Hope I don't regret asking. Has anyone else had chest pain towards the end of Covid?

[JesusInTheCabbageVan]

Double jabbed, 40yo, no health conditions etc, normal BMI.

Symptoms started mildly last weekend but then ramped up and by Wednesday I was totally wiped out. BUT only a very mild cough and no difficulty breathing.

What's worrying me slightly is that I started getting chest tightness accompanied by sharp pain in the left side of my chest. This has been going on for about three days now. Other than that, I feel like I'm recovering pretty well.

It's never bad enough to stop me in my tracks or anything like that, and I don't notice it getting worse with exercise (aka brisk walk from the fridge to the sofa). It's just there in the background. It feels quite a lot like an anxiety/stress symptom, and I'm sure that's at least partly what's behind it as it's enough to make anyone anxious frankly.

Today there seems to be less tightness but a bit more pain.

I suppose what I'm looking for here is lots of responses along the lines of 'get a grip' and 'don't you have any real problems?' Or possibly several posters who can confirm that the exact same thing happened to them just before they won the lottery and lost all their frown lines overnight.

Taking the lack of responses as a positive... but also bumping. Come and tell me I'm being a drama queen.

I dont think very many people are going to come on here and say “oh it’s just chest pain, where your heart/lungs are, nothing important, just ignore it”.

It may well be absolutely nothing, but if it’s not shifting and you feel worried get it checked out.

I'm a similar age to you and I had a racing heartbeat one night after about 2 weeks of (likely) covid in the first wave. But I think the doctor wrote it off as a panic attack, which it wasn't. My chest wasn't painful or tight though, I just had a heart rate of 140 bpm at rest for ages (while lying flat on a bed). I think it's important to have heart problems checked out though, in case there is any issue (a male colleague did have mild heart damage after catching covid at the same time I did). Good luck, get it checked out if you can, OP.

The responses you seem to be expecting aren't typical on here. Posters are usually told not to ask strangers on the internet for medical advice, especially if they have chest pain.
Surely phoning 111 would be a better idea?

You need to call 111 to get advice from a medical professional. Other people’s experiences won’t tell you what is or isn’t going on in your body. It could be nothing or something more serious but shouldn’t be ignored. I hope all is well and you feel much better soon.

Agree to seek professional but yes I have the chest pain (day 6)

I dont think very many people are going to come on here and say “oh it’s just chest pain, where your heart/lungs are, nothing important, just ignore it”.

This is MN, don't forget

I've asked Dr Google (because clearly I wasn't quite worried enough already) and apparently Covid and other viruses can cause slight inflammation of the heart. The symptoms of that sound very much like what I'm having.

@moimichme that must have been awful, especially in the first wave when everyone was already terrified.

I always roll my eyes at posters who ask for medical advice on here when it's something potentially serious, and now look at me. I had managed to talk myself out of 111 (or whatever the equivalent is in Wales, forgotten) because I'm still in the isolation period anyway... but you're quite right, I'll call them.

I had what the person at 111 said they’d just assume was covid in March/April 2020 - might have been something else of course. I’d called them because I had a sharp pain in the side of my ribs while other symptoms were disappearing (I wasn’t that ill with it but did have a bad cough). They asked a bunch of questions and then said I’d probably pulled a muscle coughing, and that it would go away. They were right that it went away, and a week or two later when it had pretty much gone I sneezed quite violently from hayfever and it hurt again, I guess from being pulled again when not totally healed.

Obviously get chest pain checked by someone proper, but that was my experience. It was very clearly rib-based, below my breast and to the side, and it hurt to move, breathe deeply, laugh etc. I don’t know how much that sounds like what you have at all.

It could be caused by inflammation of the cartilage around the chest wall which isn't serious and can sometimes be triggered by a viral infection, however the only way to diagnose this is to rule out a problem with the heart which normally requires blood tests and an ECG so you do need to ring 111 really, especially if it's getting in any way worse and especially as Covid can sometimes cause heart problems. So don't panic, but do get it checked out.

I had this and it eased off after a few weeks. Please see your GP though - mine rang me within an hour of my eConsult, saw me and arranged bloods, ECG and chest xray.

My pains started after about 6 weeks of a really bad Covid cough. Turns out it was caused by straining with all the coughing. The cough lasted about 7-8 weeks and the pain lasted a few weeks after the cough stopped.

I also had a spell of palpitations which I have had before and often flare up after chest infections and flu etc.

Called 111 and there's a queue of at least 30 minutes. The message says they're busiest on Saturday and Sunday mornings. I don't mind the wait, but very conscious that I could be taking an appointment from someone who needs it more, so I've hung up (don't all shout at me...)

I will wait and see how things go for the next few hours, and try again in the afternoon. Realistically I don't know how much they can do while I'm still infectious, given that it's relatively mild.

Very grateful for the responses, thank you everyone.

It was very clearly rib-based, below my breast and to the side, and it hurt to move, breathe deeply, laugh etc. I don’t know how much that sounds like what you have at all.

This is different - it doesn't hurt more when I move or breathe deeply. At the moment I would describe it as a sharpish pain/ache that comes and goes, plus mild breathlessness (but that could just be Covid as I've had it for days and it's getting better all the time).

You won't be taking an appointment from anyone more needy - they will triage and decide who gets a call back / appointment first.

While you are waiting in the 111 queue, have a look at Costochondritis: www.nhs.uk/conditions/costochondritis/

Oh, also there are periods when my heart seems to be beating harder and slightly faster than it should.

So much of this sounds like textbook anxiety symptoms, doesn't it. They're going to have a nightmare coming up with any kind of a meaningful diagnosis over the phone.

@bagofconkers that link is reassuring, I like you

Triaging, oh yes I promise I'm not usually this dim.

Get back on the phone. Nobody will mind - this is what they are there for.

It certainly wasn't fun. But I think I'm okay (not had any investigations because I - like you - kept thinking others needed medical attention more). But my colleague with similar (but worse) symptoms was off work for ages to recover, so please don't ignore it. Call 111 back!

Thank you, am back in the queue!

I was already a massive pro-vaxx MN bore prior to all this... going to be that x10 from now on.

@JesusInTheCabbageVan

Oh, also there are periods when my heart seems to be beating harder and slightly faster than it should.

So much of this sounds like textbook anxiety symptoms, doesn't it. They're going to have a nightmare coming up with any kind of a meaningful diagnosis over the phone.

Coronavirus infection can cause myo/pericarditis so would definitely get that checked out.

Like you say, these symptoms are also commonly caused by stress so I would say give 111 a call whilst also being reassured its probably nothing. And if it does happen to be a cardiac complication, most cases are self limiting and resolve without intervention :)

Wishing you a speedy recovery @JesusInTheCabbageVan

@ollyollyoxenfree thank you

Friends son had this and it was heart inflammation, he was told it is pretty common with Covid. It has resolved now, but it took a month or so.
I think you do need to get checked OP.

I had this, sought medical attention. You need to get checked out.

I had it the same as sickandtiredagain, ribs directly where bra strap went on left side, more a sore/tender discomfort but sometimes sharper. You could try ibruphren whilst waiting for 111, if it improves with that it could well be inflammatory in nature like costochondritis. Afraid I had it for months, only after it went away that I read the spleen is in that area and can get inflamed with a virus so could have been that🤷 i did have long covid though so hopefully yours will go quicker🤞

Oh and resting heart rate was 80 beats per minute for a very long time when my normal was 56, its a very weird virus, hope you feel better soon💐