What Causes Frequent Chest Pain?
Fast forward a year and a half later and I have been to every specialist under the sun. The GI doctor and ENT see no evidence of GERD. I had an endoscopy which only showed a little redness in my stomach. Biopsy was clear.
I have facial flushing episodes that have gotten bad enough that I have to hold ice packs on my face because it burns so much. It sometimes also happens on my ear. I have very, very dry flaky skin. My hair is thinning. I had a thyroid ultrasound that showed a mild goiter with multiple nodules, but my thyroid bloodwork (yes, they did the whole panel) is fine and the largest solid nodule is 9mm.
I've had antibody tests for lupus and various other autoimmune disorders (nothing related to thyroid though.)
Now my throat hurts 99% of the day. It hurts a bit more after I eat, maybe just from the use because it doesn't seem to be because of any particular type of food. I've had a celiac test as well and that was clear.
My neck hurts in multiple ways. I feel like someone is holding their hand against my throat. I have sharp pains in my neck. The back of my neck and upper spine are painful when I have spend any amount of time walking around.
I have developed a cough for a few months now that is mostly non productive, but I do sometimes cough up white or pink tinged phlegm with bubbles. My chest sometimes burns and/or aches. Right now it just kind of feels like there is a pressure on it. My allergist gave me a spirometer test and it was something like 70% with no improvement after breathing treatment. So no asthma.
When I first developed the cough I went into the urgent care because I was having the chest pain, but it was radiating to my back. The doctor told me the right side of my back was swollen (she didn't give me an X-ray though, she gave me muscle relaxers). She also gave me lidocaine for my throat, which did nothing. The stuff they used to numb my throat at the ENT also did not touch the pain. I've had many doctors tell me my throats looks red, but the ENT said it did not.
The last time I had an X-ray around 3 years ago on my chest it showed peribronchial cuffing.
I was diagnosed with chronic bronchitis as a child and suffered from it for most of my adult life. Things improved a bit after I quit smoking, but I still have a case of bronchitis at least once a year. Still, this feels nothing like bronchitis ever feels. The phlegm is different and it just overall feels different.
On top of all this I have been getting horrible migraines at least once a week, one of which I recently went to the hospital for.
I had a neck X-ray Friday that I haven't gotten the results for. They're giving me a PH test this week just to rule out GERD definitively.
I am so at a loss as to what is going on. I am going back to my primary this week and I am so nervous that it is just going to be another disappointing doctor visit with no answers and no promise of an answer. I've had fibromyalgia suggested to me twice. Does this sound like fibro? If anyone can help give me a little direction I would be so grateful.
Yes it can be a possibility
Detailed Answer:
Hello Ma'am
After going through the medical details provided by you I would like to tell you that keeping into consideration all the tests that came out normal and your long standing symptoms yes fibromyalgia can be a possibility.
The diagnosis of this is basically a diagnosis of exclusion. Fibromyalgia although can present at any age group but is most common around 3rd to 5th decade of life. Long standing pains, tenderness, with feeling of unease and mood disorder like depression is common in this. The laboratory tests in fibromyalgia patients do not have any particular or persistent abnormality.
Anti polymer antibody assay is one blood test that can be taken in fibromyalgia patients. It come s positive in 50% of the patients.
So I would like to advise you to discuss this test option with your doctor.
I hope this information will be helpful. Feel free to ask if you have any more doubts.
Kind regards
Dr Bhanu partap