Finding a specific hospital

[Jeff111]

I have been having massive chest pain/pressure for eight months now. Needless to say, I have had a HUGE amount of tests, all negative for anything remarkable.

A few examples: EKG, EKG stress test, echocardiogram, x-rays, CTs, endoscopy, barium swallow, colonoscopy, ultrasound, HIDA test (gallbladder), food allergies, coronary ct scan...

also been run on ppi's, anti-inflammatories, and anti-depression/anti-anxiety meds.

OK, SO THAT IS NOT MY QUESTION, THIS IS:

My doctors are now saying I should check out specialized chest pain clinics/hospitals. They said they would help me with this, but they also said I should start checking out some on my own. Does anyone have any recommendations? About all I have have found for specific, (and almost surely non-cardiac) chest pain is the Mayo Clinic. That is all well and good, just wondering if anyone else had other suggestions?

[Poetrywriter828]

Before going so far as to visit a pain clinic, have you had a cardiologist do a Heart Cath?
I was experiencing the same type of thing and had all the same test as you... they all came back normal... so my doctor told me I was just going to be a chronic pain patient.

Then my mom (who is an RN and a RT) suggested a Heart Cath and the is when they found 3 blockages that none of the other test had shown.

So have you had one of those yet?

[Jaquta]

I have heard people being advised to look at teaching hospitals.

Not sure if that helps.

I guess a lay persons question would be, was there a trigger 8 months ago?  Did anything specific happen?

[medicmommy]

Hi Jeff,
Is there a particular trigger for your episodes? Do you become pale, sweaty, or feel as if you are going to pass out? Is the pain spasmodic? When it occurs does it fluctuate, grow then recede, or persist until you take pain medication that relieves it? Where does it start, and does it go anywhere? Have you ever had a spinal injury at your chest level? Do you have a round face and does it seem to have unusual puffiness at times? have your scans just been of your chest? -Any of your head/pituitary?
There are so many causes of chest pain/pressure -usually the main causes are from cardiac/vascular; GI; psych; or musculoskeletal...But now and then it can be caused by pituitary or thyroid issues, scar tissue from previous surgeries or injuries, or an unusual disease process. -I've even had a patient who had a kidney stone that presented as chest/shoulder pain. Weird, huh? I don't know if this helps much -the causes of pain issues can be quite elusive sometimes...~MM