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Originally posted by Searching4Answers:
Hello!

I'm experiencing pain in my left armpit, and it radiates down to my hand, and my hand will often go numb at night. Mostly the pinky finger and ring finger. I have a heaviness in my chest and last April I went to the ER thinking I was having a heart attack.

Any ideas for me?

I have two other questions I will post separately. Thank you!

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Posted by tickitout (Member # 6982) on :
 
sorry about the above...mistake...however, that happened to me although the pain was severe across my left chest along with the other pain and numbness.

I went to the ER, very scared about possibly my heart too. They did many tests and my heart was okay. So with all the other muscle involvement they said it was costroconditis.

The tingling in the fingers is from nerve involvment so I was told.

I know how scared you must have been but it never hurts to have anything having to do with your heart checked out.

Good luck to you.
 

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Posted by canbravelyme (Member # 9785) on :
 
Ah...another Costoconditist! Welcome to the club!
 

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Posted by NP40 (Member # 6711) on :
 
If they rule out anything heart related then I'd look at babesia or acid reflux which can both cause that chest heaviness. A problem with the neck can lead to pain or tingling in the arm as well.
 

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Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
 
welcome; i just sent you a private message, PM, with my newbie links/advise. you can view it in MY PROFILE or right above the posts where it says HELLO your name; click on blinking envelope that shows how many pms are in your inbox ...LIMIT 60 there total!

are you on antibiotics where you could be having major herxs/side effects also?

i agree; don't mess around with heart; go to ER. i did last aug. and took my 3" LYME disease medical files/labs/detailed testings, etc.

yes, it's been chondroitisis, sp, many times they say too! BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY.
 

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Posted by Searching4Answers (Member # 11079) on :
 
Thank you for your responses!

They checked everything, blood test, EKG, everything was normal.

I hate going in and getting the "normal" response, when I really am suffering.

I'm going to just believe this is all the lyme crap.

Anyone else have these symptoms?

The numb fingers and hand is just creepy!
 

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Posted by just don (Member # 1129) on :
 
It could be as simple as carpal tunnel, or more complex like compressed nerve in elbow, or their is another spot in the shoulder neck area.

Could be lots of things. Could also be a fluid build up around the heart too. or there is a gland type thing in the chest, when inflamed its like a heart attack(feels like)
 

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Posted by Ladylee210 (Member # 9945) on :
 
yes i have had this before, all heart tests are fine so far all the time.

i understand your worry as i would think many who experience this would.

i just hope if infact it's the real deal (possibly) we'll be able to tell the differance.

in the meantime i keep baby asprin on hand, as they say that is good to stop a heart attack and or lessen it.
 

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Posted by just don (Member # 1129) on :
 
I am going WAY out on a limb ,,,right now. And say maybe your body is trying to tell you,,,if it is not a heart problem that needs fixed,,,it needs more calcium or magnesium or both.

Do you supplement calcium and magnesium now?? If not try suplementing as MUCH as you can for a surge purpose and SEE if it helps with this area of pain/sxs.

I am not a doctor and I didnt even stay at a Holiday Inn Express,,,but sometimes people get great reaults form taking certain things.

For me thats taking two Citrical extra pills and 2 magnesium, best magnesium I can buy OTC from my pharmacy!!!(stay away from WalMart store brands)(wal-mart bys there store brand based on price,,,you dont want the cheapest wrenches,,that dont fit,, fixing your Porsch.)
 

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Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
 
up
 

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Posted by notcrazykate (Member # 10458) on :
 
Hi there! The left arm symptoms you described are exactly the first symptoms I noticed. It is scary! And I'm sorry you're dealing with it.

I don't know if this will offer comfort or the opposite, but that began for me two years ago and, while it still happens and I've developed all kinds of other weird things, that particular symptom hasn't gotten a whole lot worse. It comes and goes in spurts.

This was explained to me by a neurologist as being nerve-related; something like that could happen because of lyme, ms, or injury (if it's only presenting on one side of the body).
 

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Posted by Cate (Member # 8787) on :
 
scary symptoms -- could be many things and of course you should get heart, etc. checked out, but here's another possibility...

i've had similar pain from tight muscles in the pectoralis (front of shoulder) and serratus anterior (under the arm pit, runs over your ribs about on level with the nipple). the pectoralis (minor and major) can trap the bundle of nerves that runs down your arm, resulting in tingling in the fingers. the serratus anterior can hurt like hell, referring pain along your ribs and under your arm.

way to fix it is with good bodywork by a therapist, or DIY with a book like "The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook" by Claire Davis.

lots of lymph nodes too under the arm that could contribute if they are swollen.
 

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Posted by Searching4Answers (Member # 11079) on :
 
Thank you everyone. I'm going to try calcium and magnesium!
Just knowing others have suffered this with lyme, is helpful. I thought "brain tumor" and "breast cancer" and "heart attack" when I think it must be lyme eating away at my nerves. Literally. Tingling in my hands and feet has always been a symptom for me, it is just this pain under my armpit, radiating down my arm that is new.

THANK YOU AGAIN, ALL OF YOU!
 

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