Terrible pain near heart last night - what could it have been ?

[gingeroots]

Had the most agonising pain suddenly come on last night .
Sort of under and to side of left breast .
Couldn't inhale/breathe properly because of pain .
Any movement ,even the slightest made it worse .
Ibroprufren didn't lessen it .
Anyway one phone call to NHS and one ambulance crew later ,I'm left with clear ECG and struggle to bed .
After about 40 mins pain magically disapears.
This morning it's just tender/aching in that area .
Apart from feeling a complete fool .I'm wondering what on earth it was .
Cramp ? Do you think ?

[puzzlepetal]

You were not a fool to call an ambulance. It is the completely correct thing to do in such a circumstance. Glad to hear ECG was normal. There are many causes of chest pain so I would go the your GP to investigate further. All the best.

[paulinefouler]

I get this a lot had the ecg and everything the GP seems to think it is anxiety attacks.
If you google anxiety/panic atatcks like heart attack loads of people have the symptons you describe.

I had it last night and I was quite stressed I also get indegestion a lot too which really hurts in that area.

HTH.

[paulinefouler]

www.mindpub.com/art343.htm

[gingeroots]

Mmm - I was stressed last night ,tho not especially more than normal .
And pain came on after cause ( son back from demo ,back from Asda trip which saw 90 year old mother's first attempt at driving mobility shopping thing taking out a rack of clothes , followed by water pouring out of car radiator in Asda car park ).
And I do still have some residual pain today .And feel pretty rough TBH .

[Unprune]

Referred pain from indigestion?

I got this first aged 14. The pain is excruciating and breathing is hard. A few years later I was going out with a medical student and he looked it up for me. It's a definite possibility. I am well-hard, obviously, because I never got it checked out (Or rather stupid: I think in retrospect it might have been wiser...)

[paulinefouler]

I wasn't very stressed either it can just happen and it is bloody scary.

After a bad one I can feel rough for a couple of days -numb arm, chest aches,wiped out feeling.

[Unprune]

Forgot to say: it can last for ages and lying down is hard because the slightest, tiniest movement can set it off. Is that how it felt?
Antacids can really work quickly.
Give it a try at least, if it comes back.

[gingeroots]

Unprune - yes it was like that ,I couldn't breathe properly or lie down and yes exactly that with the movements .
Also - stressful day ,wasn't eating ,DS finally home so I relaxed enough to eat 2 rather greasy chicken thighs .
20 mins later ...onset of agony .

[TaperJeanGirl]

I had something similar last year, it actually felt like somebody was standing on my chest, christ it scared me, I was clammy and just felt like I couldnt draw breath, dp phoned for an ambulance, they did an ecg which was fine, and said that anxiety attacks/indigestion are often mistaken for heart attacks, I did go to my gp after to ask for a more detailed ecg, (paramedics had a more basic one) I had an appointment at the cardiac dept of my local hospital and thankfully my heart is fine, its happened a few times since too, I dont think they are panic/anxiety attacks, but am just glad they arent heart related!

[Unprune]

I suppose they talked about gall bladder stuff? (Greasy food can set that off I think.)

I keep some tums by the bed and if I feel iffy I ward it off that way.

NB this is me, I'm not assuming this is what's causing it in anyone else.

[gingeroots]

Thank you everyone .
Feel a bit pathetic here ,reading how many serious complaints they are .
Have been awake all night with it - was ok during day and came on again in late evening .
Not as excruciating as first time .
Tried Rennies ,ibroprufen ,all without success .
And now I'm up it's more or less gone .
Just can't think what it is ,beginning to think it's the breast itself .
Shall have to go to GP ,but can't really imagine they'll be much help .
Thanks for reading .
Any advice gratefully received .

[gingeroots]

They = there

[larrygrylls]

Gall bladder?

It is sited there and causes pain on inhalation. If you actually managed to pass a gallstone, it might have suddenly cleared up.

[larrygrylls]

Could also be pleurisy...pain from infection in lung.

[Antidote]

Does it hurt to touch / cough / sneeze?

If so, it might be musculoskeletal ie. costochondritis inflammation of the rib ends If so, I would expect ibuprofen to help.

If it is indigestion I would expect milk, rennies, gaviscon & sitting up to make it better, but ibuprofen to make it worse (irritates stomach lining).

Why not try paracetamol instead of ibuprofen?

Gallbladder pain is usually right sided or midline / back, and quite 'deep'.

The other thing to consider (sorry to lower the tone) is some trapped wind, especially after a stressful day.

Definitely see you GP. They will be ale to examine you and chat, and refer for more tests if needed and to prescribe some proper painkillers or antacids depending on what they find.

Hope you are feeling better soon.

[EnnisDelMar]

I think it's your gallbladder.

Onset of symptoms coupled with evenings and nights being worse is classic,

please go to the Dr and ask for some gallbladder tests.

My mother had this earlier this year and it was exactly the same pattern.

[EnnisDelMar]

I'm sure I read somewhere that gallbladder pain can refer to the left hand side. But I may be wrong...

[larrygrylls]

Or, if you want to really scare yourself, pulmonary embolism.

In any event, you need a lung X ray to exclude infection and the above and then a gallbladder scan, ideally.

Bizarrely enough, both my mother and me have had similar things in the last few months, both of which self resolved without any real diagnosis. Those were all the things suspected...

[SantaIsAnAnagramOfSatan]

oh there's a nerve or a muscle, i've forgotten what it's bloody called but my friend kept getting exactly this and was worried she was going to have a heart attack until a massage therapist friend said is it here, feel like this, runs under here etc and it was exactly the symptoms of this problem.

bugger. i'll try and find out what it's called OP by fb'ing friend. i could be wrong but your op sounds exactly like what she described.

[SantaIsAnAnagramOfSatan]

i have facebooked her and will let you know when she gets back to me.

don't panic.

think muscle relaxants helped her but we were in a country where you can buy decent drugs over the counter.

[Teaandcakeplease]

I suffer from palpitations from time to time and the pain sounds similar. Always had them since a child, they're particularly worse when I'm tired or stressed and Chinese food can set them off.

[Teaandcakeplease]

The wiki description of them doesn't match what I have, which is a sharp pain and breathing in and out makes it hurt more. I have to lay very still for a short while and breath shallowly until they go.

[Igglybuff]

I had pleurisy - sounds similar. I also had fevers and felt rough. But ibuprofen did help? Went into docs and they had a listen of my chest, also had a chest xray and was clear.

[SantaIsAnAnagramOfSatan]

it def sounds like what this friend had tandc. hope she gets back to me.

[TheFoosa]

ooh, I've had costochondritis and it really does feel like a heart attack