Chills/Shivering/Chest Pain

Question

Hello: I'm a 54 year old male...I started getting the shivers/chills through my body about a month ago and still have them everyday all day!!! have also had chest pains for just about a year now and they can't find anything. They got so bad on Monday night 5/12/08 I went to the ER and they kept me over night and did some more testing; found nothing. They did find some spine problems about 2 years ago and I don't know if that has anything to do with these problems. I've also had all kinds of blood work done, 2 chest xrays 2 stress test and thet can't find anything wrong. My wife and the doctors think I'm nuts! I got a rash on different parts of my body around the same time as the shivering started (six weeks ago or so.) Any Ideas? This is driving me crazy...

Somnifer · Answer

Thank you all for sharing; it's comforting to know that others have had similar symptoms.  I'm a 50-year-old white male, and I've awakened four times recently feeling cold, even though the temperature was around 70 degrees.  Then the shivering started, usually in the rib muscles, then spreading over the whole body with a mild muscular constriction that made it a little hard to swallow.  The trembling felt like some sort of mild seizure and would last about 12-15 minutes.  On each occasion I had eaten at one or another of several MSG-free, authentic Chinese restaurants earlier in the day, which seems too much for coincidence.  I'm hoping that these are transient allergic reactions to something I have eaten, although the accompanying anxiety attacks have caused a vicious fear cycle which causes me to anticipate the chills and shivering when I go to bed.  The fear of recurrence is almost worse than the shivering itself and has caused symptoms of its own.  I don't think it is purely an anxiety attack, nor hypoglycemia, for I have had those and I am familiar with them.  Does anybody know what it might be?  Thanks.

Steve1906 · Answer

Thank you: I've had both Lyme and Thyroid tested 2 times. I think the doc has only test lyme for TSH not sure???

DrNoopurMD · Answer

Hi,

There is a possibility that this could be some kind of allergic reaction. Since you have also mentioned appearance of rash. Allergic reaction can cause chills and shivering. I would suggest you to schedule an appointment with a specialist as soon as you can.

SwanSong · Answer

Could be all kinds of things ... Have you had your thyroid tested? You'll need a TSH, FT3, FT4, and thyroid anti-bodies done.

A normal TSH for 95% of the population is around 1.5. Anything over 3.0 is suspect for hypothyroidism.

Symptoms of hypothyroidism: chest pain, feeling cold when others are warm, cold intolerance, hair loss, rashes, fatigue, exercise intolerance, swelling of hands and feet, premature greying of hair, decreased appetite yet gaining weight, insomnia or hypersomnia, blurry vision, etc.

Have you been exposed to ticks? There's another option of Lyme's Disease.

Steve1906 · Answer

I've had this same problem since April 2008. It feels like body is shivering all the time and the only thing thats helps is walking. I'm alway freezing cold and very sensitive to any type of breeze or airconditioner. I also have had sinus problems since April - crusting everyday and bleeding everyday. Also a rash since April on my Stomach that comes and goes mostly stays. They did two Biopsy and both can back okay. It's all driving me crazy!!! I've had MRI Sprine & Brain and tons of blood work that all came back fine. They put me on prozac three weeks ago thinking it was depression but I'm still freezing to death and the prozac didn't help. 
How you feeling today? Better I hope!  
Any one have any throghts on this?

Thanks!!! Roy