abdominal pain beneath sternum, bloating, gassy, pressure b

Have had pain in abdomen right below sternum that can cause me to double over; doesn't seem to go away when eating; sometimes, eating can make it worse but can't narrow down to specific foods; pressure in between shoulder blades in back but not pain, just pressure; joints are stiff and ache when rising from sitting or if standing long time or when I get up in a.m.; skin issues (itchy rash or hives similar to mosquito bites) that flare up without cause. Saw Dermo who said it could be inflammatory skin (never heard of that); pressure in chest area which makes me feel like I can't get a deep breath or enough air (suffocating feeling); tingling in arms and hands and "startled" reflexes; bowels are soft to semi diarrhea and are either very pale or yellow; thought it might be gallbladder, but the pain radiates to left and not right; Anybody have anything like this? Not sure if autoimmune, but symptoms are getting worse; have seen cardio, dermo, internal medicine, orthopedic, and gastro; Gastro is ordering HIDA scan, but haven't had it done yet; Have been out of work 3 months now due to pain and inability to work. Also, have severe tinnunitis that drowns out eve the tv. Dizzy spells and balance off as well.

My husband has had similar symptoms and had great success with chiropractic. The trick is to find a good one. They shouldn't need X rays or daily visits. Look for an older one who actually learned to adjust. It might not be the complete answer, but it can't really hurt either.

DellaPearl. I was wondering if you have found out what is the problem. My wife has the same symptoms. Been thru all the same type of doctors. Thank you

to reply to Khansempire - no I haven't yet found out the answers. Seeing an MS doctor soon Symptoms are better some days than others. This week isn't a good week.

Hi,

I recently had some of your symptoms. I have had 4 episodes since 2005 and the doctors that I saw told me that I had pulled a muscle. I believed them because I do workout and sometimes over exert myself. My last episode began on July 10. The pain began in my left shoulder and then moved to my back by the 11th. On the 12th I could barely breath because my chest was so tight. Next my abdomen began to swell and I felt like I was bloated, but it was a bit painful right under the sternum area. I then knew that this was no pulled muscle. After driving 11 hours back home, I took a Tylenol PM hoping to sleep through the night and see a doctor in the morning. My body said otherwise. 3 hours later I woke up vomiting. My husband rushed me to the ER and after a host of test and blood work, I was diagnosed with pericarditis, which is inflammation and fluid collecting in the sac that holds your heart and around your lungs. There are a variety of causes. The biggest two being Lupus or a virus. I am still awaiting my lab results as I was just released today. I believe mines was viral, because after an intravenous antibiotic the inflamation began to go down.
These are tests that I was given:
CAT scan
Xrays
EKG
Ultrasound of the heart
All these can see the fluid and the inflammation. I pray that you feel better and they find out what the problem is. Also look into Transverse Myelitis- it is an auto-immune disease that acts alot like MS. My younger brother has had this for 18 years now and with the right medication, he is doing well. It is hard to pin-point, but they found his through spinal tap. I will pray for you. God Bless