HomeAnswersCardiologymuscle spasmThe muscles in the left shoulder are twitching. Is it related to the heart?

Do muscle spasms in the left shoulder cause heart problems?

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The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

Medically reviewed by

Dr. K. Shobana

Published At January 8, 2018
Reviewed AtApril 18, 2024

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

I am a 31-year-old female. I have been drinking a bottle of wine a day for weeks and not eating healthy. Five days ago, I woke up with a pounding heart pain in my chest. I now have a wide range of symptoms with pain in my left and right arm, pain in my left shoulder, muscle spasms in my left shoulder, a tight feeling in my chest, pains on both sides of my body, shooting pain in armpits with headaches for five days straight, dizziness today, fullness, feeling of indigestion, my arms and legs feel weak and I have a sore back. I went to the doctor and he sent me for blood work and a chest X-ray. I did not get a call back so I assume that is fine. I had an EKG and Holter monitor just over a year ago. I am on 20 mg of Citalopram for anxiety. I am also taking a month's break from fertility treatments. The fertility doctor says my thyroid is a bit high at 6.3 so he is sending me for further testing. I am worried if I am having a heart attack.

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Well, none of the symptoms warn me of any serious heart issue. When we see the whole scenario, there are different aspects of your health that may have caused this recent accentuation of the issues. High levels of the thyroid have a direct impact on heart rate and its functions as a pump. It also has an impact on overall body functions, for example, digestion, overall well being and mood, energy/power of the body etc. Thyroid drives our body to do daily work. Malfunction of thyroid causes many of the symptoms you observed recently. I know you are on Citalopram 20 mg. Sometimes there is a need to readjust the dosage of medicine. You should consult back your treating physician if there is such a need. Medication side effects may also have contributed to your recent symptoms. When someone goes off of fertility treatment this also contributes to this wide range of symptoms like you are observing. It is due to a change in hormonal balance in the body. But this is temporary and once you are back either on medications or your body's own mechanisms kick into maintaining hormonal balance, you would feel better. Taking alcohol at this stage can be injurious to your health. It also may contribute to the symptoms like you are having. But heart disease is least likely the cause of such issues. If your labs are all normal I am not worried much about it being any serious issue. For a headache, you may take Ibuprofen as needed. Keep taking a healthy and balanced diet. Keep a routine of a workout as it would give you more energy. Follow up with your thyroid doctor is very important. Thyroid issues also contribute to fertility problems. A normal functioning thyroid is a must for anyone.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Muhammad Majid Hanif
Dr. Muhammad Majid Hanif

Cardiology

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