Totally in pain today even with those perky Percocets. I took one at 7 AM and took another at 11 AM.

[Radio_Lady]

Please send me some good vibes, or a PM. I'm really terrified of what is happening. Trying not to be downcast, since I really know nothing after almost two months of heart tests and intermittent talks with my primary doctor and a couple of specialists. I'm trying not to think dark thoughts, but... at this point, I could be convinced that I am really in trouble.

UPDATE: On June 2, we returned from Europe. June 6, I went to the Emergency Room with chest pain of unknown etiology (cause). Doctor gave me nitroglycerin, and put me on 600 mg. Motrin for the pain.

I got worked up for heart related problems, underwent a Thallium stress test, and saw a cardiologist, who suggested exercise and weight reduction. It isn't my heart, he said... and let it go at that.

On the fourth of July, I found myself in the Emergicenter, where another nice young doctor worked me up for heart problems. Again, negative results. However, my C-K level is at 1545, which I think indicates inflammation SOMEWHERE.

Last week, the pain in my chest coursed out of control. I called my doctor and requested codeine in cough syrup, which he refilled for me. It seems to be the fastest way into my blood stream.

He also reauthorized the painkillers, which I had used during my bout with back pain. (Isn't this fascinating? It's a big organ recital, for you music lovers.)

A few days ago, I realized there has been no REAL FIRM diagnosis since last February, and surmised this was my gastric reflux disease, creating massive under the sternum and referring out to other odd places, including the middle of my upper back.

I've doubled my daily dose of omeprazole and now am scheduled for an office visit next Friday, and booked for gastric endoscopy on Monday, July 30.

I don't need or want medical advice. I just hope it isn't the big "C" coming to get me.

Hold my hand until the tests are over. I am such a "wuss" because this will require conscious sedation. I've had the test before, on 1990, when I had the original diagnosis. So, I've lived a pretty good life with GERD for 17 more years.

You guys are great for the spirit --

Have a good weekend.

[TheFriendlyAnarchist]

1. ,

:hug:

[Radio_Lady]

2. Thanks, Friendly Anarchist. I'm enjoying your hug and one from my sweet husband, too.

BLACK THOUGHTS...

He buried his first wife, dead of stomach cancer at age 34, in October 1971.

I don't want him to have to do that again... in this "second act" of our lives.

[Suich]

3. Waiting for test results can be torture!

Sending you the best vibes I have for a good outcome!

:hug:

[Radio_Lady]

6. Yeah, waiting for the doctor's visit AND the test are torture, too!

Thanks for your kind post, Suich.

I really appreciate it.

The doctor has approved a drug called Bentyl. It's a smooth muscle relaxant. I have some here. Maybe that will make me more comfortable today.

It will also probably make me VERY sleepy......

We'll see.

[LeftyFingerPop]

4. My best wishes to you, and remember this...

many many many many things can cause pain besides the "big C".

Reflux will give you all kinds of weird pain in unexpected places. Gall stones, kidney stones, etc etc. We all tend to thing cancer...and forget about all the other things (usually fixable) that can go wrong with our body.

Please get back to the ER if your pain does not subside...be aggressive...no reason for you to suffer. :hug:

[Radio_Lady]

9. 2:30 PM -- Swallowing is so hard today. This is terrible... I'm really fantasizing about ALL of the

above.

Urgent care is always available to me with Kaiser Permanente.

I made one visit there on Independence Day.

If things get bad, I can go back 24/7.

Thanks for your thoughts today.

[ThomCat]

5. I hope you get some relief, and a diagnosis soon.

:hug:
I'll be thinking good thoughts for you.

[Radio_Lady]

10. Many thanks. It's good to know you folks are there.

My husband has been very supportive today.

He insisted I call the Advice Nurse, which I did at 1 PM.

Hopefully, they will get back to me today.

Yesterday, a nurse called me at 5:48 PM.

I was a little better yesterday. Today, it's worse.

[skygazer]

7. Not knowing what's going on is often the hardest thing

I don't want to sound like I'm discounting your pain but stress may be making it worse. It does some pretty bizarre things.

I hope you have an answer soon but think positive - you've been worked up for heart problems twice and both times they've been negative. That's good news.

Try not to overthink this or self-diagnose too much. If you can take a calming walk or sit outside in the fresh air and relax, that's a good thing, too.

Positive thoughts your way. :hug:

[Radio_Lady]

11. Skygazer, I'm working inside on decoration. I will take a walk sometime this evening.

Maybe I'll go for a swim. That would be great.

Yeah, I'm really a big hypochondriac, but somehow, it took me MONTHS to figure this out. Doctors just didn't read my history, I guess, or it was always an aside ("Oh, this could be gastric reflux.") GERD has been a big problem, but mention chest pain, they go right for the heart.

Thanks for the positive thoughts, Skygazer.

[bicentennial_baby]

13. Oh jeez....Another Hypo checking in and giving support

I've been there....What a nightmare it can be for people like us. :hug:

Try to keep yourself distracted. It helps, really. :)

[Radio_Lady]

14. Call to order! A meeting of Hypochondriacs Anonymous... I'll sign in.

Will you? Are there any dues???

:D

[bicentennial_baby]

16. I've always wanted a Hypo group here...

There are more of us here than you would think. I've always found it comforting to talk to other Hypos when I'm feeling poorly, it really does help with the black thoughts. :hug:

[Radio_Lady]

17. Have you approached the administrators with this idea? I would use it, for sure.

[Taverner]

8. Try switching to Percodan (Tylenol based) or...get stronger meds

and I hope you feel better!

[Radio_Lady]

12. I never thought of Percodan (never have taken it at all). Thought the next level up would be...

morphine.

I'll check it out with the med staff this weekend.

Thanks, Taverner, for your good wishes. I'm trying like hell to forget about this for awhile.

[Lyric]

15. Percodan is aspirin-based

Percocet is Tylenol-based.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percodan

Just to clear that up. :hi:

And I agree, an NSAID-based painkiller would work much better for inflammation than a Tylenol-based painkiller.

[Radio_Lady]

18. Oktoberain, thanks for your message. It's after 4 PM and I'm still waiting for a return call.

The doctor who is supposed to see me next Friday was not in today. Supposedly someone affiliated with the covering doctor was supposed to call me. I'm not too hopeful about this.

However, I'm more comfortable this evening -- with the Bentyl and the Percocet both seeming to work together.

My gratitude abounds to all the DUers who posted here today.

[YDogg]

19. Hang in there, Radio_Lady ...

... good vibes are on the way.

:-)

[Radio_Lady]

20. Grateful for you and my DU family, YDogg.

The nurse said that if the pain gets worse, I'll have to go to the Emergency Room of the local hospital. Remember? It's the weekend...

G/I doctor will not release any painkillers until he sees me next Friday. Nurse said that codeine is constipating and should rather try to maintain a soothing layer of Gaviscon (antacid) in the esophagus and stomach. Frequent antacids and even more Prilosec will have a good chance of working.

I'll try to keep a good thought in my head.

Warm regards,

Radio Lady in Oregon

[Kajsa]

21. Oh Radio Lady, I hope you get some answers, soon.

And by that I mean good answers.
I hope you get pain relief very soon!


I'll be thinking of you, be there in spirit when you take your tests,
and pray for the best outcome.

You are NOT alone!

:hug:

[Radio_Lady]

29. SATURDAY UPDATE: Feeling MUCH better today, thank you.

The nurse called me after hours yesterday.

She said GET OFF ALL PAINKILLERS, including Percocet and Percodan which cause constipation. This doctor WILL NOT prescribe painkillers. He is especially against using Motrin OR aspirin, which can really work a number on digestion. I never took Motrin in the 200 mg. OTC size, but I told her another doctor working with me a few weeks ago, prescribed 600 mg. Motrin three times a day for chest WALL PAIN. So much for specialists.

Then, she said I should take liquid antacids that "coat the stomach" -- either Mylanta or Gaviscon. And I should take a couple of spoonfuls as often as possible -- every couple of hours and after meals.

I was told to go to Urgent Care or the Emergency Room of the hospital immediately if pain got worse. Last night, I rated it a 7/10 on the pain scale.

I took a hot bath, took some Gaviscon (deliciously calming!) and went to bed at 9 PM -- slept soundly and got up at 5 AM with NO PAIN.

Bland foods all day -- lactose-free milk, cottage cheese, ground flax seed for fiber, canned peaches, honey and very soggy shredded wheat.

I lost 1 1/2 lbs. yesterday.

Thanks for the spirited discussion and I KNOW I'm not alone! You are amazing and the DU is amazing!

[Kajsa]

35. I'm so glad to hear that, Radio Lady.

Take it easy, now.

Lots of hugs coming your way.

:hug:

[Radio_Lady]

36. Thanks, Kajsa. Now, I'm getting ready to entertain my two grandkids tonight.

More housecleaning necessary at 4 PM PT. I just decorated two rooms then found out I was the choice for babysitter for tonight.

Ouch!

Over and out.

[hedgehog]

22. FWIW - I was guessing GERD before I got down that far in the thread.

It can be vey painful. On the other hand, my mother thought she had a bad gall bladder for years and it turned out to be a heart condition, maybe the reverse is true for you! I'm sure it's something relatively simple once you get it identified.

[Radio_Lady]

30. Yes. The cardiologist said that there are so many structures under or near the sternum...

that it's hard to tell what causes pain there. How is your mother doing now?

Costochondritis (irritation of chest wall ligaments and muscles)-- heart -- gastric reflux -- even the stomach can lie to the left. You name your... er... poison.

I've been around the horn on this one!

[Name removed]

23. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[SarahB]

25. .

:wow:





:spray:

[bicentennial_baby]

27. Wow.

That's an incredibly nasty thing to say.

[Radio_Lady]

37. Thanks, BB. I appreciate your post.

[Name removed]

28. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[BlueIris]

24. You're not on the generic pain meds, are you?

If so, you might want to consider switching to brand name. Generic pain meds are basically worthless.

[Radio_Lady]

31. I disagree, but I used to feel this way also. That was when I could choose between generic

and branded drugs prior to the 1990s.

Now I'm retired, on Medicare, and have to stick with the Kaiser Formulary as we have Kaiser Senior Advantage coverage. (BUT DAMNED GLAD TO HAVE ANY COVERAGE AT ALL). You might be able to get the brands, but you have to pay a hell of a lot more. I haven't had a problem with generic thyroid, omeprazole (sold as Prilosec until the patent ran out), alprazolam, nortriptiline, and a lot of other drugs.

[Zoigal]

26. Holding your hand, Radio Lady

and a couple of big hugs, too.

[Radio_Lady]

32. You're a peach, Zoigal! 237 posts since Nov. 2006? Are you a newbie?

Or just busy with an off-line life? Anyway, welcome to the DU. We'll have to discuss dogs someday. I used to raise and train Boston Terriers, then had a couple of beautiful blonde Cocker Spaniels. We're thinking about another dog, but we travel so much in retirement that it would be hard on the animal. We might consider co-sharing one rescue dog with my daughter, who lives in the same town. She recently lost her 10-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. I'm trying to convince her to get a short-haired spayed female.

Thanks again from the bottom of my (PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY ADEQUATE) heart.

In peace,

Radio Lady

[rurallib]

33. Time to call in a specialist

[Radio_Lady]

34. How much does that Doctor DUCK charge? That isn't Daffy... and it's not Donald...which duck is it?

I like his red bow-tie.

:-)

In peace,

Radio Lady/Ellen Kimball

[blue neen]

38. Dear Radio Lady,

I am happy to hear that you are feeling better today. A good night's sleep can mean so much!

IMHO, it was a good move to get off of the pain meds. They can cause a terrific amount of stomach pain themselves, as does Motrin. I'm a pharmacy tech, and it constantly amazes me how much pain medicine some people take. Then they can't understand why their stomachs hurt and/or they can't go to the bathroom.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend. :)

[Radio_Lady]

39. Thanks, Blue Neen! Believe it or not, two doctors agreed to UP the strength of the OTC Motrin...

I was taking only 200 mg., and not much of that. FYI, I have never used Motrin because of the stomach involvement.

But based on the diagnosis of costochondritis made by one doctor, I was advised to increase the Motrin dose to 600 mg. The doctor before him was convinced it was my heart. He increased my blood pressure meds to 200 mg Atenolol, added in nitroglycerin, and told me to get a Thallium stress test. And that was on symptomology only; my EKG that day was normal. Later, my primary care doctor said that he NEVER prescribes more than 100 mg. atenolol -- higher doses don't make a difference. Good grief!

I swear, the medical attention I have received over the past year has been abysmal.

I'm thinking of changing my primary doctor. He has thousands of patients and I can't imagine he remembers me at all.

I have had to LEAD HIM and the others to a diagnosis. I can't believe it!

Now, I have to learn what the C-K heart test number means. 1545 and marked (H) for high -- the G/I nurse said she didn't know. It's like I'm in medical school -- I have to research each step. This is pretty damned frustrating and I'm disgusted that no one figured this out before I did.

Anyway, I continue to feel much better and will see the G/I doctor next Friday. I may ask him to do the endoscopy just because the pain went on for a very long time before resolving. I'd like to know if there is any real problem in the esophagus that I should be treating.