I've decided to ask on here as after 2 days of trying to get a GP appt and getting a recorded message saying there are no appointments and to ring 999 if it's an emergency, I can't tell what this is...
So I was a heavy smoker when younger, from 14. Am now 43 and have cut back to 5 a day but still go heavy when on a night out (maybe 1 night a month, will smoke 40).
Last week I did a long haul flight of 16.5hrs and had a sharp pain in left breast bone when we got back. I had to do all of the driving and a lot of heavy bag lifting so I put it down to that. However as the evening went on I realised I was feeling it very sharply whenever I breathe in. It lasted another day but when I googled it there seemed to be a clear consensus that if it hurts specifically when breathing in it is muscular. So I have rested it.
However a week later and it's back. I've not done any heavy lifting and it's back worse than before. When I breathe in it pulls painfully along the clavical of the breast bone on the left, under and behind the left breast (feels like a cupping shape behind the breast) and also down the left hand side of my spine with what feels like a nerve. It's been constant for about 4 hours now. I'm not having any obvious signs of stroke btw (I think the left hand side worried me initially) - can smile on both sides.
I've just tried to log in online after trying to call twice for an appointment today and the online booking system says no GP appt's for 16 weeks, so I would wait and check with an actual doctor, but clearly that doesn't seem to be an option!
Can anyone help?