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I was woken up from a sound sleep Wed by a crushing, squeezing pain under my left breast. Tried to stay calm and waited about 10-15 min. I couldn't take a deep breath without making it worse and it started to travel into my left arm. Went to the ER and was taken back immediately. My blood pressure was up but ekg looked okay. I was feeling better than I was initially but still was feeling a lot of pressure. They did a chest x-ray and ER dr said he saw a blood clot on my lung. They admitted me and did a catscan and stress test. All came back fine-no clot- so they released me Thurs afternoon. The internal medicine dr initally said "once we rule out the heart, whatever it was won't kill you." He talked about it maybe being GI related but never called my GI dr. When they were releasing me, the dr said crohn's patients are prone to arthritis and this could've been a preathritic muscle-skeletal issue. My husband and I were totally confused. Did he mean muscle spasm?

I take lialda, imuran, protonix, and remicade x 6wks. Last infusion in May. I have been feeling very fatigued since last infusion and been getting odd one-sided headaches and I almost never get headaches. Anyone had a similar experience because of their IBD or meds??

 Reply posted for mrcleanks.

I don't wish for anyone of us to be ill but I am so glad that other Crohn's patients are sharing their experience of chest pains on the left side  because I have been very afraid of a heart attacks for the past four months. Five years ago I had chess pain on the left side and was taking into the emergency room immediately. EKG, x-rays, cat scan, stress tests showed negative for a heart attack. As stated previously, I started having chest pains again and thought it was potentially a heart attack due to extremely high stress levels related to my profession as a teacher. However, my rheumatologist confirmed because I have Crohn's related arthritis, it manifests in the muscles under heart and near the rib cage. I am prescribed Vicodin 500mg and Flexeril but because these two medications cause immediate drowsiness, I sometimes take Bayer aspirin which stops the pain but of course, I can only take aspirin now and again because it is harsh on our stomachs and causes bleeding. In addition, I just had a port study performed because I have a port attached to my heart in order to take Remicade Infusion, and the results showed  that my port has moved internally and looped itself three times and is lying near the chest wall in which it has to be removed immediately. I am due in surgery on Tuesday and pray all goes well. You all are not alone with chest related pain and I pray we all one day soon will have a life free of Crohn's. God Bless you all and best wishes with treatment for chest pains :)

 Reply posted for mrcleanks.


OMG! I have been having one test after another for chest pain for nearly 2 yrs. now and guess what drugs I am on? Protonix and Lialda! I really think it might be the Protonix because after my last test (Nuclear Cardio something or ruther,) I decided to try on my own and stopped taking it. Most of the pain has gone away. Of course, I could be wrong because I also have joint and muscle pain and headaches. Read your side effects list for Lialda, it is scarey! It can cause heart problems too, although it says in rare cases... We patients have to be our own advocats, we are just guinea pigs to drug companies. Sorry I sound so fanatic but I have been dealing with this for 26 years. Good Luck.

 Reply posted for pixieann.

After a couple of more dr appts and my GI reviewing all my hospital tests: ekg/catscan/stress test, my regular internist and my GI feel that it was an esophogeal (sp?) spasm due to reflux. Prior to the episode that I went to the hospital for, I had been having increased reflux (no heartburn though) which was a newer issue. Also, increased gum bleeding for no reason AND my GI had been suspecting some sort of upper GI issue, possible bleed or ulceration, because I had started passing what looked like coffee grounds. The carafate and kapidex have been helping so far and we are now in the "wait and see mode". My GI said to continue the carafate for a couple of more weeks and to call if I have any bad pain again or other problems. One of the nurses said she had a similar experience once and she thought she was having a heart attack too.

 Reply posted for mrcleanks.

Although I would not wish this upon anyone, I was so relieved to hear of someone else with this symptom.  About a year and a half ago, while at work, I had horrible chest pain that extended into my jaw and through me to my back.  BP was elevated, so I went to ER and was admitted and did a stress test.  No heart involvement.  Time passed, and I'd have some other episodes but nothing like that first one. 

Then a few months ago, I had another chest pain episode soooo strong and it extended down my arm.  Went to internist who sent me to hospital, and while in ER, doc rubbed his fist on my sternum.  I nearly came off of the bed!  Sooo tender!  They did tests, and of course, everything was negative.  Internist wondered if Crohn's had moved into the chest.  Apparently there's a joint connecting the rib cage to the sternum or something around there.  Rhuematologist agrees (I also have Crohn's arthritis).  So, since Crohn's affects joints...they're thinking it's progressed to the chest.

They told me to deal with it by "pain management."    So now when I feel chest tenderness, I gently rub on chest bones, and if tender, I take something for the pain.  If I'm at home, it's a prescription pain pill.  I take something at the first sign of pain, and it's helped a great deal.

I hope this helps.

[Diagnosed with intestinal Crohn's many years ago.  Remission periods for about 10ish years.  Dealing with Crohn's arthritis for 7 yrs then added small intestinal involvement last summer; seemed to settle down; seemingly active again; Crohn's arthritis ongoing]

 Reply posted for mrcleanks.

I had chest pain that run in my left arm and I was sweating, Dr did not tell me the result of EKG but gave me Asprin which may be affecting my stomach now. Don't knpw what to do cause if they take me off the asprin and it happen again, what do I do, the ER? Do not like the ER. But I have small chest pain now.

 Reply posted for Ashley22.

Hang in there! It is good they are testing your heart and I hope they dont find anything. I know I was relieved that mine was okay. Its just frustrating to have a new mystery. I had been doing pretty well since my resection last May and then little by little, issues started happening again and now this. Let us know how your 24 monitoring goes.

 Reply posted for Ashley22.

Mine was smack dab in the middle of my chest.  Pain.  Like I was going to have a heart attack, but my heart did not hurt.  (bear with me here, just had knee surgery and drugged up a bit)  I was so scared when it happened (just out of the blue) I left work and drove myself to the urgent care.  It has happened twice, but not since getting the medicine from my doctor. 

I don't have acid reflux like the norm.  This is how I have mine - the chest pain.  Once in a blue moon I will feel the fluid coming back up, but not often.  When I was first diagnosed with GERD, I could not move my neck up or down or side ways.  I told the doctor I was seeing at that time and all he said was, "you have GERD."  Gave me a script and I was fine after taking the medicine.  But eventually it quit working, as with the Nexium.   I do continue with Nexium, but sparingly. 

Please keep us posted.  I truly hope it works out for you.

 Reply posted for mrcleanks.

continued ... The chest pain and heart rate lasts for about 10-15mins. But when I thought it was heartburn the pain was in the middle of my chest which isn't as important as if the pain is on the left side of your chest.... I don't know Im just a mess and falling apart.

 Reply posted for mrcleanks.

The chest pain is on the left side of my chest. It feels like a weight, i guess, like tightness and my heart rate goes crazy. Im hoping with the 24hour heart monitor I am getting done on Monday will help and show something cause the heart is not something you want to just brush off. Especially if the pain is on the left side.

 Reply posted for Ashley22.

What do your chest pains feel like? How long do they last? I had been having some reflux/belching issues and my GI had just switched me back to protonix. I never have any burning/heartburn sensations. This episode of my pain was the first time I have had chest pain like this and now it seems like the aftereffects aren't going away.

 Reply posted for ACA11.

I had called my GI yesterday since I still can't get rid of the pressure/like I have a weight on the leftside of my chest and overall feel very rundown. I asked if I could try increasing my protonix, anything to see if it would help since the internist told me to take tylenol! My GI gave me Kapidex and Carafate to try. No relief yet. I was going to go back to work today but I changed my mind after tossing and turning all night and still feeling bad today. I hate feeling like I am being a wimp but I have never had these chest issues before. They may say my heart is fine-thank goodness-but what is going on??? It's wierd it's only on the left side. My job is pretty physical-I guess I would feel "safer" going back if I was feeling some relief. Resting seems like the better thing to do than to jump right back into work. I see my GI in a week so I will ask about the medicine you mentioned. Did your chest pains start out of the blue or did it "build" over time?

 Reply posted for mrcleanks.

Hello, I just started to get chest pains and heart palputations. Im not sure if it's the medication or not. I would be sitting down at my desk and my heart rate would go up to 167. and actually its happening now. By the time I get hooked up to an EKG my heart rate goes down. At first the chest pain I thought was heartburn from all the medications. I am on Lialda, Prednisone, Cipro and Bentyl. My doctor ordered me to get a 24hour heart monitor on Monday. I don't have any advice but I do know what you are going through.

 Reply posted for mrcleanks.

Being a Crohn's patient, I, too, went to urgent care for chest pains.  (I had an angiogram done 2 years ago and it came back ok, was having severe palpitations.)  They did an EKG and it came back normal, but was given a pill (not nitroglycrin) to put under my tongue if it happens again.  The doctor said it was most likely caused from GERD and my esophagus was having spasms. 

The medicine I was given is Hyoscyamine Sulfate and I googled it and this is what it says:

Levsin® is effective as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of peptic ulcer. It can also be used to control gastric secretion, visceral spasm and hypermotility in spastic colitis, spastic bladder, cystitis, pylorospasm, and associated abdominal cramps. May be used in functional intestinal disorders to reduce symptoms such as those seen in mild dysenteries, diverticulitis, and acute enterocolitis. For use as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (irritable colon, spastic colon, mucous colitis) and functional gastrointestinal disorders.

Might was to suggest this the next time you see your GI doc, since it was the GI doc who gave it to me.

All I know is when it happened to me, I was SCARED!