Rapid painful heart beats

[Dromi]

My 7.5 year old, healthy son, woke up at 5am crying that his heart is beating fast and hard, and that it hurts. We lay him down, got him to breath deep breaths and relax, but his heart continues to beat out of his chest. He was complaining that when he's standing, it hurt more. After 15 minutes, the pain went to his stomach, but his heart is still beathing hard and fast. What could this be?

[Marie M Gleason, M.D.]

Dear Dromi:   If your child is having an active problem, such as chest pain or palpitations, you should ALWAYS speak with your primary doctor immediately.  Additionally, it may be indicated to have your child seen in the doctor’s office or local emergency room.  I would suggest that you do that as soon as possible. You are not providing enough information about your child’s current condition in order for me to tell you what this could be from, as there are many things in the differential diagnosis:  infections, dehydration, abnormal heart rhythms, inflammation of the heart.  This is best handled in person with a physician, not an on-line Q & A forum. And it should be addressed as soon as possible.

[Dromi]

Hello Dr. Gleason, thank you for your response. As I was writing to you, my husband was with my son at emerge. His symptoms lasted for a little over 30 minutes. At the hospital they did an EKG and a chest X-Ray. Both came back normal. My son isn't ill. He's otherwise a very healthy child. He has no other symptoms.
The emerge doctor told my husband that all is well. To go home and to give my son Motrin 3 times/day for 3 days, but did not explain why. We will follow up with our pediatrician as well, as I am not satisfied with this answer.

[Marie M Gleason, M.D.]

Ibuprofen (Motrin and other brands) is very helpful to treat musculoskeletal chest pain, and is often prescribed if there are no high suspicions for cardiac issues (ie: normal CXR and ECG). If the child has costochondritis (chest wall pain) then treatment with an anti-inflammatory agent like ibuprofen needs to last for at least 7-10 days. Please continue to work with your primary doctor about your concerns.  Thanks.