Severe chest pain but normal tests, where should I go next?

[ByPeppyGreenOP]

Where to go with this next?
I started with nausea Weds eve into Thurs am. By lunch it had passed but I suddenly started with sharp stabbing pains in my heart area. They continued but I was able to carry on as normal. By 6pm I was in agony with the pain, clutching my chest, and unable to take a full breath as doing so was too painful.
I took myself to a&e, they did an ECG and a blood test for heart attack. Both normal. Sitting in one spot for 4 hours helped with the pain, I came home, went to sleep.
Woke up today feeling much the same. I have a knee injury which has flared back up over the last couple of weeks so I have been resting over the last few days and piecing this with the chest pain I started to panic about a pulmonary embolism so I went back and was tested for this - again, results came back fine. I was told it could be anxiety but I’m not having that - it is agony to laugh, lay on my side and to take a deep breath. If I keep very still, it’s moderate but as soon as I start moving it’s awful again.
My resting bpm is now hovering just below 100. Blood oxygen at 96. Pain is still there and I feel palpitation-y. I cant go back to hospital again surely but what do I do? It feels like I’m having a heart attack!

I have this and a racing heart as I have severe reflux. Ask the chemist for peptac and take the full dose. I had severe chest pain one day and thought I was going to have to go to hospital. Peptac helped it.

Costochinderitis. I get it. The first time I got it DH called an ambulance. Not much can be done about it apart from painkillers and waiting it out. I used to find a hot water bottle held to my chest helped.

What medicine are you taking for knee pain?

Gallstones?

Did they check you for gallstones, pulled muscle or chostochondritis and were you given any super duper pain meds?. Or were you turfed out the door when cardiac and PE were ruled out. Probably.

Good to hear it isn't cardiac related so it is something else less serious, but obviously ridiculously painful. GP next for tests to eliminate other less serious issues I suppose. You poor thing, it must be awful for you to be in such pain.

Yep turfed out when HA and PA ruled out. Obviously good it’s not either of those but that just leaves me left with this pain and feeling a bit useless! They didn’t give any pain meds. Will get on to the GP on Monday! Thank you for the sympathy!

Nothing yet but steroid shots booked for mid Oct

The symptoms match what I’m feeling but I haven’t had any injury, coughing, exercise etc to trigger it. I’ve been more sedantary than normal trying to rest my leg. Does yours come on from seemingly nothing?

Yep, i was just going about my normal life when I had the first attack.

Did you have a xray?

Yep had chest X-ray which also didn’t show anything apparently

Had you swallowed a tablet for anything prior to this happening? I had what I think was medication induced eosophagitis a few years ago. I honestly thought I was dying - struggled to breathe, felt intense pressure under my breastbone which was spreading to my back. I was back and forward to the doctors, A&E twice but no-one could find anything wrong. I can’t remember how but I worked out it was my eosophagus and stopped all hot food, hot drinks, spicy stuff. Just drank water and had ice lollies etc to calm it. I think I also got omeprazole from the doctors too.

I had this - costochronditis! Musculo-skeletal. Posture work and get a ‘Backpod’ and a supportive bra. Really common in women and under diagnosed (surprise surprise)…

I’m beginning to think it was this. It lasted 5 days, then woke up and it had gone. It was definitely worse first thing in the morning, presumably because I’d been lying down for a prolonged period.
I feel mostly fine now about from the odd twinge after moving furniture a couple of days ago. Do you find that it’s recurring? Wondering whether I should be mentally prepared for it happening again…

I had similar during Covid.
ECG, CXR all fine but CRP over 100! Told costochondritis and sent home.
Ended up in resus two days later in fast AF and eventually needed an ablation.

I was, also going to suggest costochondritis, my sister suffers from this and it presents as you have described. It can be recurring but not always.

Mine is recurring - I think breastfeeding a heavy toddler is bringing it back.