What Causes Pain In Left Arm And Wrist?

Posted on Mon, 17 Feb 2014

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

Mon, 17 Feb 2014 Answered on

Thu, 6 Mar 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : Hi i am XXXX, I am experencing a pain in my left arm(especially elbow) and wrist area for last 3 weeks. i even consulted the cardiologist and got my ECG and LIPID Profile done, My ECG report was normal and LIPID report was as follows : Total Cholesterol : 195mg/dl HDL Chelesterol : 40mg/dl LDL Chelesterol : 130mg/dl VLDL Chelesterol : 25mg/dl Serum Triglycerides : 127mg/dl Chelesterol/HDL : 4.8:1 LDL/HDL : 3.2:1 my BP was : 124/86 and Blood sugar fasting was 100mg/dl. the doctor prescribed me Crestor 10 and Telvas40 for a month.(as some times my bp goes up) After 5-6 days I consulted a another Doctor, as still i was experencing the pain, he prescribed me Cap Rabium - XL and Neruotin- P for 10 days. Its been 6 days a i am feeling much better now. one thing more, i feel no pain while exercising or doing any physical activity or even while having a brisk walk for about 25 minuts., and feel lot comfortable when i cover my arm with sweater/blanket/warm cloth and have no problem while sleeping. pls suggest pls suggest :

Answered by Dr. Anantharamakrishnan (9 hours later)

Brief Answer: Not heart pain / Consult a Neurologist Detailed Answer: Dear friend, Welcome to Health Care Magic Your symptoms do not suggest Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) / Pain from the heart is oppressing, in central chest (and left), worse on effort, relieved by rest, may radiate to shoulders and arms, associated with sweating and so on. However, it is better to have a Treadmill Exercise Electrocardiogram (TMT), to avoid any surprises… This could be referred pain from nerve root irritation / from the neck spine. A neurological assessment is the ideal approach.., A MRI of the cervical spine may be needed.. Your LDL (bad cholesterol) is high and needs intervention… Life style changes – diet and exercise – are important. And must be continued The medicines are appropriate / You are in god hands / Keep following up… Take care Wishing all well God bless

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

Follow up: Dr. Anantharamakrishnan (5 hours later)

Thank You Sir, for your prompt reply, will definately follow your advice. Just one querry, should i keep taking crestor 10, if so , for how long. I have read the leaflet, where it is mentioned that it can cause cramps/muscle pain in arm. is there any other option(medicine) that can be taken to reduce the LDL level. Sir, i am already doing excercise and walking. what should i have in diet. Thanks XXXX

Answered by Dr. Anantharamakrishnan (25 minutes later)

Brief Answer: Lie long & Life style changes / Detailed Answer: Hi, There are subdivisions of cholesterol – LDL, HDL, non-HDL and so on. LDL (& non-HDL) is bad cholesterol – lower, the better. HDL is good cholesterol – higher, the better. In the absence of any other risk factor 100 is ideal for LDL-C. In the presence of ischemia, 70 should be the aim. Keep your weight to normal / even a little less Quit smoking, if you are a smoker Do regular EXERCISE – say walking or jogging - 30 minutes a day / at least 5 days in a week. Isometric exercise (like bull worker) is bad. Healthy FOOD is a must. Avoid saturated fats – coconut oil, palm oil, butter, ghee, full cream milk...Avoid junk foods in particular – French fries have palm oil / Pizza has cheese / Indian sweets are made in ghee.../ Change to Poly-un-saturated oil – like sun flower oil. / Include Mono-un-saturated oil – Olive oil. Repeat the test in 6 weeks. If still high, adjust the dose / or add another drug like ezetimibe… / Diet has a central role, but it is also manufactured in the liver – and that is determined by heredity. Statins are at times started straight away – even with normal levels, even without problems (Primary Prophylaxis). The side effects are minor / the benefits far outweigh the risk – millions of people are taking it! This is the best option - it also has additional effects beyong cholesterol - like anti-oxidant and plaque stabilizing properties ... One generally needs to take it for ever – for a long life, the medication is lifelong… Because the drug cannot treat the cause of the disease (inheritance) but controls the expression and effects.., Regards

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