I'm hoping someone here can help my wife. She's seen a dr.,and collectively,we cannot figure out what is wrong with her.

For the past two days,she is having these "attacks"..she will usually start having upper abdominal pain,followed/preceded by a cough. Cough ALWAYS happens during these attacks. This pain then becomes chest pain that is like a band crushing her,upper abdominal pain continuing. Pain goes into her back,between her shoulder blades.It all continues simultaneously. Then comes the throat pain. This is not like a sore throat,reflux-y stinging. This is a feeling of pressure she says feels like a hand closing around her throat. She keeps coughing intermittently. Ready for the real stumper? It then goes into her face. Always on the right side - she says it is a feeling of pain/pressure in her sinuses as well as in her nose and cheek.

First attack of this was yesterday - she swore she was having a heart attack. So naturally,she refused to go to the hospital. Went to the dr. today and had an EKG...all normal. Tonight,she has another one of these attacks.

Couple other interesting factors - she feels it is related somehow to eating/being hungry. She describes a feeling of intense hunger pain,yet feels food will make it worse. This happened once on an empty stomach,once full. She also refuses to bend over during these attacks as she says she wants to stay as straight as possible - she says bending forward will make it worse. When it ends,after about 20-30 minutes start to finish,she is usually shaken up and says her head hurts. The coughing goes away with the pain.

Doc says it almost certainly isn't cardiac,that the ekg would have shown something if she had had a minor heart attack even after the fact,and to just let them know if it happens again. Well,second time in as many days...we'll be calling back in the morning. Any guesses? It's the facial and back involvement throwing us all.

I am not a doctor, but I have heard that reflux can casue pain in chest, throat, jaw, and ears. Try a pepcid; it might help. I hope you wife feels better soon.

I'm hoping someone here can help my wife. She's seen a dr.,and collectively,we cannot figure out what is wrong with her.

For the past two days,she is having these "attacks"..she will usually start having upper abdominal pain,followed/preceded by a cough. Cough ALWAYS happens during these attacks. This pain then becomes chest pain that is like a band crushing her,upper abdominal pain continuing. Pain goes into her back,between her shoulder blades.It all continues simultaneously. Then comes the throat pain. This is not like a sore throat,reflux-y stinging. This is a feeling of pressure she says feels like a hand closing around her throat. She keeps coughing intermittently. Ready for the real stumper? It then goes into her face. Always on the right side - she says it is a feeling of pain/pressure in her sinuses as well as in her nose and cheek.

First attack of this was yesterday - she swore she was having a heart attack. So naturally,she refused to go to the hospital. Went to the dr. today and had an EKG...all normal. Tonight,she has another one of these attacks.

Couple other interesting factors - she feels it is related somehow to eating/being hungry. She describes a feeling of intense hunger pain,yet feels food will make it worse. This happened once on an empty stomach,once full. She also refuses to bend over during these attacks as she says she wants to stay as straight as possible - she says bending forward will make it worse. When it ends,after about 20-30 minutes start to finish,she is usually shaken up and says her head hurts. The coughing goes away with the pain.

Doc says it almost certainly isn't cardiac,that the ekg would have shown something if she had had a minor heart attack even after the fact,and to just let them know if it happens again. Well,second time in as many days...we'll be calling back in the morning. Any guesses? It's the facial and back involvement throwing us all.

Not to be Captain Obvious or anything but it really might be very helpful in diagnosing this problem if she goes to the ER while it is happening! There may be something that can be picked up by testing at the time that it is happening, that is not showing up when it is not happening. :shrug:

Hiatal Hernia? ...

:coffee:

Not to be Captain Obvious or anything but it really might be very helpful in diagnosing this problem if she goes to the ER while it is happening! There may be something that can be picked up by testing at the time that it is happening, that is not showing up when it is not happening. :shrug:

The episodes last about a half hour. 25 minute drive to the e.r.,plus waiting around - no way to catch it. It's pretty unpredictable.

I am not a doctor, but I have heard that reflux can casue pain in chest, throat, jaw, and ears. Try a pepcid; it might help. I hope you wife feels better soon.

I have heard that too - but when we mentioned that to the dr. she said no to it being in the face/ears. Said that was essentially "in her head",and from the stress of being worried.

Hiatal Hernia? ...

:coffee:

Googled it...most everything I read said they are for the most part not symptomatic.

I'm no doctor and don't pretend to be one but that sounds an awful lot like a gallbladder attack. I'm surprised that isn't one of the first things the doctor checked on, if nothing else to rule it out.

I suspect esophageal spasms. Does she feel like food gets "caught" or any difficulty swallowing when eating? Does she have to drink plenty of liquid to get food down at mealtime? Have them write me a consult. In the meantime have them do an upper GI- barium swallow and try to trigger an attack while they are viewing.

I prescribe nitroglycerin tabs 5mg, no more than 3 per day

Dr. Pete

I suspect esophageal spasms. Does she feel like food gets "caught" or any difficulty swallowing when eating? Does she have to drink plenty of liquid to get food down at mealtime? Have them write me a consult. In the meantime have them do an upper GI- barium swallow and try to trigger an attack while they are viewing.

I prescribe nitroglycerin tabs 5mg, no more than 3 per day

Dr. Pete

:bow:

I'm no doctor and don't pretend to be one but that sounds an awful lot like a gallbladder attack. I'm surprised that isn't one of the first things the doctor checked on, if nothing else to rule it out.

This is just what I thought too!!! I just had mine out a few months ago- and it caused some very strange symptoms my doc called "referral" pains. And they effect each person differently. Hope you feel better soon.

Absolutely sounds like gallbladder. If she has stones, especially small ones, she is probably passing them. This sends the gallbladder, common bile duct and pancreas into major spasms. Passing stones can mimmick a heart attack and that is why it is missed quite often. If she doesn't have stones, the gallbladder may not be working/functioning correctly which can also cause many problems. Once she eats bile is supposed to be released by the gb into the bile duct and then pancreas, if it's not working then that bile backs up and it to causes many pains/spasms. The fact that all of our digestive system, including the throat and mouth are somehow connected and nerves run through them all, it can explain the radiating pain. Hope this helps
(Ultrasound and/or HIDA scan would help)

I'm no doctor and don't pretend to be one but that sounds an awful lot like a gallbladder attack. I'm surprised that isn't one of the first things the doctor checked on, if nothing else to rule it out.

Nope-removed it years ago.

The episodes last about a half hour. 25 minute drive to the e.r.,plus waiting around - no way to catch it. It's pretty unpredictable.

ambulance?

ambulance?

She and I both tend to think those are for emergencies. A pain that has happened a couple times,and almost certainly isn't her heart,that goes away on it's own really isn't one. It sucks,and it's a mystery as of right now,but it isn't a reason to have them roll through the neighborhood lights and sirens on making a big spectacle.

I'm hoping someone here can help my wife. She's seen a dr.,and collectively,we cannot figure out what is wrong with her.

For the past two days,she is having these "attacks"..she will usually start having upper abdominal pain,followed/preceded by a cough. Cough ALWAYS happens during these attacks. This pain then becomes chest pain that is like a band crushing her,upper abdominal pain continuing. Pain goes into her back,between her shoulder blades.It all continues simultaneously. Then comes the throat pain. This is not like a sore throat,reflux-y stinging. This is a feeling of pressure she says feels like a hand closing around her throat. She keeps coughing intermittently. Ready for the real stumper? It then goes into her face. Always on the right side - she says it is a feeling of pain/pressure in her sinuses as well as in her nose and cheek.

First attack of this was yesterday - she swore she was having a heart attack. So naturally,she refused to go to the hospital. Went to the dr. today and had an EKG...all normal. Tonight,she has another one of these attacks.

Couple other interesting factors - she feels it is related somehow to eating/being hungry. She describes a feeling of intense hunger pain,yet feels food will make it worse. This happened once on an empty stomach,once full. She also refuses to bend over during these attacks as she says she wants to stay as straight as possible - she says bending forward will make it worse. When it ends,after about 20-30 minutes start to finish,she is usually shaken up and says her head hurts. The coughing goes away with the pain.

Doc says it almost certainly isn't cardiac,that the ekg would have shown something if she had had a minor heart attack even after the fact,and to just let them know if it happens again. Well,second time in as many days...we'll be calling back in the morning. Any guesses? It's the facial and back involvement throwing us all.

Sounds like gall bladder attack to me... but I see you just stated she had hers out... weird

I'm no doctor and don't pretend to be one but that sounds an awful lot like a gallbladder attack. I'm surprised that isn't one of the first things the doctor checked on, if nothing else to rule it out.

:yeahthat:
My ex had the same sypmtons, turned out to be gall bladder. Had to have it removed.

Panic attacks?

Have a friend that has them and she describes them very similar to that. She doesn't have the face pain, but I'm thinking that could be from your wife hyperventilating. :shrug:

Panic attacks?

Have a friend that has them and she describes them very similar to that. She doesn't have the face pain, but I'm thinking that could be from your wife hyperventilating. :shrug:

No. The first time this happened,she was chatting on the phone. Relaxed,fine. She was mid-sentence and started to cough,and then it went from there. Second time,had just had dinner a few minutes before,sitting watching t.v. It happened again this morning,and the pattern seems to be food. Either being hungry,or having just eaten. She describes a feeling of intense hunger when it starts,and this occurs even if she's just eaten. I also noticed this morning when she was taking a vitamin,she went for a second glass of water. She often does,and this time I asked why and she said it always feels stuck. She also chokes often when she eats,and clears her throat constantly. We attributed the clearing to allergies,but now more and more this looks like a gi issue. Called the dr. to see if she can get an upper gi done.

No. The first time this happened,she was chatting on the phone. Relaxed,fine. She was mid-sentence and started to cough,and then it went from there. Second time,had just had dinner a few minutes before,sitting watching t.v. It happened again this morning,and the pattern seems to be food. Either being hungry,or having just eaten. She describes a feeling of intense hunger when it starts,and this occurs even if she's just eaten. I also noticed this morning when she was taking a vitamin,she went for a second glass of water. She often does,and this time I asked why and she said it always feels stuck. She also chokes often when she eats,and clears her throat constantly. We attributed the clearing to allergies,but now more and more this looks like a gi issue. Called the dr. to see if she can get an upper gi done.

STRICTURE

or

Esophageal spasm

Diffuse esophageal spasm; Spasm of the esophagus
Last reviewed: November 11, 2010.

Esophageal spasms are abnormal contractions of the muscles in the esophagus (the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach). These spasms do not move food effectively to the stomach.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors
The cause of esophageal spasm is unknown. Very hot or very cold foods may trigger an episode in some people.

Symptoms
•Difficulty swallowing or pain with swallowing

•Pain in the chest or upper abdomen

It can be hard to tell a spasm from angina pectoris, a symptom of heart disease. The pain may spread to the neck, jaw, arms, or back

Signs and tests
•Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD)

•Esophageal manometry

•Esophagogram (barium swallow x-ray)

Treatment
Nitroglycerin given under the tongue (sublingual) may be effective in an acute episode of esophageal spasm. Long-acting nitroglycerin and calcium channel blockers are also used to treat esophageal spasms.

Long-term (chronic) cases are sometimes treated with low-dose antidepressants such as trazodone or nortriptyline to reduce symptoms.

Rarely, severe cases may need dilation (widening) of the esophagus or surgery to control symptoms. However, it is not clear whether these procedures will help.

Esophageal spasm - PubMed Health (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001334/)

bill is in the mail.

Someone on here mentioned a hiatal hernia. Just got off the phone with my wife and she tells me in fact long before we even met she had a ct done for another reason and they did incidentally find a hiatal hernia,but said it was small and no big deal. Then I get to thinking,first time this pain happened,she was lying on the couch talking on the phone. Had her feet up on the arm of the couch. She started to cough and then upon sitting up the pain took off. So.....I'm reaching here.....could the position of her body,coupled with the coughing,force the hernia through the opening? Still waiting to hear back from the doctor but that kind of adds up to me.

bill is in the mail.

Send it to me. I'll do what I do with all the ones that say "American Radiology" and "LabCorp". Toss em.:razz: (I mean pay them promptly):sarcasm:

Nitroglycerin tablets come in 0.4 mg per tab, but amazingly it IS used for some G.I. problems, because it is a smooth Muscle Relaxer. Commonly used for Barrets Esophagus I think. She should by-pass all the Doctors, and just go to the G.I Doc, because that's where the problem probably lies. She'll probably need a referal to one.

Nitroglycerin tablets come in 0.4 mg per tab, but amazingly it IS used for some G.I. problems, because it is a smooth Muscle Relaxer. Commonly used for Barrets Esophagus I think. She should by-pass all the Doctors, and just go to the G.I Doc, because that's where the problem probably lies. She'll probably need a referal to one.

Our insurance doesn't require a referral but with the way gi docs around here are booked up it would be a faster answer to get an order for the upper gi,and get that done so we have at least an answer as to what it is or isn't and can go from there. Hoping the doc sees it that way too and will just write the order.

Someone on here mentioned a hiatal hernia. Just got off the phone with my wife and she tells me in fact long before we even met she had a ct done for another reason and they did incidentally find a hiatal hernia,but said it was small and no big deal. Then I get to thinking,first time this pain happened,she was lying on the couch talking on the phone. Had her feet up on the arm of the couch. She started to cough and then upon sitting up the pain took off. So.....I'm reaching here.....could the position of her body,coupled with the coughing,force the hernia through the opening? Still waiting to hear back from the doctor but that kind of adds up to me.


Googled it...most everything I read said they are for the most part not symptomatic.

I checked further this morning on Google.

Here is more info. How to Identify Symptoms of a Strangulated Hiatal Hernia | eHow.com (http://www.ehow.com/how_2337943_identify-symptoms-strangulated-hiatal-hernia.html)

Good luck, whatever it is I do hope she is diagnosed pronto and feels well soon.

:coffee:

Well,still no answers. Went to the dr.,called them again to say it was still bad,wife had another attack last night. They said to go to Walmart or Target,get some Pepcid and give it two weeks to work. BS. Taking her up to see a gastro in Annapolis - have an appointment for next week,and waiting for a call back to see if we will do some tests before then.Up until now we've always liked our doctors but now I'm not so sure. I feel like they've really dropped the ball here. There is a real shortage of good doctors in this area - or should I say we have good doctors,but they rely too much on NP's and PA's.

Well,still no answers. Went to the dr.,called them again to say it was still bad,wife had another attack last night. They said to go to Walmart or Target,get some Pepcid and give it two weeks to work. BS. Taking her up to see a gastro in Annapolis - have an appointment for next week,and waiting for a call back to see if we will do some tests before then.Up until now we've always liked our doctors but now I'm not so sure. I feel like they've really dropped the ball here. There is a real shortage of good doctors in this area - or should I say we have good doctors,but they rely too much on NP's and PA's.
In the mean time, go get some of that Pepcid (Omeprazole) just like they asked you to do. Hopefully, this will help a little bit. I wish your Wife well. Thanks for keeping us posted.

What a difference a new doctor makes - doc from Annapolis called in a stat order for a chest xray which we've done and also ordered an upper gi,which we had to schedule. All without even seeing her yet.

What a difference a new doctor makes - doc from Annapolis called in a stat order for a chest xray which we've done and also ordered an upper gi,which we had to schedule. All without even seeing her yet.
That's good to hear. Most Doctor's want to see you first, then send you for tests. This way, maybe some answers will be there for you on your first visit.

That's good to hear. Most Doctor's want to see you first, then send you for tests. This way, maybe some answers will be there for you on your first visit.

The guy called us promptly after hearing her symptoms,and offered the testing so that once we got there we could have an immediate course of action,and also so that we could knock it all out with only one trip up the road. This doctor is really the best in my book. It's Dr. Thomas Cattano,with Anne Arundel Gastro.

Interesting. Hiatal hernias and GI problems are nothing to mess with. Glad you found a responsive doc and have appts in place to get some resolution. I hope you'll post what the outcomes are. I have some similar problems going on and have an appt for an endoscopy soon. I'd love to hear what your doc finds.

Good luck and I'm sure all will turn out just fine.

Hiatal Hernia? ...

:coffee:

Sliding Hiatal Hernia.

Sliding Hiatal Hernia.

After some googling it sounds like that is the good kind to have. Paraesophageal,not so much.

Interesting. Hiatal hernias and GI problems are nothing to mess with. Glad you found a responsive doc and have appts in place to get some resolution. I hope you'll post what the outcomes are. I have some similar problems going on and have an appt for an endoscopy soon. I'd love to hear what your doc finds.

Good luck and I'm sure all will turn out just fine.

I can understand all the symptoms and how they might tie together but the facial pain really gets me. I don't see how that fits. Every time this happens she's got one hand covering the right side of her face.

She's having the upper gi on Monday - a bit nervous since she has had allergic reactions to meds before and she doesn't like the idea of the contrast.

I can understand all the symptoms and how they might tie together but the facial pain really gets me. I don't see how that fits. Every time this happens she's got one hand covering the right side of her face.

She's having the upper gi on Monday - a bit nervous since she has had allergic reactions to meds before and she doesn't like the idea of the contrast.

Contrast for an UGI?

Should be barium. It's like drinking chalk. :barf:

Contrast for an UGI?

Should be barium. It's like drinking chalk. :barf:

Barium is a contrast agent. If it wasn't providing a contrast between what is seen with/without it,there would be no use for it. You've had this,I take it - she is expecting to be there about two hours according to SMH. Sound right?

Barium is a contrast agent. If it wasn't providing a contrast between what is seen with/without it,there would be no use for it. You've had this,I take it - she is expecting to be there about two hours according to SMH. Sound right?

at least. I would say longer.

Tell her to follow the directions they give her. It's very important that she not burp or :barf: when drinking the barium (altough the test they gave me may have also been a barium swallow and that might be where the burping comes into play) It's very difficult to swallow that barium laying down and not be able to burp or :barf: Save it for later, I splattered that barium all over the bathroom and then the inside of my vehicle. It was a mess to clean up. Basically white liquid chalk.

Hi everyone-this is bcm's wife. I had the UGI today and wow did it test my anxiety endurance. I did fine during the test itself - that barium was horrible tasting,one watery and ok but the other very thick and nasty like plaster of paris- but it was the little things that got to me. Like when the tech came to get me she mentioned how excited she was since this was her very first day on the job! We went into the room where she had the barium out,thin stuff with a big straw in it and next to it was a smaller bottle of barium as well,only this was opened and had a barium-y fingerprint on the outside. I start to drink the thin stuff and the radiologist tells her no,that is the wrong stuff,to give me the "thick". She grabs the aforementioned fingerprinty one. I try to keep my ocd quiet and tell myself she just opened it prior to me coming in. Then another tech comes in and sees me on the table and asks her if she checked to see if I'm pregnant. Whoopsie. Scramble for the forms. After everything was done,I felt nauseous and like throwing up,but I didn't. I did however have to make two stops on the way home to run like hell for a bathroom and I don't know where they got idea that constipation would be a problem. In Target my feet left the floor and I was whispering to myself oh my god...oh my god..what IS that. I heard the door shut very quietly and I can only assume someone else heard that and took off.

Anywho for my mental issues sake,I'm curious to know do techs set the radiation levels or are they pre-set? I ask because this girl was utterly clueless. Made me wonder if I had just gotten fried.


I don't follow up with my doctor until the 23rd since he is away but I think since I feel so crappy I'll just swing by medical records and get a copy of the report and see whats what. Hopefully nothing bad but something to explain how I've been feeling. Thanks to all of you who posted in this thread,it helped encourage me to go do this and I've needed it for a long time.

Hi everyone-this is bcm's wife. I had the UGI today and wow did it test my anxiety endurance. I did fine during the test itself - that barium was horrible tasting,one watery and ok but the other very thick and nasty like plaster of paris- but it was the little things that got to me. Like when the tech came to get me she mentioned how excited she was since this was her very first day on the job! We went into the room where she had the barium out,thin stuff with a big straw in it and next to it was a smaller bottle of barium as well,only this was opened and had a barium-y fingerprint on the outside. I start to drink the thin stuff and the radiologist tells her no,that is the wrong stuff,to give me the "thick". She grabs the aforementioned fingerprinty one. I try to keep my ocd quiet and tell myself she just opened it prior to me coming in. Then another tech comes in and sees me on the table and asks her if she checked to see if I'm pregnant. Whoopsie. Scramble for the forms. After everything was done,I felt nauseous and like throwing up,but I didn't. I did however have to make two stops on the way home to run like hell for a bathroom and I don't know where they got idea that constipation would be a problem. In Target my feet left the floor and I was whispering to myself oh my god...oh my god..what IS that. I heard the door shut very quietly and I can only assume someone else heard that and took off.

Anywho for my mental issues sake,I'm curious to know do techs set the radiation levels or are they pre-set? I ask because this girl was utterly clueless. Made me wonder if I had just gotten fried.


I don't follow up with my doctor until the 23rd since he is away but I think since I feel so crappy I'll just swing by medical records and get a copy of the report and see whats what. Hopefully nothing bad but something to explain how I've been feeling. Thanks to all of you who posted in this thread,it helped encourage me to go do this and I've needed it for a long time.

Hope you get the answers and relief you need quickly. What a nightmare! :huggy:

Hope you feel better soon. I know its hard to feel bad and run around having tests and doing the leg work yourself. Ahhh... for the good old days when they would admit you for a day or two, schedule needed tests and roll you downstairs to have them.

:coffee:

bcm's wife here.Picked up a copy of the report today and to my surprise it was all completely normal. Didn't show anything - not a hernia,no ulcers,nothing. While I'm glad there wasn't anything bad there I do wish there had been some validation of how I'm feeling.

Sorry didnt read the in between post but did they role out your gallbladder? I had a lot of weird symptoms and even the hospital didn't catch that I had gallstones and a blocked bile duct it was my cardiologist who suggested I go in for an adominal scan.