Read about the journey that ended my 20 years of suffering with Tietze's Syndrome »Costochondritis and Tietze’s Syndrome: A Heart Attack Waiting in the Wings
Filed under: Tietze's Syndrome Facts | 4 Comments »My article, Costochondritis and Tietze’s Syndrome: A Heart Attack Waiting in the Wings has just been published by Associated Press:
“You feel a pain in your chest. Upon pressing down on your ribs, you become convinced that something in your bones, or along your ribs is causing the pain. You visit the ER and are relieved to find that the doctors think that the pain you are feeling is costochondritis or Tietze’s syndrome. An examination of your ribs cements the diagnosis–when a resident presses on your ribs, your chest hurts like hot stabbing knives are being twisted into them. Unknown to you and your doctor, a diagnosis of costochondritis does not rule out a more serious condition: two hours later you are in surgery, after suffering from a heart attack.”
Read the rest of this article on the AP website.
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what do I need to do to get rid of this. Please, please tell me.
Kathi, It runs its course and eventually it will go away, or subside to a level you can live with. Check out the treatments post for some options for pain relief–Good luck! Stephanie
For two years now, I have regularly been waking up with pins and needles in my lower left arm, which go after I’ve moved it about a bit. Obviously, my first thought was that it might be a heart problem, but I had FOUR ECGs over the course of the next 2 years plus a blood test, all of which showed no heart abnormality. I also had a CT Scan which showed no neurological explanation.
Two weeks ago, I started to have burning twinges in my chest, only lasting less than a second but still worrying. Last Sunday, it started to get worse. Every time I started to doze off to sleep, I would be awoken suddenly by a pain that could occur anywhere between my shoulders and nipple line, and I would wake up with my left side throbbing fast in time with my heartbeat. I went to my gp, she took my blood pressure – normal – and listened to my heart on the stethoscope and said my symptoms were nothing more than a virus that would clear in ten days.
I had two nights of reasonable sleep with Nurofen painkillers, but this Saturday night I had NO sleep at all as this happened constantly every time I tried to go to sleep. On one occasion, the pain seemed to roll from my breastbone to my left shoulder, other times it was under my left arm or at the bottom of my ribcage.
I’ve constantly been feeling tightness around my breastbone during this, and moderate shortness of breath but during the day, pain is manageable and I get on with my day. It is at night when this takes over.
This Sunday I went to hospital emergency, as I was really afraid I was about to have a heart attack. I had two further ECGs, also blood pressure, pulse and temperature. ALL of these tests were normal results. The doctor said he thought the problem was in my chest wall, not my heart, maybe ‘muscular skeletal’ but couldn’t diagnose me, as Emergency doctors are only there to prevent any immediate threat. He advised me to go back to my GP. I have a new appointment this week, but last night I could not sleep again. It feels like extreme indigestion in my upper chest, also pain under my left armpit, and waking up with my upper body throbbing.
Any ideas what this might be? Repeat ALL ECGs and blood pressure are normal, the ER Dr thinks it isn’t the heart, I don’t smoke, occasionally drink and do have a fatty diet but am starting to cut back on both. And a CT scan in spring 2008 showed nothing wrong. So it could be Tietze’s syndrome?
Matthew, it’s possible, but to be sure, make sure you see a rheumatologist for a proper diagnosis. I’m glad to hear it isn’t you heart! Stephanie