chest pain

For about 4 months now I've been having chest pain. It feels like a tightness and sharp pain in the middle and left side of my chest. I also get a racing or slow heart beet and out of breath fast. It hurts off and on throw out the day. It lasts about an hour or two at a time. I have been to the ER twice, they tested me for a blood clot, did ex-rays and an eight.  They said they did see nothing wrong and said it was probably brused mucles. I also went to my doctor, all she did was ask questions and said it was mucles stretched. She gave me some naprixen but it doesn't help. What do you think it is and what should I do about it???

[DenTek]

Go see  a Cardiologist as soon as possible and ask for a echo stress test, transthoracis Echocardiogram test and a complete blood test.  Do not take no for an answer.

[Gulfstream2]

Considering you had tests, and nothing was found to be wrong - the odds are you are probably just fine.

Sometimes muscular pain in your chest area can seem like it would be relegated to your heart but there are very big differences in cardiac versus non-cardiac pains. Cardiac pain is deep inside, usually a crushing-sort of pain, usually shortness of breath (dyspnea) or trouble breathing follows it immediately, and the pain is not local, in one spot - its a radiating pain that spreads and goes down the left arm and shoulder, and neck.

Non cardiac chest pain is far different, it is localized, does not increase with exertion, and can be caused by any thing such as myalgia (muscle pain) neuralgia (nerve pain) or a bruised rib, stretched or strained muscle, costochondritis, etc.

You can go back and inquire about the pain again, or see a cardiologist if you are still concerned and see what they say about it. But if you are young, in good general health and have no medical history, I honestly doubt you have anything at all to be concerned over.

[LivingInHope]

Since you are associating your pain with other symptoms, such as shortness of breath and changes in your heart rhythm and given the limited list of what they tested, I'd say there is a need to be more thorough, particularly if they did not pinpoint with their fingers a musculoskeletal spot that was tender and also considering it is not constantly hurting you.  Please see a cardiologist as soon as possible about this for a thorough evaluation of your heart.

Also, if no tender spot can be pinpointed with palpation of a musculoskeletal nature (I've had chest pain with costochondritis more than once) and if the heart checks out okay, consider other possibilities... for example, pain that might feel like it is coming from the heart but actually might be from your stomach or referred pain from your gallbladder or duct system, etc..  

The ER likely checked your potassium level and for cardiac enzymes associated with heart attack (please check if you don't know), but they likely did not order an iron panel on you- iron deficiency can cause a host of symptoms, including fast heart rate and shortness of breath, so if also are noticing your tired a lot, please check with your doctor about getting this testing.  And your heart rate can be affected by thyroid function too, so they may want to check that as well.  

And think about your stress level at the times you feel the tightness, pain, shortness of breath, and changes in heart rhythm- anxiety can cause many very real symptoms.

[andrewtoshiafanning]

OK, ill make an appointment

[LivingInHope]

:0)  Great!

[andrewtoshiafanning]

I'm about to go see a heart doctor now. Ill let everyone know if they find out anything

[LivingInHope]

What happened with the doctor?

[CCF CCF]

It would probably be worth talking to your doctor or cardiologist about getting a stress test and an echocardiogram.  It is possible that your symptoms are due to musculoskeletal pains, however given that you have shortness of breath with exertion and frequent chest pains, a stress test to evaluate for ischemic heart disease and an echo to evaluate your heart function and valve function would be important.