burning chest pain

Posted by Jen on April 26, 1999 at 11:24:52
   My fiance has been having chest pain for about 4 days now. We have ruled out a heart attack seeing as it would have happened by now and also he's only 23. He is a smoker and smokes about a pack a day. He has anxiety/agoraphobia but the pain doesn't come with the panic attacks. He has been complaining of aching in the veins in his arms for about 3 years now. Our family doctor thinks that we are invinceable and never gives a diagnosis for anything or he guesses. (we have been mis-diagnosed many times). We cannot get a new doctor because all the doctors here are full and the ones that do take new patients are only family referrals.
   The pain my fiance is having is a tightness,  and he describes it as someone pushing a fist into his sternum. He also has a severe burning sensation on the outer skin directly in line with the actual chest pain. He claims it is worse with excercise and it occurs throughout the day. He is in a lot of pain and cannot get to the hospital because of his agoraphobia/anxiety disorder. There also is no coughing, shortness of breath or radiating pain.
Any ideas?

Posted by CCF CARDIO MD-APS on April 29, 1999 at 21:36:39
Dear Jen,
Your friend has symptoms that are concerning that it could be his heart; you should never assume that his young age protects him from anything, it might make the diagnosis less likely, but until evaluated by a qualified health professional, anything is possible.  IF you can not get him to the ER, try a doctors office, and at last resort see if there are any local physicians willing to make a house call-they do still exist in some parts of the country.
I hope this information is useful. Information provided in the heart forum is for
general purposes only.  Only your physician can provided specific diagnoses and therapies.
Feel free to write back with further questions. Good luck!