23 years old pain on left side of heart and arm - Heart Disorders Message Board

jordank23 · 12-31-2003, 02:37 AM

Hi,

Well every since I was 7 I have had heart problems. First it was called Mitrovalve prolapse (yea ok) no more. It is not called SVT. So anyway. Here is my problem 2 days ago I started to have pain in my left arm. Now i feel like there is pain in my upper left arm and tigling in my hands. The pain is constent and won't go away and now I can feel it in the side of my heart, if that makes any sense. I'm of course feaked out and don't know if it really is mind over matter. Either way I don't have ins, so I don't know what to do. I have pals all day everyday I've had them for years. I'm in ok shape 5'11 165lbs. I'm really freaked out by the odd feeling in my heart i can't tell if its the heart muscule or my pectural muscule. Eitherway no chest pain or anything like that. I know what your going to say see a doctor and I know I must but can I put this off for a month before my insurance kicks in? I'm a little nervious just looking for anyone out there who might have had this in there past?

Jordan.

zip2play · 12-31-2003, 06:52 AM

jordan,

If you could afford it, I'd say go to the doctor or the ER right now. I also know the real world of miserable health care in the USA unless you or somebody is paying big bucks.

So, assuming you aren't going to a doctor, a few thoughts.
If you've had the pain for 2 days and it isn't a pressure and pain mid-chest it is unlikely you are having a heart attack.
Most common cause of a pain radiating down an arm (I've had it often) is a pinching or irritation of a nerve root from the upper thoracic area.
A pec pull, or even intercostal (rib) irritation usually doesn't radiate down a nerve.

When mine acts up I do a light neck traction to slightly pull apart the vertebra. I've jury rigged a system that's too complicatted to explain.
Try lying flat and have a friend gently pull your head (no twisting) as if to lengthen your spine a bit....aspirin helps. Just lying down a lot (maybe with heat) will at least take the weight of your head off your spinal coumn and allow for a teeny expansion. Even a millimeter is often eenough to help.

Happy New Year!