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Original poster

Have a pain in my chest, could it be harmless???

29 replies

Blossomhill · 20/02/2006 17:42

Have had a pain in my chest (exactly where me heart is) since Friday. It keeps coming and going. I have tried rennies and they haven't helped.
Am going to gp tomorrow but am so scared I am going to have a heart attack. I know I am probably over-reacting and wondered if anyone else has had the same thing. It feels almost like I have trapped wind in my heart (weird).
I am 31 btw.

OP posts:

brimfull · 20/02/2006 17:49

is itsore all the time,when you breathe in or out,on movement or exercise?

NotQuiteCockney · 20/02/2006 17:50

I get trapped wind near there. I also get a stitch in my side, when I run, that is in the top left part of my chest. But it isn't a heart pain.

If you don't have other signs of heart problems, a heart attack is unlikely. Getting it checked sounds wise, though.

And as ggirl asks, when does it come and go?

Whizzz · 20/02/2006 17:52

I had a bad cough & pulled a muscle there once. Painful when taking large breaths, coughing etc.
Didn't last too long though & gradually went OK on its own

KBear · 20/02/2006 17:52

I've had indigestion before that was so painful it took my breath away BUT if you think it's your heart and you're worried I would take a trip to A&E and ask them to check you over.

mummytosteven · 20/02/2006 17:54

my first thought was pulled muscle as well - have you had a cough recently? I doubt it's anything serious, but it's wise for you to get it checked out. If you have any trouble breathing, I would seek advice before tomorrow.

Original poster

Blossomhill · 20/02/2006 17:55

thanks everyone. my breathing is fine. Just feels like a dull ache that occassionally feels like a slight twisting knife pain.
I am even wondering if it could be linked to stress??

OP posts:

mummytosteven · 20/02/2006 17:56

could possibly be stress-related, as stress can manifest itself in all sorts of physical symptoms.

chapsmum · 20/02/2006 17:57

Blossomhill, lot of things can cauwse chest pain, from heart related problems to anxiouty. 31 years old is very young to be having caridac pain although nothing would surprise me anymore.

If you have angina the pain gets worse when you physically exert yourelf, the pain may be in your chest it may even just be in your left arm or jaw.

It is definatley better to have a dr check out any type of chest pain, it could be a blood clot, it could be cardiac, could be a chest infection...It is likely to be nothing serious but best not to speculate or diagnose chest pain on line.

If you were 50 or a smoker or had a family history of heart disease or a personal history of blood clots or were hugely over weight I would see a dr asap.

jalopy · 20/02/2006 18:02

Do you think it could be gallstones, Blossomhill?

chapsmum · 20/02/2006 18:03

unlikely, your gallbladder is on the right side.... though you can sometimes get referred pain.

Kidstrack2 · 20/02/2006 18:04

i used to get that sort of pain quite a bit, until one day i seriously thought i might have a heart condition and (my gran had heart problem) so when one day it got so bad when i breathed in i made an emergency app at the doc, it turned out i was suffering from colic

FrannyandZooey · 20/02/2006 18:04

Do you think it might possibly be Bornholm's disease? I know it sounds obscure but I was diagnosed with this after chest pain in my late 20s. I still don't know exactly whether that was what I had, but the doctor certainly thought so. If you have had a chest or throat infection lately this can appear later apparently. It certainly is worrying isn't it? The other thing I would consider is panic / anxiety. Are you very stressed at the moment? Hope all is well when you see the gp.

jalopy · 20/02/2006 18:06

Very likely. I got severe central chestpain when I had gallstone problems.

spacecadet · 20/02/2006 18:11

blossomhill- it could be a whole range of things, chest pain is very frightening as we immediately tend to assume that its a heart problem.
however, it could be a whole range of probs, not related to your heart.
stress can indeed cause chest pain, are you under any stress at all?
as chapsmum said though, there are other conditions which can cause chest pain, such as blood clots or chest infections, however,with a blood clot you would probably be feeling breathless, faint or would possibly have alow grade temp.
you would probably be feeling unwell with a chest infection, usually with a temp.
do you have any tenderness when you touch the area?? there is a copndition known as tietze syndrome which is inflammation of the ribs where it joins the sternum which can cause the type of pain you describe.

cyan · 20/02/2006 18:18

hiya i was rushed to hospital after having chest pains the other week, i had a funny turn and hit the kerb whilst driving. they did a heart scan but it was all ok, hospital came back that it was inconclusive said it could have been a panic attack? i have suffered rom pani attacks befor ebut nothing like this. hope all gets sorted x

chapsmum · 20/02/2006 18:19

jalopy this is prob one of the reasones why online self diagnosing can be dangerous, I would assume that if someone says they have pain over their heart it would be left sided chest pain not central.
Absolutely central chest pain can be a sign of gallstones but much less likely to cause left sided chest pain.

To answer blossomhils question would be to say, yes chest pain isnt always serious. However it should be physically checked out by a dr.

Original poster

Blossomhill · 20/02/2006 18:21

Oh forgot to add I have been having weird pains at the tops (almost like a band round my arm) of my arms?

OP posts:

spacecadet · 20/02/2006 18:33

hope you get on ok at the doctors tomorrow

jalopy · 20/02/2006 18:38

I am not qualified to diagnose Blossomhill and I'm sure she is aware of that. I was suggesting that her problem might not be heart related. I also am aware, from her post, that she is seeing her GP tomorrow to be checked out properly.

chapsmum · 20/02/2006 18:43

jalopy please dont be offended, my thinking here is that if someone has chest pain (?as a result of stress )and suddely they look up internet website lookin gfor gallsotnes and othe conditions it will simply exacerbate the probelm. ratjher than reassure.
I'm sure this was not your intenetion of your post.
Additionally it is important not to try and interpret chest pain in any other way than what it is uless you are a dr (which I'm not)
I'm sure that blossom will have found all posts helpful, but as you say I am glad she will get it checked out.

festiveface · 20/02/2006 18:58

I went ti the doctor once with chest pains. He said as i was only 27 it wasn't likely to be serious. He proceeded to press down hard with his thumb on my chest and ask did that hurt? Er yes it bloody did (had bruise next day) anyway he said it must be muscular but when i told him i also had palpitations he said it was stress and that was that.
more recently i had pain in my chest, arms and legs sort of shooting pains and i think it was the after effects of a virus i'd had.
best to get checked to be sure
hope you soon feel better.

Enid · 20/02/2006 19:00

It could be \linkwww.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/costochondritis.htm\this}

I had an eeg before it was diagnosed

wow did I feel a fraud

Enid · 20/02/2006 19:00

sorry, this

Original poster

Blossomhill · 20/02/2006 21:41

spacecadet - my whole life is always full of stress so could be that.

I still have dull pain but am going to have to wait until seeing gp tomorrow.

I just want it to go away as it is really worrying me and dh isn't being very sympathetic at all

OP posts:

spacecadet · 21/02/2006 12:44

how did you get on at the doctors?

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