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I am a 30 yr old female. I am not under any more stress than I've been for the past 5 years. Stress is not the cause of this. I have been diagnosed with allergy caused/related asthma, which my Dr. Says will completely go away with time. I am currently under 5 different meds. Allegra, singulair, serevent, Q-var, xanaflex. She had me on Wellbuterin which I just stopped a couple of weeks ago on my own. I have also stopped the xanaflex, which doesn't help at all & makes me very irritable. I still have chest muscle spasms almost daily. I am unable to breathe during these spasms. All I can do is hold my breath. The pain starts in center of each side of chest, surges through to armpit, travels to elbow & either my arm goes numb or aches. This lasts about 5 - 15 minutes each time, after which, my chest feels sore & bruised. This happens on both sides of my chest. The first time I thought I was having a heart attack. I went to the emergency room & was told "You're too young to worry about this, you're too young to have a heart attack." (Male Dr. of coarse, it's been my experience & many other women I know that feel like male Dr's think everything's in our heads, even though you can SEE the asthma on my lungs on the x-ray) I used to smoke, not much at all, only 1 or 2 cigs a day. I haven't had one for a month now. These spasms have been going on for 6 months now. They did not start until I started all these stupid meds. Now, I have flu-like symptoms every day & this is making work very difficult for me. They've been going on for a couple weeks now. Right now I feel as if there's a cinder block crushing my lungs. I called my Dr's office, & she just wants to precribe me some Flexerol. I think I'm being overmedicated. What do you suggest? I only have an HMO & will only go to female Dr's. I have had nothing but bad experiences with male Dr's, enough to scar me for life, so suggesting I just change Dr's would be more difficult for me than you think. Do you have any idea what I can do about these pains? Are they caused by the steroids in the serevent? My Dr. can't seem to tell me when she can take me off some of this stuff. It's driving me nuts. The asthma was easier to deal with than all these side effects. I'm afraid they are missing something important. I'd hate to be one of those 30 yr old statists that just die from a heart attack for no apparent reason in my sleep. Each time I'm at the Dr's office, I'm rushed out the door. I hardly have a chance to discuss the side effects with her. I do not have a history of major medical problems. I just feel as if she can't figure out the problem, or she's just too busy to deal with it, so she slaps a handfull of prescriptions in my hands & pushes me on my way. That's not what I want. I need answers.
In Reply to: Chest muscle spasms - over medicated? posted by K on October 01, 2002 at 11:18:25:
Hi, K.
Can't you see that the only thing your doc is doing is suppressing your symptoms????
See the LGS archives and the allergy archives to start with.
Let us know what you learn.
By the way, your definition of "stress" is very outdated! Go to the home page article "Modern Medical Interpretation of Stress" and let us know what you learn from that.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: Chest muscle spasms - over medicated? (Archive in stress.) posted by Walt Stoll on October 02, 2002 at 07:53:25:
I first want to start off by apologizing for my innappropriate comment towards all male Dr.s in general. I shouldn't have typecast you all that way & I am embarrased for broadcasting my feelings in such a manner.You've proved me wrong.
Secondly, I want to thank you for your research suggestions. I did read the Mod. Med. Interpretation of stress & it was very enlightening. My co-workers should read it!It makes a lot of sense & it definitely refers to me. I said previously that I am in no more stress then 5 years ago, which feels true, but the reason for my comment was because I've been had an anxiety problem all of my life, to the extent that it keeps me up all night. I have to take a Melatonin - which I swear by - any night in which I need to get up early for work the next day. I've had many people make the comment that they think stress is the cause of my illnesses, yet these symptoms did not start until my Dr. added 3 more meds to my already growing list she has me on. I'd much rather take a hollistic approach to this asthma.
I've also read quite a few articles on LGS. I am assuming that's the Leaky gut syndrome. It makes sence too, but I do not feel as though my symptoms are near as severe as many who feel they have it. My main concern right now is the pain in the center of my chest that lags all day long, you know, the cinder block feeling. It feels as if it's draining the last bit of energy right out of me, even before lunch each day. It usually begins as I prepare to leave for work & it's not gone until I've fallen asleep. That very well could be an acid reflux problem, I've had it before I ever knew about the asthma.It was very short lived.
My question: if you knew of a Dr whom you are familiar with in my area, would you be able to refer/release their name to me to look up? I reside in Jacksonville, Florida. I ask this because I truely believe that my Dr would prefer to medicate rather than investigate, & it's getting a little old. I'd like to find a Dr. that would run & review the tests before handing out meds & one that would be fine with natural (herbal) remedies as much as the prescription meds. At this point, I'm so uncomfortable, I think I'd go to almost any Dr. if I knew they would be able to alleviate & cure these side effects.
In Reply to: Re: Chest muscle spasms - over medicated? (Archive in stress.) posted by K on October 02, 2002 at 12:42:32:
Stress comes in many forms, not just working, living, etc. Chemical stressors can play a role also, so having the symptoms start after 3 more medications added to the cocktail makes sense.
In Reply to: Re: Chest muscle spasms - over medicated? (Archive in stress.) posted by K on October 02, 2002 at 12:42:32:
If you read the article, then you wouldn't have posted this follow-up message. You would be reading what Dr. Stoll told you to read and finding out how you can get yourself well and take a holistic, wellness approach.
It seems you don't want to get past having a Dr. manage your problems. Your second paragraph contradicts itself, and if you just read the first paragraph of the article carefully and understand it, you will see how funny your response is.
In Reply to: Re: Chest muscle spasms - over medicated? (Archive in stress.) posted by Stessor on October 02, 2002 at 13:11:28:
Stresser - Why do you bother wasting everyone's time by posting rude replys? We're on this site searching for help. No-one cares what you think - we're here to see what Dr. Stoll has to say & you obviously didn't read my postings very well, or you're too narrow minded to read between the lines. I read the articles - you apparently don't have any idea what you are talking about.
In Reply to: Re: Chest muscle spasms - over medicated? (Archive in stress.) posted by K on October 02, 2002 at 14:09:50:
Not rude, just matter-of-fact, to the point. You do have much more stress than 5 years ago. But, you don't understand what stress consists of. That's why I don't think you read or comprehended the article.
In Reply to: Re: Chest muscle spasms - over medicated? (Archive in stress.) posted by K on October 02, 2002 at 12:42:32:
Thanks, K.
One of the first things we are taught in medical school is that once a patient gets on 3 or more medications they will invaribly get better just by stopping everything. Of course this not true of the few life-saving drugs like digitalis, etc. The accumulation of side effects and the combination of drug interactions is the cause of this.
What medications are you taking that are more than symptom suppressors???? ALL symptom suppressors could be safely stopped just to see how you would do without them.
Walt
In Reply to: Chest muscle spasms - over medicated? posted by K on October 01, 2002 at 11:18:25:
I am 25yrs. old and I have these symtoms and all the Doc. tell me is that it is stress and I dont think thats what it is either and Im also on med. I take Xannax to help me not panic when these things happen to me I have a Heart Murmur but they say that it is mild and I know alot of people who have heart murmurs and they have problems but nothing like me so I know what you are talking about.Please e-mail me back and we can stay in touch.
In Reply to: Re: Chest muscle spasms - over medicated? posted by susan carter on November 18, 2002 at 17:51:13:
Hi, Susan.
Your doc is probably right. There can be no harm doing what will reverse this cause and prove him wrong.
Why not learn about bracing and what to do about it. See the glossary for any unfamiliar terms and the archives until you begin to see how this all sticks together.
Let us know what you learn and how you do.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: Chest muscle spasms - over medicated? posted by Walt Stoll on November 19, 2002 at 08:44:07:
i have had chest pain for over six months and am geting no relief. the drs think it might be stress but i am at my wits end. i have this feeling there is a brick on my chest always. day and night. i have had a chest xray,stress test, ekgs, chest mri, head mri and cat scan, blood work, now the GI dr. wants to do an endoscopy. i wake up every night with hot flashes, headaches. can u help me ??? please. i just want to feel good again, thanks.
In Reply to: Re: Chest muscle spasms - over medicated? posted by carole brown on November 25, 2002 at 13:36:15:
Carole,
You could learn as much from using the GRJ as you probably could learn from the endoscopy (He is looking for GERD.)
Has anyone mentioned costochondritis to you? See the archives.
Let us know what you learn.
Walt
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