I am new to this site and I have been looking everywhere to find answers to my problem. And thanks to you all, I think I may have found what I was looking for.
It all started back in Sept. with a
sinus infection. I had been getting
sinus infections in the last 4-5 years during season changes, mostly spring and fall. No hx of
allergies or any breathing problems at all growing up. The doctor gives me Claritin D, Mussinex, and
Augmentin on a Sat. By Sun. morning, I feel left chest pain and it gets worse by the evening. By this time I am also feeling it radiating down my left arm with tingling and numbness. It was after hours so I go to the 24
hr. pharmacy to ask if this was side effects from meds. Pharmacist tell me to go to the ER.
EKG was normal. ER doctor discharged me with "chest pain unspecified". I made appt. with
cardiologist right away. (This was all very scary because I had always had good health,other than colds or flu that I would treat myself, no problems at all.)
He does another
EKG, plus an echo, plus orders
stress test, (everything eventually comes back normal). Tells me to discontinue meds. As soon as I do within 2-3 days no chest pain at all. I blame the pseudophenedrine in the Claritin D. Weeks later another
sinus infection plus flu like symptoms, fever, joint pain, etc. Different
doc gives me
Allegra D and Veramyst. I tell her about
my suspicion of the psedophenedrine. I did not check and Allegra D also has pseudophenedrine.
After a few days on these meds chest pain comes back. I call the doctor, tells me to discontinue Allegra D and start Zyrtek. Pain gets worse. Now pain feels across my chest at times, not just my left. I start having breathing problems while talking. I think it is a panick attack because of my worry of the chest pain. Another ER visit. This time it's severe chest pain on my left side, at times sharp, stabbing pain but nothing down my arm. ER doc discharges me with pleuritic chest pain, orders to take ibuprofin for pain and inflamation. After a few days on ibuprofin, it goes away like the first time. I see an allergist. He tells me to start Veramyst again and orders blood test for allergies. Go back for results, negative for everything! No allergies, but all the symptoms. He tells me 1 out of 4 people with allergy symptoms come back negative for allergies. I tell him about a cough that had lasted me for 2 weeks and how I have them, usually every winter. Dry, unrelenting, triggered by dust, cold wind. He orders a breathing test, tells me I am asmathic. I think he is probably wrong and I argue: never wheezed, no shortness of breath before this last episode of chest pain. It is still hard to belive. He gives me Symbicort to add to the Veramyst for my sinuses. As soon as I start it, I felt the pain again but very slight. At times nothing, and other times more pronnounced. I am still wondering what is the connection to the meds? Everytime I start them (Claritin D, Allegra D, and Symbicort) the pain begins. I do not know if it is just the timing and it is a coincidence, or if something the meds do, provoke the chest pain.
Again, thanks for all the info. I'll keep checking for new posts.