I recently had to be rushed to the ER with chest pains and difficulty breathing. It was not a heart attack. They're pretty sure it's something called pericarditis. Anyway, I'm going to the cardiologist this afternoon for further testing. I would really appreciate any positive thoughts you could send my way.

My chest still hurts, and I still have trouble breathing, so finding out exactly what's causing this and figuring out a way to make it stop would be a great relief. If it really is pericarditis, there may be nothing that can be done.

Sigh... I just want to feel better.

Thanks! less

Hello everyone,

My cardiologist determined that it was not pericarditis, and he was afraid that it might be blood clots in either my heart or lungs so he sent me to hospital again. I had to stay in the hospital overnight while they did all sorts of tests on me. They determined through cat scans and stress tests and various other tests that it was not blood clots. Most of my tests came back within the normal range, however, there are some really weird things going on with my blood sugar apparently.

Anyway, after determining that as far as they could tell, my life was not in immediate danger, they sent me home this evening. The current theory is that the problem is caused by a viral infection in my pleural cavity (basically the area around my lungs and heart).

I'm feeling better tonight, still in a bit of pain, but I'm breathing easier. I am supposed to see my regular doctor about the blood sugar issues and return to my cardiologist in two weeks for follow-up tests. So... that's what's going on.

Thanks for all of your support. less

Hello everyone,

My cardiologist determined that it was not pericarditis, and he was afraid that it might be blood clots in either my heart or lungs so he sent me to hospital again. I had to stay in the hospital overnight while they did all sorts of tests on me. They determined through cat scans and stress tests and various other tests that it was not blood clots. Most of my tests came back within the normal range, however, there are some really weird things going on with my blood sugar apparently.

Anyway, after determining that as far as they could tell, my life was not in immediate danger, they sent me home this evening. The current theory is that the problem is caused by a viral infection in my pleural cavity (basically the area around my lungs and heart).

I'm feeling better tonight, still in a bit of pain, but I'm breathing easier. I am supposed to see my regular doctor about the blood sugar issues and return to my cardiologist in two weeks for follow-up tests. So... that's what's going on.

Thanks for all of your support. less

Hello everyone,

My cardiologist determined that it was not pericarditis, and he was afraid that it might be blood clots in either my heart or lungs so he sent me to hospital again. I had to stay in the hospital overnight while they did all sorts of tests on me. They determined through cat scans and stress tests and various other tests that it was not blood clots. Most of my tests came back within the normal range, however, there are some really weird things going on with my blood sugar apparently.

Anyway, after determining that as far as they could tell, my life was not in immediate danger, they sent me home this evening. The current theory is that the problem is caused by a viral infection in my pleural cavity (basically the area around my lungs and heart).

I'm feeling better tonight, still in a bit of pain, but I'm breathing easier. I am supposed to see my regular doctor about the blood sugar issues and return to my cardiologist in two weeks for follow-up tests. So... that's what's going on.

Thanks for all of your support. less

I recently had to be rushed to the ER with chest pains and difficulty breathing. It was not a heart attack. They're pretty sure it's something called pericarditis. Anyway, I'm going to the cardiologist this afternoon for further testing. I would really appreciate any positive thoughts you could send my way.

My chest still hurts, and I still have trouble breathing, so finding out exactly what's causing this and figuring out a way to make it stop would be a great relief. If it really is pericarditis, there may be nothing that can be done.

Sigh... I just want to feel better.

Thanks! less

Ivy it seems like we have a lot of similarities in life, even health problems. I have chest pain from time to time and have had tests done to check it out that have never found anything.

Where they respectful to you? I always feel so stupid when I leave and they can't find anything and tell me it's just anxiety. (I know the difference between an anxiety attack and something not normal for me) .

I hope they figure out that's wrong and you get better. <3 less

Sorry to hear you had to spend the night in the hospital - that is awful. I really hope they'll be able to find *something* somewhere. It's really scary to deal with such health issues, and not finding a reason why is even more frustrating. Sending good thoughts your way! less

So glad they didnt just dismiss you and tell you it was anxiety. I get that every time I go to the doctor and hospital. Its frustrating, Im like Ive had anxiety attacks for 10 plus years I know the difference.

Glad youre doing ok. Hope you have an even quicker recovery, I was hoping youd post an update and was worried when you didnt. less

I hope that you feel better soon and that you can get a definitive diagnosis. I agree: It is definitely less scary when your condition has a name! That which is nameless and unidentified cannot be properly addressed and treated. Also, the imagination tends to go to the scariest places to provide answers to what is unknown.

I perfectly understand how it is to have something wrong yet have medical professionals stumped for a while in determining the source of my symptoms. I had always thought that an MRI would reveal just about anything, but I was once sent home from the ER after an MRI didn't reveal anything. I knew that I was not crazy and that my pain was real, yet I felt abandoned by the medical community. I returned to the ER suffering from the same horrible pain three days later, and the doctor ordered a nuclear imaging test that time--and they then located the source of the trouble, and I had surgery to remove it. Part of the diagnostic process is knowing which test to order. If the wrong test is ordered, you can get a false negative. And even if the right test is ordered, you can still get a false negative (as I got with the MRI, which should have revealed my problem).

I realize your case is different, but I just wanted to share to give you hope. I also wanted to encourage you to not be afraid to get the opinion of a second cardiologist (and perhaps even a third--even if you have to travel somewhere else to see one). A fresh set of eyes and a slightly different approach, perspective, and thought process from another professional could be very beneficial. You may very well have an excellent doctor, but s/he cannot be all-knowing and perfect in diagnostic skills--no one is! Therefore, your doctor should not be offended if you seek a second opinion. I highly encourage you to do so.

You may also seriously consider getting the opinion of a pulmonologist. Pulmonary problems can present as chest pain (as can gastrointestinal problems, so if you rule out heart and lung problems, you might want to visit a gastroenterologist). I hope this is resolved soon, though, so you don't have to go through so many doctors just to get a diagnosis.

Good luck, hon. less