Mystery Pain in Upper Left Chest for Years

I am 30 years old. I have had this sharp pain / tightness / discomfort in the left side of my chest for about 12 years or so now. It seems to come and go, but when I do feel it, it ranges from a sharp discomfort to a mild tightness and it's always in the same place, it never moves. It is in the left pectoral, kind of in the middle, upper right side of left pectoral.

About 12 years ago when I first noticed it, I went to the doctor to get it checked out. They did an EKG, blood work, x-ray, stress test etc.... and everything came back normal.

I do NOT feel the pain when I am exercising. It really only seems to be when I am at rest, sitting at computer, sitting at desk, or even just thinking about it. It doesn't get worse when I'm stressed or surprised, it's just a sharp pain that lasts anywhere from 30 mins to a day, stops for awhile (could be mins, hours, or days) and then restarts.

I've just learned to deal with it over the years but last year it got a little more bothersome again so I went to get it checked out... again. Same deal, ekg, blood work, xray... etc. All came back normal again, minus a slightly slow heart rate. Nothing the doc was concerned about though.

That this will start with no correlation to what I am doing perplexes me beyond belief. I have been sick the last few weeks though, and for the first time there is something that triggers the pain. Whenever I cough, I have been coughing for about a week straight now, it strains the pain a lot and creates a great deal of discomfort in my upper left chest, middle to right of the left peck.

Anyone have any ideas? Anyone had this problem and given a proper diagnosis? It's a really annoying little pain, and now that I am getting older it's starting to scare the S@#$ out of me.

The pain ranges from sharp pain to burning pain to discomfort to tightness to even feeling like there is a freakin small bush stuck in my chest. Such a weird feeling and hard to describe. One thing I can say thought is it is ALWAYS in the same spot.

I found a similar post from 2008 and actually modified that post to fit my circumstance, hope to hear back from that original poster as well considering they were the first person I have ever found to have exactly the same symptoms.

I hope to hear from anyone with a similar experience and symptoms, and hope that you have found answers.

Thanks.

Billy Walsh

[isoflurane]

Hi billy,
after all this time with no other cause found it is likely you get a trigger point in your muscle. these are like knots of cramp in the muscle. if you press on it is it painful?
may be caused by sitting hunched over computer and persists because of the worry it causes. Although you say it is not worse when you are  stressed
it may be unrecognised stress behind it! eg work deadlines etc good luck

[momzet]

have you ever been tested for any gastric problems billy? the oesophagus runs very close to the heart and sometimes people mistake these pains for something serious when it can be quite simple and easy to fix..you could be suffering from reflux or maybe a strain in the muscle that has just persisted over time..

[rcn687]

Hi Billy
I too have been suffering with the same symptoms for more than 8 months now. Doctors don't know whats causing it, run all proper tests to no avail.
I do recalled at the very beginning having gastric problems like bloatness, acid reflux symptoms including some discomfort in the oesophagus. All this went away and then came chest pain, tightness, numbness in the left arm. Doctor prescribed muscle relaxer, and for the pain. Don't take it much only when realy needed and in small amounts. What have really helped is my positive thinking, being optimistic about life. I started taking again the B12, Vitamin C and some magnesum which has helped alot.  Good Luck  and God Bless You.