now it's starting to affect my life

The pain I'm experiencing right now is overwhelming.  It radiates from the upper abdomen, right where it meets my chest.  I was grocery shopping when it got really bad.  It was when I got to the checkout.  I went to grab some tiny item from my cart to place on the conveyor belt, when the pain struck me like something I've never felt.  The pain had been mild for a couple of days before this.  Anyway, I struggled to maintain my composure as I started to grab one thing at a time out of my cart.  I thought I was going to have to grab someone and have them call an ambulance.  I hate to make a scene, so somehow I managed to get to my car.  Placing the groceries inside the car was absolutely horrible.  Even thought the pain was just below the chest, and not right on the chest, I was kind of worried I was having a heart attack.  I sat in my car, and breathed heavily.  It took me several tries to get my gearshift into reverse.  Everytime I moved the pain peirced me. 

The question I have, is "have any of you had this pain before?"  I was not able to move, stand or sit without horrible pain.  I'm slightly better now.  I can't get in to see a rhuemy for 3 weeks.  All tests from nuero came back normal.  I ended up in the ER this time at 4am Sunday morning, and they did several tests as well.  All MRIs are clean.

One thing worth mentioning: hydrocodone is helping a great deal.  Does this drug help with anyone else's fibro pain?  I was under the impression that this drug was useless against fibro.  I think this pain my be due to muscle spasms. 

Thanks gain for all your help.

Thanks, once again, for all of your support.   

I hope you get better soon.

luv and hugs

Marlee

thanks so much for sharing.  Sorry you are having to go through all that pain.  I will definitely tell my Rhuemy about this latest episode and let everyone know what they say.  I hope you feel better real soon.

Marlee,

When I googled my symptoms, costochondristis did come up.  I was thinking that is probably what is going on.  However, my sternum isn't sore, and the pain isn't really on my chest, it's right below my chest.  And about the emergency appt thing, I could not believe what they said!  I called my regular doctor, and her nurse called several Rhuemy's, and none of them considered the fact that I couldn't move and could barely breathe an emergency.  I didn't understand that at all.  My doc called in a prescription for hydrocodone, and that is helping, plus I think I'm getting better.  Sorry you had to end up in the ER on Christmas Eve!  What a bummer.

I've always worked out 3-4 days a week, and that's what I really want to get back to.  I had just gotten to the point where I was working out again (just light workouts), when all this happened.  I jogged a mile 2-3 days before this happened, so maybe that's what set it off.  However, one week prior, I helped a friend move, which involved moving very heavy slate for a pool table.  I seemed fine with that.  Who knows :)

Rob, my husband died at 51 years old.  He was having chest pains, for two years, and the doctors ran a few minor tests and said it was stress.  They were wrong.

So, when I started having problems I saw my doctor right away.  He did an electrocardiogram, an echocardiogram, an ultrasound of my heart, and had me wear a monitor for 24 hours.  My heart was fine so now I don't worry when I have those symptoms.  It does give you peace of mind to be checked out, instead of guessing.

Sherrine