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Last summer, I started having pain in the left side of my chest, my left shoulder, and all down my left arm. My first thought, of course, was a heart problem. It wasn’t debilitating at that point, and as I was breathing fine I assumed I wouldn’t kick the bucket in my sleep. Then the pain increased in frequency and intensity, so within a month I went in to see a doctor.
She did several blood tests and an ekg which were all normal, told me it was heartburn, and prescribed meds for it. I took them the full length I was told to, still had the pain, and was starting to develop anxiety over it. I went to another doctor; she seemed less concerned than the first and barely looked at me before diagnosing costochondritis and Tietze’s Syndrome (inflammation of rib cartilage). This actually made sense, it was something I could easily check for myself, so I took the prescribed anti-inflammatory for the recommended two weeks and started feeling better. I was told that costochondritis usually goes away on its own within a couple of months, so I was a little concerned when it flared back up again, except far worse. I had the same pain, but it had also spread to my neck. I was also experiencing racing heart/palpitations along with regular headaches. Nothing I took helped, so I stopped bothering and instead started avoiding foods that seemed to trigger the worst symptoms.
I stayed in this weird and anxious state, just trying to wait it out, for another month before one night as I was falling asleep my husband shook me hard and yelled my name- I had stopped breathing. Tried to go to sleep after we calmed down, but it kept happening. I eventually was able to sleep (and breathe) sitting on the sofa. I went to yet a different doctor the next day- he had zero concern about the heart issues or pain I was having, examined my nose and throat, and prescribed antibiotics for what he said was a mild sinus infection. It helped with the breathing trouble- but new symptoms popped up after those meds were gone; I was dizzy, my legs were painful, I had a constant muscle twitch in my side, migraines every day, abdominal pain, and no appetite and major fatigue.
Generally, it’s best to avoid Googling symptoms. It’s just terrifying and mostly misleading. But short of another useless trip into town for another wrong diagnosis, I didn’t see a lot of options. I’m tired of popping pills that don’t work. I’m tired of doctors barely listening to what I’m saying. I was able to keep calm and rational while researching and have narrowed my symptoms down to just a few possible causes- costochondritis/Tietze’s Syndrome only being a part of it. Anxiety has definitely been a cause.
I’ve started taking magnesium, potassium, and fish oil (three days now), and there is definite improvement over all- no heart issues, less pain, no migraines (still headaches though).
Sorry this is so long! I’m wondering if anybody here has dealt with anything similar- or what natural ways anyone treats anxiety/pain/insomnia?
She did several blood tests and an ekg which were all normal, told me it was heartburn, and prescribed meds for it. I took them the full length I was told to, still had the pain, and was starting to develop anxiety over it. I went to another doctor; she seemed less concerned than the first and barely looked at me before diagnosing costochondritis and Tietze’s Syndrome (inflammation of rib cartilage). This actually made sense, it was something I could easily check for myself, so I took the prescribed anti-inflammatory for the recommended two weeks and started feeling better. I was told that costochondritis usually goes away on its own within a couple of months, so I was a little concerned when it flared back up again, except far worse. I had the same pain, but it had also spread to my neck. I was also experiencing racing heart/palpitations along with regular headaches. Nothing I took helped, so I stopped bothering and instead started avoiding foods that seemed to trigger the worst symptoms.
I stayed in this weird and anxious state, just trying to wait it out, for another month before one night as I was falling asleep my husband shook me hard and yelled my name- I had stopped breathing. Tried to go to sleep after we calmed down, but it kept happening. I eventually was able to sleep (and breathe) sitting on the sofa. I went to yet a different doctor the next day- he had zero concern about the heart issues or pain I was having, examined my nose and throat, and prescribed antibiotics for what he said was a mild sinus infection. It helped with the breathing trouble- but new symptoms popped up after those meds were gone; I was dizzy, my legs were painful, I had a constant muscle twitch in my side, migraines every day, abdominal pain, and no appetite and major fatigue.
Generally, it’s best to avoid Googling symptoms. It’s just terrifying and mostly misleading. But short of another useless trip into town for another wrong diagnosis, I didn’t see a lot of options. I’m tired of popping pills that don’t work. I’m tired of doctors barely listening to what I’m saying. I was able to keep calm and rational while researching and have narrowed my symptoms down to just a few possible causes- costochondritis/Tietze’s Syndrome only being a part of it. Anxiety has definitely been a cause.
I’ve started taking magnesium, potassium, and fish oil (three days now), and there is definite improvement over all- no heart issues, less pain, no migraines (still headaches though).
Sorry this is so long! I’m wondering if anybody here has dealt with anything similar- or what natural ways anyone treats anxiety/pain/insomnia?
