Pain in chest, shoulder and left arm

I don't have costo and I get this. Did you by chance do something like clean all of a shower in one day with the same arm? That took me to the ER once, and the doc even thought it looked like I dislocated my shoulder. nope just fibro.

I figured that from then on I really had t ostart disciplining myself, Doing les in one day on some chores, and alternating hands/arms. That was bad. Sorry you had to go thru it. if I use one too much I'll have little particularly sore spots in my chest, and all that other stuff you mention.

Seems like from then on my deltoids started acting up more. Deltoids are the top of the arm, three muscles, front middle and back. There were chores I did that after I finished I immediately changed to a button down shirt, or I knew I wouldn't be able to raise my arm to get a shirt off later. Fibro is a weird beast.

By the way, if your RX coverage is good, I love these things called the flector patch. Otherwise voltaren gel has the same med for cheaper. The patch is best. Steady coverage for 12 hrs. Post divorce, I'm gonna see if I can get patient assistance for the patch. I was at the ER recently and got an RX and to my horror it was over 200 bucks at walmart pharmacy ($232? $282?). I didn't get them. Waah.

Post Edited (Rockon) : 5/8/2014 8:51:55 PM (GMT-6)

That's what my costo was like when I was dx'd. Included an ambulance trip to the ER because when one is over 40, has crushing pain and pressure on the chest and upper back, and pain/numbness in the arm, one does not take chances (plus, my husband had a heart attack 10 years ago, so we're well aware of the signs).

The chest pain and pressure comes and goes but it's one of the many small things that can flare up. But the cardiologist I saw when following up from the hospital visit was the third doctor I had seen in 5 months who said, "Have you ever been evaluated for Fibromyalgia?" He said he saw a lot of patients with costo and it was so often linked to fibro that he always wound up recommending a visit to the rheumatologist for costo sufferers.

The shoulder/back pain was fibro (again, in retrospect).

The arm pain/neck pain/numbness was from a herniated disc in my neck (c6-c7), which we hadn't even looked for (although I had been regularly seeing an orthopedist for almost two years).

I think you're right -- GERD can definitely trigger and aggravate costo flares: Spicy food -> GERD -> more pain, lack of sleep, worse apnea -> costo/fibro flare -> more pain, lack of sleep....and that's where we get into that recursive loop.

Be gentle on yourself. I hope you pull out of your loop! Or the loop breaks down and you can escape, just for today.

(some days, when the loop seems to be an impenetrable prison wall, I think, maybe I can just find one weak spot where I can start digging with my spoon...)

Hopingforbetter- I am glad your feeling better. The pain you described is very common with fibromites. I remember having pain shoot through my breast like an electrical shock several times a day. Just crazy how fibro attacks so many things in our body.

Magnesium, vitamin D and your exercise are so important. It really makes a difference with pain. We're just human and it's easy to fall off our treatment program from time to time. Sometimes we never know why our pain flares up.

Don't let them put that in your head about anxiety. Yes, we can get it do to pain and a normal person would too. I have Dr's think I was somatic in my symptoms because I have so many. I guess they don't know fibro very well.

Lots of heat helps my pain. Have you ever tried voltaren gel? I like it and it works well. My Dr. Told me about a med she can order that is much better then voltaren gel. It's a compound drug mix with several things. It cost me about $50 after Medicare pays. Haven't tried it yet.

I hope you have a good day. Glad your off to a better start.

Post Edited (ak angel) : 5/9/2014 10:33:01 AM (GMT-6)

Akangel, I would like to know the name of the med you mentioned, if you wuld try to remember next time ur in to the docs office.. thanks!