not sure what this is

my boyfriend is a 36 male just quit smoking ciggerettes (heavy smoker) he is experiencing pain in the center of his chest, his sides and his back when he takes in breathes. he is also having some symptoms of a sinus infection as well. what can be causing this pain?

[David Tinkelman, M.D.]

The characteristics of the pain your boyfriend is experiencing are consistent with pleurisy, pain secondary to inflammation of the membrane that lines the rib cage.  

However such pain could also be secondary to chest trauma or chest wall strain (as with exercise), which you did not mention, or to a worsening of underlying anxiety, that had previously been controlled. There is also a viral infection that can mimic the chest pain of pleurisy, called Pleurodynia.  Fortunately this subsides spontaneously in about ten days.

As you can see, this type of chest pain is common, with many causes.  There is a possibility that pleurisy would be related to smoking cessation but, more importantly, it cannot be ignored, as it could be a sign of serious disease.

Your boyfriend should definitely see his doctor for a physical exam and chest X-ray.  One or the other may reveal the cause or his doctor may be able to make a presumptive diagnosis based on history alone.  While possible it should not be assumed that this is related to or caused as a component of nicotine withdrawal symptoms, as this is rarely the case.

Good luck