Chest Pain. Should I see Doc?

[WorriedMe]

I have been ignoring it. Had some chest pain started about a week ago? slight tight chest, thought might be coming down with something, The pain is in both front and back up as high as between the shoulder blades and as low as under the bra line I guess. It is tight, with sharp stabbing pains that go across the chest front and back, down both arms, into my armpits and into my fingers intermittently. My left arm is stiff in the upper arm and neck, a bit like I have pulled a muscle.

It as been increasing in intensity over the last week, slowly, and although I can breathe (have been deliberately inhaling deeply to check that's ok) it makes the tightness a little more prominent.

In addition to this I have had a headache that feels a bit like a migraine starting, but never actually reaching the debilitating migraine level, I have some neusea, and it seems as the tightness in my chest increases so does the headache.

And. One more thing then that's it, promise, my heart is beating quite fast, or rather, not faster, no, harder. I can feel it pounding like it is working harder and that coincides with the chest pain increasing.

It is not an anxiety/panic attack. I feel pretty sure about that. And not indigestion I don't think as it doesn't seem related to food (although, I have eaten quite a big dinner of pizza and salad...)

It is bearable, in that I can get on with things. But I am starting to feel a little unwell this evening with it.

I am thinking I will wait until Monday to see GP, see how I go over the weekend and have a chat with her, but I can't figure out what is causing it so Dr Google helped and everything says A&E I don't feel I am ill enough for A&E and am saying to myself it's not serious, so just ignore it.

And then, a little voice says most people don't think they have something serious wrong with them...

What do you think? If it was my heart or something, it wouldn't be slow burning like this would it? It would be Boom! and I'd know?

I am mid thirties btw, relatively healthy, used to smoke rollups, don't any more, don't drink excessively, don't eat red meat, very active until last year when I had a different unrelated chronic condition which slowed that down but still not sedantry. So it's not likely heart is it?

Could be a nasty chest infection , best to see Dr to rule out that and anything cardiac
Have you a fever?

You know what to do. Don't wait until Monday to find out it's something minor. It may not be.

Does it hurt when you press your chest or twist/move?

Based on what you have said it doesn't sound likely that it is your heart, there can be lots of things that cuase chest pain and you should see your GP ealry next week. If anything changes over the weekend then get advice from your OOH provider.

Call NHS Direct but I think they will recommend you go to A&E. You shouldn't take chances with chest pain.

ring 999 for any kind of chest pain and go to a&e.

seriously. do it now.

If you were someone else, reading your post, what would you tell the OP?

You need to get it checked out. My FIL thought his heart attack was a chest infection. He waited all night and then travelled two hours to get home before going to A&E. You won't always know when it's your heart. It's probably nothing serious, but better be safe than sorry.

please don't take any chances.

if you know it's not indigestion (and that arm pain is fucking worrying) then fucking go to a&e.

please.

I know what I would tell someone else but, i feel like it's not serious. No, I don't feel like it's not serious. I am obviously a little worried, because I have never felt like this before and it's a pressured pain, feels like my clothes are too tight around my chest, like my 'bit too small for me' speedo swimsuit is on and as a result it's causing all the other pain. But I guess I feel like 'it won't be serious for me'. And then I think how stupid that sounds and maybe I should call OOH. And then I think how stupid it sounds that I am going to A&E for a bit of chest pain which could be and probably is something minor. I don't like to make much fuss, or have lots of attention on me.

gin no doesn't hurt to touch/press/move. ggirl no fever. I did think it might be a chest infection as there is some 'stinging' with the pressure, but I have no cough at all. I did have a cough for a couple of days last week, a dry cough that produced a little bit of green for one morning. And so I have thought maybe it's linked to that? Chest pain started a few days after that stopped?

ivread out your op to dh and he said "she needs to go to a&e they're the same symptoms as my yncle when he had his heart attack"

unique I mean, I am no doctor so I cant say for sure it's not indigestion, except I have had horrific indigestion in pg so know roughly what that feels like so I do feel quite certain it's not, along with the fact it has been there to a greater or lesser extent every day all day for a week or so.

Gonna go chat with DH.

have you had a rennie? are the symptoms the same?

go to bloody a&e now!

nobody on here can diagnose you or tell you whether or not it's too serious to wait till monday. call ooh, they will probably send you to a and e because they can't diagnose you over the phone and you have chest pain. you know you can't leave it, even though it is probably a chest infection or something similar. get it over with.

thanks ladies. I know. I know. Just go get it over with and tucked up in bed again before I know it with some reassurance!

Exactly! Now, get yourself off to the hospital, let us know when they've given you the all clear, and hope you feel better soon.

How are you this morning, OP?

what happened OP?
did you go?

Hi everyone. Sorry I have not been online today.

And the prize goes to ggirl ! chest infection !

I spoke to OOH who asked me to go up and see the doc in OOH surgery, it's by the hospital itself/part of the building so I felt happy with that in case I needed to be in hospital but without the drama of hospital itself for what I was not convinced was something really serious, but was anxious that maybe it was.

Been given amoxylin (sp) AB and told I should start feeling better by tomorrow/monday.

Surprised that I have no cough/fever (but slightly raised temp which I didn't know) but doc didn't seem particularly surprised at that.

Thanks for kicking me up the butt to go, reassured my heart is fine and glad I got ABs now as it sounds like I might have felt a lot worse over weekend and beyond without them! And given that I have no cough, probably would have really started panicking and ended up in A&E then!

Didn't have to wait too long either, unlike A&E which probably would have been a huge wait on a friday evening, so tucked back up in bed by 1:30am!

thank god.
hope you feel better soon. :)

Thank you . The problem is/has been, I have a pretty high pain threshold, and, i think I have actually been in more pain than I realised. I have a condition (not life threatening) that causes chronic pain from time to time and I think that I am used to trying to ignore it. As now I have had a chance to sit back and relax and not try to ignore it, I have realised, it really hurts, but really amazed I don't feel really 'ill' with it. I mean, i do feel a little unwell, but expected to be in bed type ill with chest infection, grotty with it, but i don't and been able to get on with stuff, just been a bit breathless so have been a little slower.

I am sure by tomorrow I will feel significantly better.

The pain is in both front and back up as high as between the shoulder blades

OK I see you went to OOH but anybody / everybody this is a 999 call.

It is most likely a chest infection but chest pain and a stabbing pain between the shoulder blades on your back should be treated as an emergency

it was the headache that gave me the clue , dd had similar vague chesty symptoms and very sore head..she had pneumonia !!