bodiesmom Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 My ds 11 casually mentioned to me last night that his heart was hurting. Thinking this was normal, he never mentioned it to me before (and apparently it has been happening off and on for a couple of years). This morning I took him to his pediatrician who didn't think it was anything serious at all but chose to order a chest x-ray anyway. X-ray was determined to be clear. All is good.... Problem is is that I'm a mom and I worry. So I made an appointment with a pediatric cardiologist in a couple of days to hopefully get a better informed diagnosis. We are incredibly blessed with insurance that allows us open access so I don't need to worry about securing a referral. So...am I making something out of nothing? Would just a simple complaint of chest pain that has been ongoing warrant a visit to a specialist even after a clear x-ray? Am I being paranoid? He is having an unrelated surgery in the next couple of weeks so this is contributing to my desire to get more tests done if cardiologists deems it necessary. Also, I have a benign heart condition that was only discovered after an ultrasound. TIA for your helpful replies! D UPDATE- We saw the pediatric cardiologist and WOW! What a difference. The doctor was incredibly helpful and encouraging was excited to see a healthy heart. After having both an EKG and an electrocardiogram done- it was determined that he had Texidor's Twinge, just like several of you suggested. Thank you all again for your helpful replies. :-) D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 it's good to rule anything serious out - but it could also be as simple as a nutritional deficiency that is easily corrected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 What did the doctor say? Did he think it was chest muscles and not the heart itself? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Well you have to distinguish it from a normal pain -- there is this stabbing thing that you can get where it feels like heart pain, and you can't draw a full breath due to the intensity of this pain, but then it passes. I used to get this as a kid and my mother said it was a growing pain. My kids occasionally complain of it, and I tell them the same thing. One of my sons had unusual chest pain a couple years ago. I took him to the ER. Turned out it was constipation! So... not saying you shouldn't pursue this further, just wanted to throw out some options that are a lot less scary that an actual heart issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Nope. You are being totally reasonable. I've had two kids who have had referrals to pediatric cardiologists. They had EKGs, ultrasounds, and stress tests. Luckily, in our case, nothing was wrong. But, the peace of mind that it brought was worth the stress of the appointments. They did find a hole in one of my kids' hearts. Nothing that needed to be corrected, but still. Good to know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 I almost forgot, my third son complained of chest pain. He went in to the doctor and was diagnosed with something and we cannot remember the name! It was ______________twinge. He didn't need much in the way of testing. It went away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Have him drink a lot of water. It might make it go away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halftime Hope Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 I had something similar with one of my kids. The ped referred us on to a pediatric cardiologist, kiddo had a echocardiogram and something else that I don't remember. The cardiologist said there was nothing wrong, and we heaved a sigh of relief. She (the doc) said the symptoms and pain were often something she saw clustered in kids at about 9 or 10 years old when they were shooting up, so she said that in a funny way, they were growing pains. But she said we absolutely did the right thing to get the kiddo checked out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodiesmom Posted October 2, 2013 Author Share Posted October 2, 2013 Well....the doc (her assistant actually) was quite perplexed. She thinks it might possibly be muscular. It doesn't seem muscular to me, though of course I'm not a doctor. :-) According to ds, it is a throbbing like pain, an achy pain that comes and goes near the upper side of his heart, and sometimes radiates towards the center of his chest. He massages it when it bothers him, but it doesn't seem to make it go away. He does not have any other symptoms accompanying the pain such as rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, worsening with deep breath, etc. Constipation? Could be a real possibility! :-) Same with a nutritional deficiency. I'll be sure to keep him extra hydrated- thank you for the tip. :-) Thank you for sharing your advice and stories. I hope it isnt anything serious and it is probably nothing, but now that he has shared this with me i feel i need to have it all ruled out. I love the hive- thank you! D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofkhm Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Well you have to distinguish it from a normal pain -- there is this stabbing thing that you can get where it feels like heart pain, and you can't draw a full breath due to the intensity of this pain, but then it passes. I used to get this as a kid and my mother said it was a growing pain. My kids occasionally complain of it, and I tell them the same thing. One of my sons had unusual chest pain a couple years ago. I took him to the ER. Turned out it was constipation! So... not saying you shouldn't pursue this further, just wanted to throw out some options that are a lot less scary that an actual heart issue. This happened to my daughter several years ago, ER and everything. It was gas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Well you have to distinguish it from a normal pain -- there is this stabbing thing that you can get where it feels like heart pain, and you can't draw a full breath due to the intensity of this pain, but then it passes. I used to get this as a kid and my mother said it was a growing pain. My kids occasionally complain of it, and I tell them the same thing. One of my sons had unusual chest pain a couple years ago. I took him to the ER. Turned out it was constipation! So... not saying you shouldn't pursue this further, just wanted to throw out some options that are a lot less scary that an actual heart issue. I almost forgot, my third son complained of chest pain. He went in to the doctor and was diagnosed with something and we cannot remember the name! It was ______________twinge. He didn't need much in the way of testing. It went away. Pre-cordial catch or Texidor's twinge. Most common cause of chest pain in children and completely harmless. It'll go away by the time you're in your twenties. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 It can also be digestive in origin. I'd make sure he's getting plenty of fluids, fiber, and exercise as well if he gets the all clear on the cardio! I have IBS and when I have pain, it's often in my chest area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 This happened to my daughter several years ago, ER and everything. It was gas. This happened to me earlier this year, ER and everything. It was heartburn (acid reflux, GERD, whatever). It had been ongoing for several months (maybe even a year), would come and go. Sometimes it was so bad I thought I was dying, but then it would stop. I finally decided to go in and find out once and for all and went to the ER on a Sunday night. Heartburn. I dropped a few pounds and it went away. I know I'm not a kid, but still sounds somewhat similar all the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTMCassandra Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 This might be off the wall, but did they do any basic bloodwork? My daughter presented with chest pain to the ped five years ago, and she ordered a chest x-ray to be sure, but she also did basic bloodwork. And my daughter's blood sugar was through the roof. Chest pain can be a sign of high blood sugar, although it is a rare symptom. But oddly, the chest pain is how we found out she was a Type 1 diabetic, AND if she her numbers are high, it returns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodiesmom Posted October 2, 2013 Author Share Posted October 2, 2013 This might be off the wall, but did they do any basic bloodwork? My daughter presented with chest pain to the ped five years ago, and she ordered a chest x-ray to be sure, but she also did basic bloodwork. And my daughter's blood sugar was through the roof. Chest pain can be a sign of high blood sugar, although it is a rare symptom. But oddly, the chest pain is how we found out she was a Type 1 diabetic, AND if she her numbers are high, it returns. This is interesting- No, bloodwork was not ordered, but the tech performing the x-ray kept asking if bloodwork was ordered-almost like there was some mistake because it wasnt ordered. Hmmmm.....I'll definitely bring that up to the cardiologist this week. Thank you- :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodiesmom Posted October 2, 2013 Author Share Posted October 2, 2013 This happened to me earlier this year, ER and everything. It was heartburn (acid reflux, GERD, whatever). It had been ongoing for several months (maybe even a year), would come and go. Sometimes it was so bad I thought I was dying, but then it would stop. I finally decided to go in and find out once and for all and went to the ER on a Sunday night. Heartburn. I dropped a few pounds and it went away. I know I'm not a kid, but still sounds somewhat similar all the same. This is what originally started this whole thing. He said that his heart burned- yet it wasn't a burning sensation. The majority if these "episodes" are right over his heart, with only a few (according to him) radiating to the center. I've only experienced heartburn once when I was pregnant, and oh.my.word....it was horrible. So- can heartburn present itself more towards the left side of the chest rather than the middle? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodiesmom Posted October 2, 2013 Author Share Posted October 2, 2013 When my ds had chest pain, the xray turned out "normal" with the original radiologist naming a cardiac fat pad, so he was sent home with no findings. When it was reviewed by another radiologist, that one diagnosed a Morgagni hernia (a hernia in the diaphragm, and the "fat pad" was actually his liver coming through the diaphragm), and ds had a ct to confirm. He had surgery shortly after. Wow! I'm so sorry your family had to endure this. :-(. You are all making me feel less "mama-bearish" for making this cardiology appointment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 This is what originally started this whole thing. He said that his heart burned- yet it wasn't a burning sensation. The majority if these "episodes" are right over his heart, with only a few (according to him) radiating to the center. I've only experienced heartburn once when I was pregnant, and oh.my.word....it was horrible. So- can heartburn present itself more towards the left side of the chest rather than the middle? One doctor told me that any pain in that area feels like "chest paint" (heart pain) because of the location. Our minds are somewhat "tricked" into thinking it's heart pain. So I would think so, but am just sharing my experience for your information. I don't know about your son's specific pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodiesmom Posted October 2, 2013 Author Share Posted October 2, 2013 One doctor told me that any pain in that area feels like "chest paint" (heart pain) because of the location. Our minds are somewhat "tricked" into thinking it's heart pain. So I would think so, but am just sharing my experience for your information. I don't know about your son's specific pain. Thank you! I'll keep my mind opened to that possibility. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 This is what originally started this whole thing. He said that his heart burned- yet it wasn't a burning sensation. The majority if these "episodes" are right over his heart, with only a few (according to him) radiating to the center. I've only experienced heartburn once when I was pregnant, and oh.my.word....it was horrible. So- can heartburn present itself more towards the left side of the chest rather than the middle? Yes - GERD or IBS can absolutely present this way. I know several people who ended up with a dx like this after going to an ER, including myself. It's good to fully try to rule everything else out, but I actually don't think it's super uncommon after having a GERD and IBS diagnosis and talking to other people about it. Here's an article about it. Again, I would absolutely follow up with the cardiac stuff. http://www.health.com/health/condition-article/0,,20278772,00.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Texidor's Twinge can be helped by being more active. Dd gets them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodiesmom Posted October 8, 2013 Author Share Posted October 8, 2013 Update. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 What a relief!! I'm so glad you got it checked out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 And now you can relax, mama! Good news is reassuring, congratulations on receiving some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 :hurray: :hurray: :hurray: I'm so glad to hear that all is well! It's good that you got it checked out, so you can stop worrying and wondering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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