Strange Chest Pains

[mcjay88]

For the past few months, I've been having some problems. I'm a 22 year old male, about 160lbs.

It all started last November. I had been working night shifts (retail) for a year at that point, and out of nowhere one night I felt a sharp stabbing pain in the center of my chest that only lasted for a second, then it happened again just a little while after. For the following three hours or so, I also experienced shortness of breath.

I went to a doctor right after my shift ended, and for the following few weeks, I was taking regular tests (several blood tests, a few EKGs, a couple chest X-Rays and a Holter recording). The doctors didn't seem to find anything, except evidence of PVC. The worst that the Holter managed to catch happen was two instances in the 24 hour period where my heart irregularly beat three times in a row. I was prescribed Metropolol and Diclofenac, and also some Ativan in the case that it was all being caused by Anxiety or stress (something which I can understand).  For a while it seemed to work, but as the doctors kept sending me to have more of the same blood tests and were telling me to test taking each drug in varying doses to see what worked, I decided to take matters into my own hands.

At the end of the year, I decided to stop working night shifts and switch back to a normal sleep schedule, along with seeing how I would do without taking any medication. For a month and a half, it worked perfectly - no chest pain or shortness of breath. The irregular heartbeat didn't change, of course, since I've had that for years.

Then in mid-February, the dull pain in the lower-left part of my ribcage came back. At this point it is almost constant throughout the day. It seems to have no bearing on what I am doing at the time, and is not aggravated by breathing deeply, moving around, or even running. I have yet to feel any sharp and sudden pain.

I've been to three doctors - two in a Med clinic and one in a hospital; none of them came up with anything solid. Does anyone have any idea what could be causing this?

[cindy707]

I would keep searching then for the answers mcjay...pressure or tightness in the center of the chest is always suspect so i wouldn't back down till you get your answers.....i would also consider the mixing it up of repetitive motion too tho.....just keep an eye out and maybe use the Medhelp Journal entries to keep track of when and where it is happening and what you are doing for a week or so and maybe you can find a pattern?

[mcjay88]

Thanks for the replies, it helps to hear some outside opinions regardless.

The dull pain was there when it was first happening - sorry if I was a little vague. Yeah, Bromley, you're probably right - I'll probably be looking into finding a doctor that might know what they're talking about in the near future. I have a family history of irregular heartbeats (my dad has been dealing with an atrial fibrulation for years). One thing I used to notice was when pain would arise, I would feel my heartbeat - it was usually beating very strongly and out of rhythm, but sometimes it would be so faint as to be barely noticeable. I'm not completely sure yet, but it does seem to happen most often when I'm feeling stressed or worried about something.

Thanks for the advice, Cindy - I'm a receiver for the store, so while what I do is pretty varied throughout the day, I think I'll give what you said a shot. It might help to keep me at ease, but I'm sure this isn't strictly muscle-related. I have never felt external pain, and it has even happened while simply sitting down. The dull pain is located about three inches below the left nipple, and there is sometimes a faint "tightness" around the center of my chest.

I've started taking the Metoprolol and Diclofenac again when symptoms arise, but they don't seem to work as well as they used to. Like I said, I was prescribed very low doses and was told to take what I felt I needed, so there's that too.

I've been trying to get my sleep schedule back on track, but this problem keeps me up at night mentally and physically.

[cindy707]

In reading your post one of the last paragraphs you posted that the pain had come back at the lower left part of the rib cage.  When we have issues w. the heart sometimes its best to remember the proximity of the heart which is between the nipple lines and only slightly to the left.  The heart is about the size of your left fist.  I don't know mcjay what you posted is sort of a mystery however i do know that when there are issues of heart attacks and the like that the pain coming at the lower left side of your rib cage would be pretty isolated of an incident if not nearly impossible but there is such a thing as referred pain where the pain itself manifests itself in one area and "pains" out in another.  If i was going to guess on this one and trust me it would just be a guess....i would look to muscular from repetitive movement.  You said that you worked in retail...so does that mean that your job entails the same basic movements each day?  Meaning are you standing at a register ringing people up repetitively or are you stocking inventory on the shelves and racks repetively?  With constant repetitive motion you don't have to be having it happen to you at the time but could manifest itself at any point and you did say you switched out shifts to get better sleep which maybe meant that for the first month or so your duties or level of activity may have changed and then you fell back into the same pattern.  I always when in doubt do the push test on myself if in doubt meaning that if i get a sharp or severe pain i press two of my fingers between the ribs in the general area that is giving me the worries and if its an ouch moment i pretty much know it is muscular.  I would just look into other options possibly then the heart however........shortness of breath is always a red flag no matter what.....and then the question could it possibly be pulmonary related to the lungs on their functions...i doubt i am much help just typing outloud.....i hope you find your answers....