Chest Pain And Lupus (Page 1)

I too have chest pain,and recently,it has become a part of daily life occuring several times a day,almost always on the right side,now and then,it settltes into central chest with a heavy aching feeling.Some times it is so intense I can't take the most shallow breath,it is piercing and I can't possibly move.I was 8 the 1st time I clearly remember it happening,even now it feels like I have a weight on my chest. I had anECG and it came back as normal,I haven't heard about the x-rays yet( on feb 17)

I have had lupus for almost 14 years now. I'm 29 years old and I was diagnosed just after my daughter was born in 1993. It's so weird to read about someone else having the chest pains. Just this past Summer ( in June ) I rushed myself to the ER afraid I was having a darn HEART ATTACK. With my mom being a surgical RN she said it would be best to go to the ER and see what was wrong.......guess what? They sent me home after doing SO MANY tests and said ALL of my tests were NORMAL. I went home still with chest pains that lasted about another week and then my bill came. $7,000 for a 5 hour ER visit.....NOW I THOUGHT I WAS REALLY GONNA HAVE A HEART ATTACK. This lupus thing is tricky folks. I think the doctors sometimes just run out of guesses when treating problems that challenge them.

I haven't been given a diagnosis for pleursy(SP) my ECG was apparently ''normal'',I have no idea what is going on,I have wondered many times if I should call 911,I know I am being booked for a CT scan,but other than that ,no information yet,it seems it takes forever for some one to post,so feel free to send private messages.

I was diagnosed in 1989 and have had vague chest pain for a long time. However, 4 years ago I awoke in the middle of the night with an elephant on my chest! I couldn't breath. I couldn't stand up straight. I could'nt even get my self dressed to go to the er! I spent 4-5 hours in the er, with them thinking I was a drug seeker. they ran thousands of dollars worth of tests, all to send me home with no explanation.

that afternoon I had an appointment with my pain management dr, told him the symptoms and he said " oh, that is COSTOCONDROITITIS". TOOK HIM ONE SECOND! I went home looked it up on the National library of medicine website, and sure enough it fit the description.

I have had many bouts with it since, but i know what it is and how to treat it.

COSTOCONDROITITIS: IS THE SUDDEN OR SLOW ONSET OF INFLAMMATION OF THE TENDONS AND LIGAMENTS CONNECTING THE STERNUM, RIBS, AND SPINE. THIS CAN LEAD TO LONG TERM SCARRING IF ANTI-INFLAMMATORIES ARE NOT USED TO REDUCE THE INFLAMMATION. this is seen in other rheumatoid conditions as well as lupus. you might want to be checked for other conditions such as sponylitis (arthritis of the spine) or psoriatic arthritis.

hope this sounds familiar and helps you find answers

good luck,

mia

When you are in pain the medical facility should do an ultra sound which will show inflamation if present. X-rays will not show this and hence they will think nothing is wrong. I know this because when I was in the hospital they were able to show the inflammation and show it to interns so they might see the difference between lupus inflammation and heart attacks symptoms. Also, if they put you on predisone, the inflammation usually goes down quickly which means they need to do the ultrasound before the dosage is begun.

Research and ask lots of questions; I know my doctor has learned a lot from me; this is our responsibility; it is impossible for doctors to know everything. We are our best advocates.

BC

I've been experiencing severe center and left chest pain for six months. In Jan I had a small pericardial effusion (fluid around the heart) that I was told went away by the end of Jan and returned in mid Feb big time resulting in a life threatning cardiac tamponade (so much fluid it can literally crush your heart). They drained 1 liter of fluid off my heart. Ten days before that my cardiologist said there was nothing wrong with my heart, as he did an angiogram which showed clean arteries. He referrd me to the rheumy. I have trouble breathing with my chest pain, but I am alive due to my continued persistence. Even my GP was prescribing Xanax two days before my near death experience. Now, four mos later, I still have chest pain, the rheumy is concerned re: pulmonary hypertension and the cardio is still telling me there is nothing wrong with my heart! I was diag. with Lupus during this time, and they believe the effusions were cause by a lupus flare up. I am on 10 mg of prednisone, and other pain killers with very little relief. I too am tired of not being able to do much without aggravating the pain and breathing probs.

I have lupus and also have costochondritis which causes chest pain and can make you feel like you are having a heart attack but its arthritis around the breast bone. I go to a DO dr that does manual therapy to realign the ribs. It helps alot but recently its getting worse and worse. But I wouldn't be surprised if that is the chest pain you are feeling I would ask your dr about it.

I was just wondering how long the chest pain you're all referring to lasts? I've been told I'm at an increased risk for lupus, and every now and then I get a stabbing pain on the left side of my chest that will go away after a few minutes and I have no idea what brings it on - many times it happens while I'm sitting down. Is the the sort of feeling you all experience, or is it a more consistent, chronic pain?

I was diagnosed with lupus after my 1st child was born in 2003. Just curious - how are you ''at an increased risk for Lupus''? Never heard of that! And I feel that pain very often. SUCKS!!

The costochondritis that I have started out and I believe is normally a few minute type of thing of sharp pain similar to a heart attack and i used to get mine when i'd be say leaning forward while sitting for example or if it was really cold sometimes. Now mine is chronic and last for days but they are not sure if it is something else with the lupus. but if u are getting sharp pain it is also impt to make sure that it is not in fact a heart attack and to get it checked out.

I'm 20 years old and got diagnosed with what they called the "cousin" of lupus > Mixed Connective Tissue Disease. I was 10 .. and these 10 years were like hell for me. I went through so much. And honestly sometimes i feel the doctors don't know anything. I had constant fever for a year when i was 10 and i kept going into ER and they kept saying its a flu; they would monitor me and at the end of the day send me home. For a year it went on like this to the point i couldn't lift a finger. That is when my parents couldn't take it anymore. Honestly i feel all this could've been prevented. The story only gets "better", they did their tests when i was literally going to die and they said my muscles being weak and inflamed.It's kind of common sense after a whole year of fever no? They should've seen the inflamation. Imflamation doesn't take THAT long to appear!? They then prescribed Prednisone; and a VERY high dose. I blew up like a balloon - but the worst thing is the prednisone affected my hips! Hey i was only 11! I had to get surgery because my hip bones were damaged. And now i have two hips that are replaced.

My chest pain are the worst. I was pain free for a good year and half , but now it's back. I tell my doctors this and they tell me "go to the ER if they need us they will call us" - Well what are they there for ? I don't even know what to do.
My chest pain is so bad at times - i take advil everyday since a month now. For some reason i use a magic sac, warm it up and put it on my chest. I don't know if it stops the pain but i fall ASLEEP! Which is what i need at night. I just want the chest pains to stoppp!!

Oh 5abii feeling for you. I've had my chest pains for nearly 3yrs now.comes & goes.Started after I stopped breastfeeding my boy. Costrochrondritis! I also have mixed ctd.apparently a nice mix of RA & lupus.
I tell you what eases it, vit d! I am frequently deficient.everytime I get a vit d shot after a month or so the chest pain calm a little.

I realise (now) we will always have a pain somewhere or another but vit d does help alot. Xx

I too have chest pains. I have had lupus and FM for about 5 years. The chest pains are sharp in the middle and the only thing that helps is pain med. sometimes they come in the middle of the night and wake me up and sometimes I am just sitting and not doing anything when they hit. At times they are severe and some times not as bad. Any one have this happen and know what to do?

I too have this same problem. Have not been diagnosed with lupus as of yet but they just took blood the other day to test me. I hurt so bad with my flare ups my chest hurts to touch or deep breath to pull on something or lean forward. So much pain during night waking me up and I have toehold my chest to get up or roll over. Been almost year and last week I felt like I was having heart attack and got myself back to sleep waking up to throwing up. ran all kinds of heart test to say " I'm fine". Really? Don't feel fine!!! Does this sound like lupus?

i was diagnosed with r.a. and lupus almost 5 years ago, i have been having chest pains so intense in my chest and both arms that i literally cant move or breath, just this morning i ended up at the ER for severe chest pains, hours later and dr's having no idea they told me that i had hyperventilated...NO, i had not done that!! it woke me from a sound sleep with extreme pain that got progressively worse over a hour, the dr ended up giving me atavan and telling me to calm down so i could breath normally. easier said then done when you have what feels like a fire poker in your chest!! I dont think most dr's know what there doing, i told them about my autoimmune issues and they blew me off saying i was only 35 and wouldnt be affected to that extent by them... so my chest still hurts but tomorrow im looking for new dr's for sure..

so glad to see that im not the only with this problem, not that i want anyone else to have it but my chest pain would get so severe that i actually thought i was dying, er visits gave me nothing and my dr basically said i just wanted pain pills, I didnt want pain pills!! didnt even ask for them, Just wanted this horrible pain in my chest to go away. I have since been diagnosed with Costrochrondritis from a dr that actually listened to me, I got home looked it up on the internet and it is exactly what my symptoms are, Dr's just dont know everything and its so frustrating to go to the er and be told theres nothing there and im just having a panic attack..

I too have been diagnosed with Lupus, FM, and AR - had an experience with chest pain yesterday - went to the ER and the blood work said no heart attack - so where does this pain come from? Started on the left side of my chest, worked to the center and up into my neck - kind of like liquid fire. I was like "What?" Went in and got no answers. Seeing my GP this week, - we'll see

I was diagnosed with lupus three years ago and the way it would manifest itself was horrible chest pains caused by inflammation in the lining of my heart and lungs. three weeks ago I began to get the same chest pains, but this time all my labs were negative i.e. no inflammation. my chest xrays, and ct scan without contrast were all fine, so my doctor just wrote me off thinking I was just trying to get pain pills or something. Well the pain only got worse so I finally went to the ER and they ordered a CT scan WITH contrast and within a few hours of being there they found a blood clot in my lung. The only difference between the pain I was having and What most of you are describing is that I was not tender to the touch, all the pain was internalized, it hurt to breath and I would get short of breath very easily and laying down hurt the most. So my advice if your having chest pains and everything is coming back negative make sure to get a CT scan WITH contrast, that little oversight by my doctor could have had a far worse outcome than 4 days in the hospital for me. Hope this helps

Dear Lord
I am so sorry this is such a awful disease for every one involved here. I was just diagnosed with FM, Lupus and RA. So hard to understand why I have this debilatating disease. Days I just want to die, my lord. My heart goes out to all of you. And my chest pains just started last night. All I can Say.. Is Lord help me get through another night.
Anna From Idaho.. soon to move to Oregon.

I was diagnoses with FMA 20 years ago when I was 25 yrs old. I have many symptoms of Lupus & RA but because my bloodwork is negative, I've never been diagnosed. My sister has elevated ANA and my daughter has positive RF so these problems are in the family. I have been living with chest pain for over a year now. At first, I went to ER in case it was a heart attack. They did a battery of tests and found my nothing abnormal except my blood count was low. My Dr followed with CT scan with & without contrast which was normal so it is thought to be "costochondritis". It's a constant nagging pain. I've lived with aches & pains for 20 years now but this constant chest pain has a way of sucking the happiness right out of me. On top of that, I now have a nagging pain in my left kidney which sometimes feels inflamed (like a ballon being blown up in that region) Guess it's time for another Dr visit??? A year ago, I was done and wanted to quit living but instead turned to our Creator. He has a way of getting me through and has proved to be my Strength when I am weak. Lisa from Ohio

I have had the chest pains and kidney pain also. I have lupus, RA and possibly FM. I had to start sleeping on my couch because of the chest pain.I can breathe a little better when I sleep on the couch. I really can't breathe if I try to lay on my left side. Prayer is the only thing keeping me going.

I KNOW EXACTLY HOW U PEOPLE FEEL. It's my first year of lupus it goes quite smoothly, not really that bad. but there is a very serious problem which occur EVERY NIGHT. the stupid chest pain. I feel better when i sit up , cause when i sleep down, the chest pain is like a knife... really hurts when i breath. and I always wake up in the midnight, just to take 2 cataflams.. although i shudn't take so much EVERYDAY... it was alright during my exam period! how weird. now it comes back again and... I REALLY THOUGHT b4 ,that i have heart attack =.= Solutions r only cataflam tablet ( REALLLYYY GOOOD AND USEEEFULLLLLL MED!! ) and also those... oil.. u know u apply when ur stomach has wind.. yea those.. aplly it to ur chest. and try to think of sth else when u sleep, like, what to do tmr, what to wear tmr... dun keep thinking about the pain, it will eventually go off. hope this helps u!!