Can I ask a question about chest pain? (I'm not in need of medical attention so don't stress)

[belledechocolatefluffybunny]

I keep getting really sharp pains in my chest on the left hand side. They last about 2-3 seconds, it makes me hold my breath but this doesn't ease it, then it just goes away. It's been going on for years, I have mentioned it to the GP, he listens and says it's OK, I'm just wondering if anyone else has this? It doesn't happen all the while, once every few weeks. TIA

I get sometimes sharp pain in my chest, but it hurts more if I try to inhale during the pain iyswim. Also had it for ages.

Do you know what it is?

No, I always assumed it was stress related.
I had few times in my life horrid episodes of what I think was a case of intercoastal muscles inflammation (or whatever it's called), but then it's my entire ribcage hurting for days.

In the case of this momentary pains, I get them more in the middle, but perhaps often it's like in a few points at the same time...really sharp and I start to inhale really slowly and gently and they go away in a few seconds.

I do recall getting them since being a teenager, so I reckon it isn't anything very serious.

Although i have been having a dodgy heartbeat since dd was born...but no, I don't think it's connected.

Hmm, interesting. Thankyou.

I think you should push for a lung xray just to check all is well.

Sounds like a nerve or muscle thing.

I have had this on and off for years. TBH - not much so in recent years.
I have never known the cause at all.
With me the pain is so intense I cannot catch my breath for a few moments. To breathe in or out hurts like hell for say 5 to 10 seconds - ish!!
I recall as a teenager my mum taking me to the GP and being told it was muscular.
Strangely though like Winnybella I too have been told I have a minor heart problem since DD2 was born. Its only a very very minor heart murmur and prolly not related at all.

Yup, mine sound exactly like Mum72's.

I get a 'skipped' hearbeat, but haven't been to the doctor yet. Very annoying it is, too.

The last time I had a chest x-ray I was 11, nothing interesting showed up.

I've been having the pain since I was a child, it comes and goes away. I do have crap circulation, purple lips and fingernails. No murmur though.

I get that too winny, it does a beat really quickly after one, then there's a little gap. I went to the GP about this, he said it was OK. This is a new (ish) thing, a few years. It's also not all the time.

That's it. There are week/s that I don't notice it at all and others (like now) when every few beats I get the 'strong' beat. Never had it before, but I did google and it doesn't seem to be dangerous, but still they say it's better to get it checked out.

I think the pains you get seem like a nerve/ muscle thing. You could get an x-ray to check, but they don't sound scary- especially when you hear other posters saying they have same/similar thing.

It's not scary, it just hurts.

I can't remember the name of the heart beat, the GP said it goes out of sink, a beat occurs quicker then it should so it misses a beat so it can get back into the correct rhythm.

I've had this for years. My boyfriend when I was 17 persuaded me to go to the GP, who told me it was just a muscle spasm. It doesn't happen so often these days, and it's never really bothered me too much.

But do you get them once for a few seconds every few weeks or in clusters or...?

Yes, I forgot a name for the dodgy hb as well. I know it's probably nothing, but a bit annoying, still.Did your GP say why it began? I had recently a lot of doctors appts and can't be bothered with another one- I mean, I'll go...soon...

It's just once for a few seconds, the longest was 5 seconds, it's normally when I'm sitting/lying down and happens once a month or so. the GP wasn't much help to be honest, he said I could have drugs for the rest of my life if I found it too bothersome though

What, he offered you drugs for the pain or for the heartbeat?

I find that unless you have a cluster of symptoms or really serious and obvious one, GPs are often not of great help.

For the heartbeat. He didn't say anything about the pain (or the very obvious purple lips)

Most of the GP's in the surgery are a tad useless. I had some rather odd symptoms last year and was told by one that I didn't have them

Belle,sounds like precordial catch,benign condition,nothing to worry about.

Thankyou. Is this where the membrane sticks?

Oh, I hope lemsiprocks's got your condition right!

Mmm...I would check the purple lips etc tbh. Was it you who started a thread about it few weeks ago?

www.precordialcatchsyndrome.com/index.html

Lemsiprocks is a star!!

Yup, that was me. GP didn't say anything about the purple lips.

I googled it and that's exactly what I get! Although I think mine sometimes radiates from the left side...or maybe not...haven't had it for a few months now, I think.

Who needs a GP when you have mumsnet!

Oh, good! Well, that's solved, then. You should go and bother them again, or try to see another GP. Surely it must be circulation issue?

I'm off to bed, it's after 1 am here in Paris and have to wake up in 6 hrs to take ds to school.

Goodnight

Yes Belle,
the 'extra 'beats sound like ectopic beats,cut down on caffeine if you can.You can take B-blockers for this but most people manage without.
Are the purple lips associated with breathlessness,chest pains,palpitations or lightheadedness? If so ,go back to your GP,otherwise,don't worry.