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Chronic Chest Pain I also forgot to include the list of medications I have tried for this pain: Naproxen...

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