What Causes Pain In Chest And Back With Normal EKG And Stress Test?

Posted on Fri, 8 Aug 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Fri, 8 Aug 2014 Answered on

Tue, 2 Sep 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : Hi. My name is XXXXXXX I'm a 49 year-old woman. In the past 6 months I have had numerous EKGs, an echocardiogram, a stress-echo and everything has been normal. Blood tests all good and last cholesterol was 160. 2-1/2 years ago I also had an CAT scan of the heart and lungs with 0 calcium score. I do have alot of stress as my husband passed away of a heart attack 4 years ago. Many days have chest and back pains as well we muscle and skeletal pain in my shoulders and arms. Sometimes my throat feels tight as well as my ears and it feels harder to breathe. My doctor thinks that is just due to allergies and congestion. My cardiologist believes all of this is due to stress and my possibly having fibromyalgia. I still worry about my heart though. What do you think?

Answered by Dr. Sukhvinder Singh (5 hours later)

Brief Answer:
please see details

Detailed Answer:
Dear madam.
I would like to know if you had any symptoms during the stress test and what was your exercise capacity in stress test? How much could you walk on treadmill.
If your exercise capacity was good and there was no chest pain, the likelihood of these pains due to heart, with normal stress test report, is virtually nil.
There is no test in world which will tell that a person will or will not have heart attack in future. All tests are speculative or assumptive.
Hope that helps.
Feel free to discuss further.
Sincerely
Sukhvinder

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sukhvinder Singh (17 hours later)

Sukhviner:
Thank you for responding. I assume my exercise capacity was good on the treadmill. I walked for 10 minutes, uphill as well. My heart was checked again immediately after I laid down from the treadmill. I had a few pains but as the doctor was looking at the sonogram and said everything was normal.
Thank you. XXXXXXX

Answered by Dr. Sukhvinder Singh (7 hours later)

Brief Answer:
please see details.

Detailed Answer:
Dear madam
A good exercise capacity, say 10 minutes of XXXXXXX protocol for 49 years old lady, with normal stress test and a normal Coronary angiogram on CT rules that the coronaries do not have significant blockage. As I told before, no test can predict future event.
Best way to keep a healthy heart is to avoid stress/ smoking/ oily & fried food. Keep blood sugar/ pressure/ cholesterol under control and do daily exercise. A brisk walk of 45 minutes is goal. Try to remain happy and do meditation.
Sincerely
Sukhvinder

Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar