Chest Pain and Blood Clots PLEASE PLEASE help

[chl_hobbs]

Hi all,
Im really freaking out and getting so scared again. Last week when i was at my mums she took me to a+e because i had chest pain (like a stabbing pain in the side on my left rib cage). They did an xray and standard bloods. It all came back as ok, and he sent me home saying if it got worse to come back. I came back home at the weekend (the pain had gone), but yesterday again my upper back and right side were hurting - all the time like a sharp stabby pain.I was on edge all day and was on the verge of a panic attack. Then this morning, it had moved to the centre of my chest - in between my breasts and again some pain (but not as much) in my right side of ribcage. I took myself back to a+e and the DR was lovely and very helpful. I had obs done (temp was up and HR was sky high)and i had an ECG (normal).He didnt send me for an xray because the one 6days ago was clear but he said he thought it was mainly muscular pain (i didnt believe him). He could see i was really anxious and said 'what would you like me to do to help rest your mind'? I said 'A D-Dimer test' because i know that it can help detect blood clots in 95% of suspected patients.

He said 'sure' and did one.

When it came back though, he told me it was negative and i felt so relieved...BUT he gave me the paper with the result on it and i suddenly got upset because the normal range is 0-300 and mine was 294.... I said 'its only 6 off' and he said 'no it's negative, it's fine.' He said if it was like 900 he would be worried, but its fine.

It hasnt stopped me worrying

My pain is still sharp, and is still between my breasts (cleavage area deep within chest). Im so scared, i convinced myself i have a clot and even though it was negative i keep thinking that it was so close to the 300 that i must have one!!! He tried to tell me that it really isnt and that it IS negative, and im still scared.

PLEASE someone, what could this be? Im only 28, normal weight, had major emergency abdominal surgery 5months ago after a surgeon cut my spleen accidentally (when my HA started). Please help me.
Charlotte x

[swgrl09]

I can't diagnose you, but from my own personal experience I have had muscular pain that has felt like this. It is so hard to believe the doctors when you have anxiety. But I would trust your doc, he did the right tests.

[Stormsky]

I get sharp knife like pains in my ribcage, centre chest too... I dont have HA though, so all the aches and pains dont really bother me, i just put it down to anx.... yesterday, i had aches in both legs, really bad chest pains, that hurt more when breathing.... but ive had them before, and ignore them...
I can understand your not trusting the docs, after what happened to you a few months ago... and maybe because of that mistake ( cutting your spleen) that subconsciously you think docs all make lots of mistakes all the time, and have been making mistakes with your test results lately...
Ref the test that scored 294 - if thats in the normal range then accept that... its not as if he said, 'if it was 350 id be worried...' he said if it was 900 id be worried,and thats miles away from you low score of 294... so sounds like its only bad if its near the 900 mark from what he commented...

[screwpanic]

recent surgery can also cause elevated levels

[chl_hobbs]

thanks guys, i just hate this. if its not one thing, its something else, and i actually HAVE pain, so i know it's not all in my head.I have lost faith in the nhs, and every dr i see i end up leaving with some sort of doubt in my head. The dr i saw today though was brilliant. How many drs would say 'What can i do for you to help?' He was willing to do whatever would settle my mind and in my head all i wanted was the d-dimer blood test. So why it isnt enough i dont know. He even said to me i could double check with his boss if i wanted a second opinion, so i knew that he was right or he wouldnt have offered that.

I just want to not have these pains. I can just about cope with the abdominal pain after the surgery (5months ago) but anything else makes me flip. I keep getting loads of uti's, i always have a high temperature, my heart rate is 100+ whenever im at the drs (goes to 80-90 at home), i have endometriosis, diverticulitis and now obviously a massive scar down my abdomen after the emergency surgery where i also lost half the blood in my body.

Its hell. Im so scared. I hope i dont have a clot or anything else..

[daisydoo]

I can really relate. My ha started after my c section went wrong and i ended up on hdu and have lost trust and question everything. But looking from outsider, your bloodtests were fine. Even 6 under is totally normal. A&e are cluded up on what to look for. My heart rate is the same and so is my bp. I have to have a cystoscopy soon and am dreading it. i have definitely not been the same since my section but we have both had major surgery so things take time to settle. I did get a debrief after mine where i could ask questions. They seemed to be concerned i wasnt going to sue them but it did help a bit. Have you had any answers? Most of mine couldnt be answered really but i did read my notes. Take care xx

---------- Post added at 21:49 ---------- Previous post was at 21:39 ----------

Oh and an ecg can show a clot. I had one the night before my surgery and the docs thought i had one from that. I hadnt actually thought i had at that point. But a medical doctor was called to maternity and she said it wasnt. I was upset at this point and she said that if i had it would definitely show on the ecg. And although my ecg was abnormal which was what the maternity docs had seen when the medic saw it who is looking at ecgs all day she could tell exactly what it was. Apparently abnormal is normal for me! Hence my heart related obsession starting. I also have stabbing pains all over my chest. Hate it. And i have a pressure in my chest throat. Pain in my shoulder. Drive myself mad x

[chl_hobbs]

Thankyou so much. I woke up this morning and still have the pain. This is the third day in a row now so obviously my HA is at an all time high. When pain is in the chest i really get upset... I keep thinking about work (my sick pay runs out next month-im a teacher) and how we wont be able to survive on my partner's wages alone and all the pressure is on me to get back to work. I just dont see how im going to be able to when i feel like this pretty much every day. I just want to run away from it. Please, I know i keep going on, but do you think i could have a PE or a DVT? Or does it sound muscular (it doesnt feel it, but then i dont know how that would feel in the chest anyway). Its in the centre of my chest, inbetween my breasts just down a bit... Where is the pain of a PE felt? It doesnt especially hurt when i breathe in, just all the time... Sorry to go on and on. x

[amandaj]

i had 2 pe and i couldnt even walk the pain was so bad ,it does sound muscular and sounds like the dr was good and if he said tests were ok he knows tc amandaxx

[chl_hobbs]

I know, sorry amanda, I just think the fact the d dimer was 294 instead of something much lower hasnt helped me...typical! I know a negative's a negative, but i been stupidly googling, and even on here, and people have been saying anything over 250 is worrying etc etc.. whereas some people say anything over 500 is worrying. The range at the hospital said 0-300, just wish mine was lower than 294 :( Where was your pE pain ?

[screwpanic]

If you had a pe you would know about it, you clearly don't have any other symptoms of a pe. If the Dr had any suspicion you had one then you would not have been allowed home.