Mens Conditions Forum - Chest Pains - No Diagnosis?
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Chest Pains - No Diagnosis?

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Medical Questions-> Health Forums -> Mens Conditions -> Chest Pains - No Diagnosis?
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rhaynes

New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 18 Apr 2007
Posts: 2
Chest Pains - No Diagnosis?
Posted: 04-18-07 13:02pm

I didn't know where to put this, because I guess it could go into 5 or 6 categories.

I've had this issue for awhile and I'm getting rather frustrated with my doctors' inability to diagnose it. BTW, I am a 32 year old male.

2 months ago I started getting chest pains. Bad tightness in the chest, some small shooting pains, but generally just very uncomfortable. These pains happen more often when I smoke, but they're always there. Nowadays it just feels like someone is sitting on my chest. I don't have bad shortness of breath, though, which is strange.

I initially thought it was a heart problem. (I've had lone atrial fribulation once). That scared me, obviously. I saw a cardiologist and they ran me through every test imaginable- stress test, ekg, 48 hour monitor, blood work, echo, you name it. Everything came back fine. The cardio did notice that I am in tachycardia (fast heartbeat) more than 40% of the time, but didn’t think much of it and didn’t think it was causing this pain.

So I went back to my physician, got a chest X-Ray. That came back normal. The doctor did say something about emphysema, but he then did a breathing test which I passed and did real well on (especially considering I smoked). He then said something like "they just thought it was emphysema because of your frame". (I'm rather tall and skinny).

The doctor also thought it may be gastro-intestinal, gave me meds for that. That didn't help, and I don't believe it is anyway.

Emphysema seemed crazy for a 32 year old, but I quit smoking anyway. I've not smoked now (other than a slip here and there) for 3+ weeks. But that doesn't help. The chest pains/tightness is still there. Maybe it’s the lungs, maybe the heart, maybe gastro-intestinal… I have no idea.

There's nothing worse than when a doctor says they're at a loss, and that’s where I am.

So I'm opening it up to ideas/suggestions.
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HealthySex

Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 09 Jan 2007
Posts: 414

Posted: 04-19-07 10:04am

Congrats on quitting smoking. Even if you find out it has nothing to do with, I'd hope you'd stick to it.

As for the pains...something gastro-intestinal could be it, such as GERD. Seems simple enough to diagnose, but did they do any tests other than give you a drug? Does it occur at certain times, such as before or after eating?

Another cause of chest pain is anxiety, which could also cause mild shortness of breath and rapid heartbeat.
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