But freaked, smoker, rib pain, health anxiety - what is it?

[felttippens]

I am a smoker. For four days ive had a very odd pain. Left side feel it in my ribs/ lungs when I breathe fairly deeply or move in a certain way. It also radiates into my back a bit. I had a chesty cough a few weeks ago but it has cleared up now.

What else can it be other than the scary stuff?

A 'bit' freaked that should say

A pulled muscle?

Something wrong with your liver? Time to stop smoking?

If you have health anxiety, stop smoking... Could be lots of things, probably nothing, but stop bloody smoking or it will very likely be something nasty at some point.

Lots of things but you need to get it checked out, you know that. Could be pleurisy maybe? which is serious but not perhaps as scary, depends what scares you. Will you ring tomorrow and make an appointment?

Costochondritis?

Ah don't mention liver ive been drinking too much too. Yep how ridiculous im probably the most unhealthy health anxiety sufferer out there - health anxiety is just a part of my mental health issues at the moment and ridiculously the smoking and drinking are both crutches to deal with things

The scariest is cancer- lost my dad to it in July

Not unusual to self-medicate for anxiety and depression with nicotine and alcohol.

Really sorry to hear about your Dad. No wonder you feel low.

I'm struggling to put this pain down to anything 'usual' ive never felt it before - I don't feel unwell or fluey- it's right behind my left boob when I breathe in and can feel it almost poke in my back / up my throat

A couple of days before it started I moved a 7ft christmas tree including pot soil and wood weighing it down out of the house into the garden I'm hoping I pulled a muscle !

sounds pretty likely!

If I were you I would ring tomorrow and get a non-urgent appointment for about ten days/two weeks' time, and cancel it if it heals.

Pancreatitis?

Could be pleurisy. I had it a few months ago and it came on with no prior warning and sounds similar to what you are describing. It was extremely painful and scary until I knew what it was.

I had this as well after suffering from a pretty bad cough. Lung X-rays were all clear. Turns out the pain was actually from pulling several muscles while coughing. Took quite a bit for the pain to go away. I got DH to massage the area really hard and that seemed to sort it.

Have you tried taking some ibuprofen to see if that helps?

Mawinter washy immediately after the coughing you noticed it? As my cough cleared up a couple weeks ago but pain only arrived 4 days ago x

I'd say you've pulled a muscle moving the tree. My dh had a similar placed pain after some heavy lifting.

Yes, it was after the coughing ended that it appeared.

Sorry, hit enter too soon.

It happened 2-3 weeks later.

Mawinter that is really reassuring Thank you - pain slightly eased today
Thanks for listening everyone !