# New to this..Chest Pain, foggy head



## Guest (Nov 14, 2000)

Hi, I have recently been diagnosed with IBS, from a bad case of salmonella. They also think I have Fibro. I am constantly fatigued, feel achy, like I have the flu, and have this foggy feeling, like I am on drugs (I am not). It is hard to hold a conversation. I did not realize this is Fibro related. My most tender spot is my chest. It hurts to press on my breast bone, and some days I have this dull pain that goes across my chest. Of course then you have a panic attack, cause you think you are having a heart attack. Anyone else with problems in the chest. Help, I am really freaking out with all this. Also constant dizziness.Debbieweplant###aol.com


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## moldie (Sep 25, 1999)

Welcome weplant. You hit the spot. If I had to pick one area that was the most noticeably tender, it would be that soft tissue area bilaterally (my left being the more tender) on either side of the breast bone below the clavicle areas. Sometimes it seems to go right through to the back area. Normal chest pain that one would get from a heart attack would not be this same type of sensation. This is more fibrous tissue pain in that area, rather than the smooth muscle of the heart itself. The heart attack pain is deeper and pressing on the area would not have as much affect on the pain. Sometimes I feel chest discomfort without pressing on it, but if I press on it, I feel it more, and that seems to be where it is coming from. Also, I get up and move around and the sensation seems to subside to some degree, where-as I think it would become worse or at least remain the same with activity if it was an acute heart attack. In a heart attack the pain does not seem to improve with different positioning of the body as the fibrous muscular skeletal pain does. The difference is somewhat comforting in determination. In either case, anxiety attacks only make the sensation worse, since it may result in lack of oxygenation to the tissues. Shortness of breath may tend to happen more spontaneously and suddenly at rest with a heart attack, where-as it may be more likely to occur with acitivity in fibro people, and may be associated in both with increased anxiety. The chest heaviness is reported by both heart attack and fibro people, but I believe it would also worsen with activity in case of a heart attack, and improve with activity in case of fibro. Nausea can also be associated with anxiety and may occur in both. The heartburn type sensation maybe associated with esophogeal reflux and the burning sensation has been reported with heart attack patients as well. Numbness and tingling and pain down the left shoulder, arm to fingers is noted in both sets, but the pain tends to be more acute and perhaps even temporarily parylizing so in the case of a heart attack. At any rate there are grey areas with some heart attack patients surprisingly not experiencing acute type pain. I tend to blame all my pain on fibro now, and have often said that I really wouldn't know whether or not it could be a more serious problem. I refuse to become a basket case sitting and worrying over all my aches and pains, because from past experience it has been my fibro. I just have to use my common sense, and leave the rest up to God.


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## Guest (Nov 14, 2000)

In short - YES! I went to my former GP for almost three years complaining of chest pain which is identical to that which you describe (mine was centred around the Xyphoid Process area)and was led to believe that I was a hypohondriac. (On 3 occasions I ended up in hospital connected to a cardiac monitor, which was horrible) I tried all manner of antacids and indigestion relievers and even got as far as having a gastroscopy to see if there were ulcers (there weren't). I know exactly what you mean when you say that the pain was so diffuse that it might have been in the front or the back... many times I really wasn't sure. I paid out a small fortune on Chiropractic too in the hope of finding the problem. I also understand the strange fuzziness like being drugged and the other symptoms. They are identical to my own. I've had a good year this year - most of it has been free of the really bad symptoms I used to get but they're still there occasionally. The reason: I changed GPs and found one who would listen and she put me on Amitryptiline (Elavil) and this has worked wonders. I now get a proper sleep 6 nights out of 7 and the overall result is that the awful symptoms I used to get are greatly reduced - if not gone most days. I've suffered no ill side-effects from the Amitryp either, although I've read some bad things on this BB about them. I hope this is of some help to you.Keeragh


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## shrinky (Sep 14, 2000)

Just wanted to say hi.I have am tender there too. I am only very small there but I find that after laying on my back at night, my breasts are so sore. They sort of feel really heavy like they were after having James.I haven't found any ways of helping it and I am open for suggestions. )------------------B Howes


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