Hi Charmaine,

Sorry you're having all this stress.

Unfortunately there is a chance that the stress is making your symptoms worse!

I'm not a qualified medic so all I can do is speak from my own experience and that of friends.  When I read your second paragraph my mind went to conditions like fibromyalgia or issues with the trigeminal nerve in your face.  There are many conditions along these lines and they can present in weird and wonderful ways.

In terms of your chest pain and dizziness, I'm pretty sure these symptoms can be caused by folate deficiency.  They can also be accounted for by anxiety and panic attacks, and it does sound like you are anxious (understandable with the symptoms in your face).  In addition to that the chest pain can, as your doctor has said, be accounted for by your acid reflux.  Given that they have checked out your heart, and you have three very possible and treatable causes for the chest pain, I wouldn't worry about it.  I know it's hard, I've had chest pain on and off for 27 years, really severe at times, but my heart has been checked out twice and it is absolutely fine.

With all those possible causes for the chest pain it might be best to consider those as separate from the issues with your face and try and get to the bottom of that problem.  That said I wouldn't be using Dr. Google unless you have medical or anatomical training, it isn't your friend and will just worry you needlessly.  From what you've said I can't see any reason to even start thinking that it might be cancer, if it was me I'd be looking to rule out numerous other conditions first.  But I realise that some people suffer from health anxiety and that health anxiety seems to be on the rise too.

Has your doctor given any thoughts on the problems with your face?  Has he suggested any nerve or myalgia-type conditions?

LJ

Thank you so much for your advice.

I have been seeing the same gp since october, she has suggested that it could all be anxiety related. 

She has just recently refered me to neurology, but seems to think they will not see me as I am not presenting with enough symptoms to cause any concern. 

I think, with having young children and other people relying on me, and using Dr Google I have made my anxiety about my health sky rocket. Now I think I have every condition under the sun. 

It doesn't help that I cant talk to my partner or family as they seem to think it's all in my head. 

Again thank you for your advice. 

No worries Charmaine.

It's possible that just with the referral the neurologist will be able to advise in some way, so even if they don't see you they might still be able to offer some help via your GP.  Still, if it doesn't get better don't be fobbed off, push for a diagnosis, it can't be easy getting on with all of life's tasks with pain in your face!

I don't know if you have health anxiety or not, but it does seem to be becoming a real problem these days which is why I mentioned it.  It's understandable with the internet providing so much information and, in a sense, misdirecting people.  If you think your anxiety is getting out of hand then please do speak to your GP and ask for help, any form of anxiety can become life-destroying and you deserve to have a life.  If they can't help then see if you have a mental health Recovery College or mental health charity nearby that can offer help.  Anxiety (of whatever type) can be managed, even cured sometimes.  My chest pain and dizziness eased off greatly when I tackled my panic attacks, in fact I rarely get the chest pain now and I don't get any dizziness (unless due to other causes).

You know your family and partner far better than me obviously, but if some of your symptoms are down to anxiety then they are well placed to help you with that so it might be worth trying to talk to them.  I don't know what their understanding or views of mental health are but if you think anxiety is an issue for you then it might be worth telling them that you realise this and want to do something about it.  That could be a way to get them helping you rather than telling you it's "in your head" (which technically anxiety is, but it can still be a serious illness).  No-one should be dismissive of anxiety.  Is it worth giving talking to them a go?

Feel free to message me if you want to talk more about it.

LJ

No worries Charmaine.

It's possible that just with the referral the neurologist will be able to advise in some way, so even if they don't see you they might still be able to offer some help via your GP.  Still, if it doesn't get better don't be fobbed off, push for a diagnosis, it can't be easy getting on with all of life's tasks with pain in your face!

I don't know if you have health anxiety or not, but it does seem to be becoming a real problem these days which is why I mentioned it.  It's understandable with the internet providing so much information and, in a sense, misdirecting people.  If you think your anxiety is getting out of hand then please do speak to your GP and ask for help, any form of anxiety can become life-destroying and you deserve to have a life.  If they can't help then see if you have a mental health Recovery College or mental health charity nearby that can offer help.  Anxiety (of whatever type) can be managed, even cured sometimes.  My chest pain and dizziness eased off greatly when I tackled my panic attacks, in fact I rarely get the chest pain now and I don't get any dizziness (unless due to other causes).

You know your family and partner far better than me obviously, but if some of your symptoms are down to anxiety then they are well placed to help you with that so it might be worth trying to talk to them.  I don't know what their understanding or views of mental health are but if you think anxiety is an issue for you then it might be worth telling them that you realise this and want to do something about it.  That could be a way to get them helping you rather than telling you it's "in your head" (which technically anxiety is, but it can still be a serious illness).  No-one should be dismissive of anxiety.  Is it worth giving talking to them a go?

Feel free to message me if you want to talk more about it.

LJ