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Hello, Sorry if you read this type of post many times before, I am a 56 year old male. About 6 months ago I started experiencing a burning prickly pain around my left breast area constantly. To the point where I would squeeze my chest to try yo stop the pain. Along with getting winded quite easily and fatigued easily. I went to my old doctor ( who in his 70's set in his ways) he first kind of ignored it just saying sometimes older people get pains that cannot be explained, but come back in a week. So week later pain still there, I was more adimit about it, he sent me for a stress test, which came back ok, but I still having the pain and it was getting worse I told him. He said sometimes anxiety brings on pains , but he did send me for a male mammogram. Never ordered a chest X-ray or a chest CT. Week later Mammogram was ok. But before I got in to my Dr I had this severe pain on my left chest cavity lasting about 3 Days. I got in to doctor told him, he said " I don't know what to tell you" I had feeling he thought I was imagining the pain. Well I had enough of him! Got in to see an internal specialist this month, she ordered, chest X-ray, chest CT, Blood Woork also check Alpha 1 protein. Still got to go for pulmonary testing. Then back to her for results. The symptoms I been having are, when in a relaxed almost drowsy state, involuntary muscle movements either arms or legs, Chronic burning prickly pain throughout chest, down the sides of rib cage and forearms. Occasional severe burning sensation at certain point in body, elbows, knees, back of neck, chest, forearms. Also pain behind my eyes, blurry vision from my right eye like looking through a white smudgy lens. Normally I wait and see what doctor says, but this time this lasting so long when doing research on my symptoms MS keeps popping up. What makes me wonder was 12 years ago I had Bells Palsey at the time the neurologist at first was concerned about MS but ruled it Bells Palsey. So my questions are, anyone have these type symptoms? Anyone have trouble with doctor thinking you were imagining the pains?
Thanks For taking time to read this.

DannyK wrote:Hello, Sorry if you read this type of post many times before, I am a 56 year old male. About 6 months ago I started experiencing a burning prickly pain around my left breast area constantly. To the point where I would squeeze my chest to try yo stop the pain. Along with getting winded quite easily and fatigued easily. I went to my old doctor ( who in his 70's set in his ways) he first kind of ignored it just saying sometimes older people get pains that cannot be explained, but come back in a week. So week later pain still there, I was more adimit about it, he sent me for a stress test, which came back ok, but I still having the pain and it was getting worse I told him. He said sometimes anxiety brings on pains , but he did send me for a male mammogram. Never ordered a chest X-ray or a chest CT. Week later Mammogram was ok. But before I got in to my Dr I had this severe pain on my left chest cavity lasting about 3 Days. I got in to doctor told him, he said " I don't know what to tell you" I had feeling he thought I was imagining the pain. Well I had enough of him! Got in to see an internal specialist this month, she ordered, chest X-ray, chest CT, Blood Woork also check Alpha 1 protein. Still got to go for pulmonary testing. Then back to her for results. The symptoms I been having are, when in a relaxed almost drowsy state, involuntary muscle movements either arms or legs, Chronic burning prickly pain throughout chest, down the sides of rib cage and forearms. Occasional severe burning sensation at certain point in body, elbows, knees, back of neck, chest, forearms. Also pain behind my eyes, blurry vision from my right eye like looking through a white smudgy lens. Normally I wait and see what doctor says, but this time this lasting so long when doing research on my symptoms MS keeps popping up. What makes me wonder was 12 years ago I had Bells Palsey at the time the neurologist at first was concerned about MS but ruled it Bells Palsey. So my questions are, anyone have these type symptoms? Anyone have trouble with doctor thinking you were imagining the pains?
Thanks For taking time to read this.

Hello and welcome to ThisIsMS, DannyK.

I have no medical background, but I know that all your symptoms are consistent with a vitamin B12 deficiency:

Any person at any can develop a B12 deficiency – people over age 50 are at increased risk
Burning/pain sensation
Chest pain
Breathlessness
Extreme fatigue
Spasms
Vision disturbances

To your question: "anyone have these type symptoms?"… These symptoms are common to many conditions. In my opinion, possible B12 deficiency is the first one that should be ruled out.

I suggest that you request your internist to order a HoloTranscobalamin (HoloTc) test. (Since B12 testing is not routinely done, I doubt she ordered this already in your blood work. A serum B12 test alone is not adequate to determine a deficiency.)

I urge you to read the book, Could It Be B12? An Epidemic of Misdiagnoses by Sally M. Pacholok, RN, BSN, and Dr. Jeffrey J. Stuart, D.O. (This may be available at your library.): http://b12awareness.org/could-it-be-b12 ... diagnoses/

Please browse the B12 Awareness website thoroughly.

And to answer your last question… I think it is not uncommon to find a doctor who thinks we are imagining our symptoms.

Homocysteine is a toxic amino acid that can build up in cases of deficiency in folate, vitamin B12 and/or vitamin B6. High levels of homocysteine can cause cardiovascular symptoms such as high blood pressure, shortness of breath, chest cramping, etc. In my own experience, symptoms such as these were part of the presentation of a combined folate and vitamin B12 deficiency. Unfortunately, a cardiologist I saw about 2 or 3 years ago never checked my homocysteine status. If he had, it would have saved me from much grief later.