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Experiencing Chest Pain With Numbness. All Tests Normal For Heart. Can It Be Esophageal Spasms?

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Posted on Wed, 4 Dec 2013
Question: I have been experiencing chest pain with numbness all down my left arm. the er doctors performed a battery of tests and ruled out anything to do with the heart. this pain is constant and wont go away, I don't know what to do. No one seems able to diagnose me. I have been reading about esophageal spasms and my symptoms are close. Help please?
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Answered by Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (25 minutes later)
Brief Answer: Detailed below. Detailed Answer: Hello! Thank you for the query. Such chest pain with left arm radiating is quite characteristic for heart issues. However if heart ECG, Holters 24 hours ECG and heart ultrasound were done, this seems to be ruled out. Any stomach issue needs gastroscopy to be checked. Neither ultrasound or CT wont do that. So if you havent have gastroscopy, this should be the first test to do. Next test is barium swallow which can diagnose esphageal spasm. Sometimes such symptoms can be also caused by anxiety and stress as brain can affect every part of body. And it does. It stimulates stomach acid secretion due to stress. I suggest you to find good gastrologist and have mentioned tests done. Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions. Regards.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Grzegorz Stanko

General Surgeon

Practicing since :2008

Answered : 5798 Questions

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Experiencing Chest Pain With Numbness. All Tests Normal For Heart. Can It Be Esophageal Spasms?

Brief Answer: Detailed below. Detailed Answer: Hello! Thank you for the query. Such chest pain with left arm radiating is quite characteristic for heart issues. However if heart ECG, Holters 24 hours ECG and heart ultrasound were done, this seems to be ruled out. Any stomach issue needs gastroscopy to be checked. Neither ultrasound or CT wont do that. So if you havent have gastroscopy, this should be the first test to do. Next test is barium swallow which can diagnose esphageal spasm. Sometimes such symptoms can be also caused by anxiety and stress as brain can affect every part of body. And it does. It stimulates stomach acid secretion due to stress. I suggest you to find good gastrologist and have mentioned tests done. Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions. Regards.