Chest tightness with no cause - any ideas?

[AColdDuncanGoodhew]

I ended up in a&e yesterday after being sent home from work with shortness of breath and chest tightness which is much worse on exertion.

For background I have very well controlled asthma which I take steroid and reliever inhalers for and anxiety which I take an SNRI for. I'm also a nurse so I don't use chat boards for medical questions lightly but I'm at a bit of a loss here and wonder if anyone has experienced similar.

Tightness started around 10pm on Wednesday, inhalers didn't help and managed a restless sleep. The next morning it was still there, it's like a band of pressure around my entire chest and upper back. Got kids to school and went to work but the breathlessness was progressively worse and worse despite just sitting down until I had to leave.

GP advised a&e. A&E done covid test, bloods, ECG, peak flows and chest x-ray. All normal, no cause and advised seeing the GP in one to two weeks if not resolved.

Woke up today, still unresolved. Just a constant pressure dead centre of my chest with tightness around my back.

Could it be muscular? Husband suggested panic attack but I've never had one before and there's been no anxiety triggers that I'm aware of, it just happened out of the blue Wednesday night.

I don't have any other medical concerns other than joint pain which again isn't showing on bloods so the GP has just left it at that.

I'm planning on seeing the GP Monday is this isn't resolved but I just wondered if this sounds familiar to anyone?

Thanks

Could it be a gallstone attack with referred pain?

You don't have MS?

Sorry a random one but worth a look

mstrust.org.uk/a-z/ms-hug

@CormoranStrike I haven't had any other symptoms that would relate to my gallbladder but it's always something to explore with the GP

@TulipVictory I don't have MS but will take a look at the link now. MS did cross my mind because of the tight band feeling and the fact I've had two episodes of joint pain with tingling over the last 18 months or so.

Thanks both. It's such an odd one.

@AColdDuncanGoodhew hopefully not that though and something simple that resolves itself soon :)

I have MS and actually was going to suggest this as other things ruled out. There's no rhyme or reason ( well sometimes stress or a virus ) and really odd to explain... as in nothings wrong and I feel well but I feel this ...
It should pass in 6-8 weeks or even a week of lucky if it is this.

I long time I pulled a muscle in chest wall, from lifting stuff which I really shouldn't of, building house at the time, so no one else around. I had shortness of breath and similar symptoms. Have you lifted anything recently?

I was going to suggest anxiety but you say you already take medicine for that. Sorry, no help here but hope you manage to work it out and get help

Acid? I have really bad acid and the pain is similar. I have to take Nexium 40mg (prescription strength) every single day long term. Might be worth just buying some of the 20mg over the counter and trying it for a few days.

Costochondritis?

Exercise induced anaphylaxis? Sometimes wheat+exercise can also trigger this type of allergy. Not saying what you had was anaphylaxis but perhaps a allergy type thing?
Hope you get to the bottom of it

@Veiaola I haven't lifted anything heavy but I did have a fairly intense work day on Tuesday which was out of the norm (in that something happened which rarely does) and I was sore on Wednesday morning from it, I expected it to go away though. It could be that I've just pulled muscles elsewhere and it took an extra day to feel it!

Thanks everyone for your help. I'll try something to relieve acid and see if that makes a difference, will speak with the GP Monday if it's still unresolved

Actually @LiveintheNow, costochondritis sounds about right as it would relate to Tuesdays events at work! I think thats it!

That's angina till proved otherwise. Did they do troponins? One ECG might miss it if relatively pain-free at the time

I was going to say Costochondritis as I've got this at the moment - feels tight around the chest and hurts like hell to sneeze! I've had it for ages - it's not terrible but I really wish it would go now...!

@Playdoughcaterpillar yep troponins and D dimers also with the bloods, both clear.

@DottyDotAgain oh no! Do you know what's triggered it??

Ok phew. My money on costochondritus then.

Will keep on top of it with painkillers over the weekend and see how it goes