Finally!

[rpowell01]

Well, well, well, I finally found out what is causing my chest pains, shortness of breath and blood pressure to elevate. I really thought I was going crazy.. I have had the constant chest pains since last April 2010, every day. Well it got to the point I felt myself going downhill and to be honest I didn't think I was going to make it to the end of the year last year. On August 6,2010 I ended up at the ER thinking I was having a heart attack. I explained what I thought was everything to the Doctor. Of course he see's you for the max of 2 minutes then orders all these tests which btw is another topic by itself. They put me on a EKG and did some lab work. For 3 hours they monitored me and then came back to say "Oh you had an Anxiety Attack"...I kept telling myself noway was this Anxiety. I know some of you remember me posting it a few times on hadit.

Then in February a new private MRI found the herniated disc at C5-6. So then a couple of us was thinking okay it is radiculopathy because of the disc herniation. Well here is where things became a little bizarre. Two weeks ago I had a epidural cortisone injection at C6 which btw did help take the tingling away but not the numbess and now my neck is in a lot of pain. It has been a roller coaster of a two weeks, up one day and feel really good only to be down the next day feeling really bad. All in my arms as I speak. BUT, onething that didn't change was the chest pains and the shortness of breath and the elevated blood pressure. Anyway, yesterday I was over in Sarasota for a Voc Rehab appt. and my kids were with me, thank God they were. Well, right after my appointment we jumped in the car and as soon as I got on the road I had this pain to the right of my diaghragm which lasted about a good 30-60 seconds. I never felt this pain before. Remember I only had chest pains 24/7 and some shortness of breath. Well I told my daughter I do not feel good at all and then my face turned pink red she said. It felt like I was dying. I quickly pulled into a 7elevan and handed her the phone. I said if anything happens to me dial 911. We were 1.5 hours away from our house. As soon as I got out of the car I starting feeling a little better. All the way home I just didn't feel good. As soon as I got home i started feeling stick again. Well, I jumped into the car and went to my Doctor who in turn sent me to the ER. At the ER they once again put me on EKG and Vitals, checked my blood but this time there was a good Doctor from Polland there. He did good. He asked me exactly what happened and has I explained to him the details he pushed on the spot where it was hurting for 30-60 seconds but it didn't hurt whenever he did that. Well he ordered a ultrasound on that area and come to find out I have SLUDGE in my GALLBLADDER and that is what is causing all my chest pains, shortness of breath and blood pressure to jump sky high. Just Friday of last week my blood pressure was 120/78...<-----Good dont you think? This is the way it use to be all my life. Anyway after another 3-4 hour stay he told me to go see a Vascular Surgeon to probably have it removed because that is what is causing all my problems in my chest.

Please tell me I am not crazy!!!!! LOL I knew I wasn't and I knew it was a matter of time before the truth came out. Dead or alive the answer would have been found....Seriously though I wrote all of this because my step mother's mother died from the exact same thing but back then they didn't have much to go on. So her gallbladder poisoned her and killed her. I just hope he takes this thing out really soon because 2 days of really bad episodes do it it.

BTW one last symptom I would get after the attack was I would be real gassy and whenever I explained all of this to the nurse over at the vascular place she said Yep that is your gallbladder and DO NOT EAT FATTY FOODS....And come to think about it I ate some homemade TACOS Sunday evening, NICE!!!! Today I ate chicken fried rice========= not good she said....

I learned that everbody's symptoms on the gallbladder is different for some reason, they are kind of grouped but might have one from the other group. An officer at work has the same problem and will have surgery next week and her symptoms are the exact same as mine where others were bent over and was in pain. Weird huh....

[WAC-Vet75]

Rpwell01, I soooooooooo empathize with you! I suffered from Sept 1977 until May 2000 with my gallbladder. GET IT OUT! You will be such a happy camper once it's gone!!! Best of luck to you.

[rpowell01]

WOW I actually suffered since 2005. Had a bad attack then, ruled anxeity (first time). Was at work about 2 years later walking to lunch, boom attack. Last year boom attack, Monday and Tuesday of this week, boom attack. Yes I go see a Vascular Surgeon tomorrow. I am hoping he takes me in Friday because I feel it is killing me because my blood pressure jumping that high 200/100 will cause me to stroke out one of those times.

BTW I might have jumped conclusions on my chest pain thing. The reason why is because it is my pectoral muscle having trigger points which is from my cervical issues. Below the chest I have other pains which is from the gallbladder. I just came back from the Orthopedic Surgeon for my neck. He wants to do surgery now but he wants a dynamic MRI. He said there is one in Tampa but I just don't know if my insurance will pay for it. Hope he is a good talker to the insurance company. I have Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida but they are very picky. I couldn't get a thoracic nor lumbar whenever I had a cervical. The Dynamic MRI he wants will see more true issues because of the pressure on my neck while I am standing plus I move my head from front to back. He said if the others are worse on the MRI he will go in to fix those also.

[Pete53]

You might want to rule out panic attacks. Many times panic attacks are misdiagnosed for years even. Mine were for over 21 years. Got to ride in ambulances and see lots of Docs and emergency rooms.

[rpowell01]

I knew it!!!! I knew I wasn't crazy!!!!

So what were your symptoms Pete53?

Edited April 28, 2011 by rpowell01

[Pete53]

There are a cluster of symptoms associated with panic attacks. For me it started with trouble catching my breath (hyperventilation) and than a cascade in quick order of not being able to stand up, sweating, feeling that I was dying in some attacks I even looked like I was epileptic. When the attack had gone to where I could not control myself I could hear people and was aware of talking and even people talking to me but I could not answer.

The best advice I ever got was to concentrate on taking deep breaths and slowing down breathing during an attack. There is a point in every panic attack that you can back down off it or continue till it is what I call full fledged and I can't get back till some time has passed.

I also carry a couple of 1 mg xanax which I put under my tongue which is the only med I know that can stop a panic attack in progress.

Most of my panic attacks were over in less than 30 minutes. After the attack I would be very weak and usually would go home and crawl into bed and sleep for hours.

During a panic attack my blood pressure would also be very high. Also another thing I found strange was stress had a lot to do with panic attacks for me. Over the years I have removed a lot of the stress from my life which has been a big help.

I know a lot of people via the internet that have panic attacks and it is comforting to learn that we are not crazy.

I also have found that most people who suffer from panic also have some form of depression.

Good Luck

[rpowell01]

Okay tomorrow they will be doing the gallbladder surgery.

After you got your gallbladder taken out did the Anxiety go away? I think this is what is causing me more than my cervical and back issues. I was use to the pain from my neck and back but this stuff with my gallbladder took me to a new level. I hope it all goes away.