Possible Heart Damage

[realdeal777]

I'm 44.  I recently went to doctor after a period of feeling off, not right, wiped out really, but restless at same time.  I also have pain in my nodes under my left arm every day.  Most of my symptoms started within months of each other, going on a year now.  I have also not had periods at all.  I also have a pain over the top right- left breast (right where a valve is I believe) that hurts when I cough or move my upper body.  Almost like a broken rib - but not as painful.  I't prevelent enought that when I cough, I try to lessen the effect, to stop the pain.   I am aware of the dull ache there most always.  I do not smoke, I have Asthma.  My lungs are clear according to a recent film.   I also have palpitations, sometimes pretty bad lasting for 15 seconds, they make me dizzy.    I was shocked to find out after a round of blood tests that,  I have a positve ANA test, I'm in early meno pause and I now take Folgard RX for a MTHFR deficiency.  I don't have bad cholesterol, but do have high  homocysteine levels. The Folgard has done wonders to get my pep back, really, it was a cure.  However, I still have the pain in my chest, recently had an Mammogram showing a BI RAD's 3 - left side, in which I'm going to surgeon on Tuesday for a small lesion, (PS my mom has breast cancer, dad died of lung cancer and cornery heart disease - he had a heart attack and died 3 months later, shortly after lung surgery).  My left arm pit hurts every day.  One other thing that may be nothing is the occassional sharp pain head aches also starting around the same time the other symtoms started.  I feel like this is a case for Dr. House.  

My doctor scheduled me to have a Nuclear stress test, and a Echo cardiogram, but my insurance will not authorize it, I just got that letter in the mail yesterday.  Here's what they wrote"  There is no documentation or cardiac risk factors, heart murmur or irregularity in heart rhythm noted on EKG.  I have not had an EKG and it is my understanding, that it's hard to pick stuff up on those, especially for women.  

What do you think is wrong with me?  What should my doctor tell the insurance company?  She is a great doctor, a family doctor.  

[erijon]

Ireneo is correct, you should see a Rheumatologist with a positive ANA test. Did you get your RA factor tested as well? If not you should. I have fought chest pain for 3 years and about a year ago had some blood work that showed a positive ANA result and an RA factor of 30. These are positive results for rheumatory arthritis and one of the places you can feel the pain is in the costal joints in your rib cage. Over the 2 years prior to the dx, I underwent every test one can have on their heart except a cath, all normal. When they treated my RA these pains went away, it may be worth a shot for you to get it checked out.

Good luck,

Jon

[ireneo]

You're in early menopause which is always a rough ride. I'm glad to have finally arrived at the real deal. What a relief.

What jumps out at me is your positive ANA test. Have you followed up with a rheumatologist to check for connective tissue or immune system disorders? Perhaps something is going on there (fibromyalgia, scleroderma, lupus, etc). There are some muscle/skeletal things that can cause quite a bit of chest pain too yet you can have a wonderful, healthy heart. Still hurts though.

Do follow up with the breast issue and I hope you get more and better answers soon. Don't give up.