1. Community
  2. Chest and lungs
  3. Chest Pain

3 weeks and no change, im getting worse!!

Posted , 10 users are following.

danielle198570
danielle198570

Hi all, sorry to drone on but i would really love to have any feedback to help put my mind at rest.

Ok so it started 3-4 weeks ago, i had really bad chest pains under my left breast, my doctor said it was a pulled muscle, the pain got much worse and moved to the centre of my chest so i went to a&e, my ECG was fine, and all my bloods were fine, Blood pressure slightly high, i got sent home again saying it was a pulled muscle.....day after day i seem to have gotten worse, so back to the doctor i go, they think its acid reflux and depression/anxiety, i wsa prescribed Omerzaprole and Citalopram, i have been taking the Omerzaprole for over a week now and nothing has changed, i havent taken the Citalopram as im pretty sure im not depresseed or anxious, i am happy at the minute and have a lot to look forward too, basically the doctors are saying there is nothing wrong with me apart from being anxious.....but i am not too sure, i think there is something going on in my chest , maybe my lungs? Has anyone been in a similar situation to me? I dont know what to do????? THeres no set time to my pain, even when its not on my mind and im at work, im fine one minute then the next the pain is there, I can be resting or doing something as simple as washing up and i get breathless with the pain,Right now with the pain i feel at my worst, and do feel breathless a lot,should i go to a & e again?? I have a doctors appointment on Tuesday but not sure if i can wait till then. Sorry for going on and on but i really am worried that no one is listening to me and there is something wrong with me, surely anxiety can not cause daily severe pains with breathlessness? Many Thanks

1 like, 40 replies

40 Replies

Prev Next
  • caroline68835
    caroline68835 danielle198570

    Posted

    Hi Danielle. If you don't feel well then I would go back to a&e. I am still trying to get rid of pain that started five weeks ago after two days at the gym and then getting a nasty virus  I've been knocked off my feet for all this time and am still in pain.  I visited a and e five times and was kept in once for further tests. It has reduced but it still makes me anxious just thinking what might have happened. I'm still not feeling at all well. I. Exhausted all the time and feel so uncomfortable.  When I presented in a and e they said there was a lot of activity in the ECG. When I asked what that meant they said it may be a heart attack. Why would a doctor say something like this without evidence. Don't they realise that we are human and get scared.  They then said it was pericarditis and then they said it was muscular skeletal. Surely muscular skeletal disorders wouldn't affect your heart rate would they.  Anyway  do not let them make you feel like you are a nuisance. If you are feeling ill and you think it may be your heart you must get it checked.  If it isn't then that's great. If it is and they capture the results on a ECG you get a diagnosis and hopefully a treatment plan. I hope it all goes well. Keep in touch. 
    • danielle198570
      danielle198570 caroline68835

      Posted

      Hi Caroline, thanks for your message, i have the doctors in the morning so hopefully i will get somewhere, i had an ecg and bloods done 2 weeks ago which were all fine, but i never got an xray which im going to ask for tommorow, im tired more than usual and your right it is very uncomftable, i just truly believe its not anxiety and that is something else hopefully im wrong, a lot of people on here have mentioned it sounds like costocondritis, my pains can be constant or i just get like tweaks of pain mainly in my left chest and occasionally in my back as well as arm, im seeing a diff doctor tommorow so hopefully i can get diagnosed further, surely a pain cant start one night out of the blue then be daily for 3-4 weeks be put down to anxiety?thankyou
  • Guest
    Guest danielle198570

    Posted

    Hi danielle I think is worse at night, my shoulder is aching like a gnawing pain through my left breast and round my ribs, I think we all have certain amounts anxeity but can't always put pain down to that , if you get checked out and nothing serious you can then learn to live with it . Good luck at Dr I shall be following next fri I have had 2 xray and blood all fine and next a scan, I am not taking tablets until I know what it is , as I think could mask a problem in the future .
    • danielle198570
      danielle198570 Guest

      Posted

      Thanks Joanne hope the scan goes well,please keep me updated:-)
    • Guest
      Guest danielle198570

      Posted

      Yes will do good luck to you to, it helps to message other sufferer, I drive my husband up the wall always going on about this pain and being grumpy, but I do know once I know what it is I will be fine, the pain is real , viscous circle pain cause anxeity so yes we are anxious,smile 
    • danielle198570
      danielle198570 Guest

      Posted

      I feel exactly the same,i think my husband just thinks its all in my head!! Im not one for doctors normally butsomething dosent feel right. It would be good to get a proper diagnosis but it just seems my.doctor is just guessing. I will see how i get on tommoro but i dont hold much hope. xx
    • Guest
      Guest danielle198570

      Posted

      Yes I don't like having pain , I just worry so much especially as in the chest and shoulder .let me know tomorrow how you get on xx
    • danielle198570
      danielle198570 Guest

      Posted

      I will do,pain anywhere else i can cope with its just chest os worring especially when it came out of nowhere xx
    • can4484
      can4484 danielle198570

      Posted

      Any luck on diagnosis? I'm having same issues and everyone thinks it's in my head. Been to dr. Like 10 times with no deffinate diagnosis 
  • Rodfly
    Rodfly danielle198570

    Posted

    Hi Daniuelle and Joanne, exercise and gym work is the worst possible thing for Costochondritis, which is what this probably is. It is a soft tissue injury betrween the ribs and takes a long time to heal, which means lots of rest and very little physical activity - gym is definitely out. The damage doesn't show up on scans which is why the A&E staff can't properly diagnose it. It will eventually go away, but how long it takes is dependent on how well you rest.
    • Guest
      Guest Rodfly

      Posted

      Thanks rodfly , do you think could be  yoga Pilates as I do loads of  head hand stands  in my classes and some real  strong poses also loads plank work, thing is being doing for so long how come it's come on now? I think gym work is nothing compared to these strong poses, I am on a break as away for a few days, so I will see if it eases as I can't imagine life without excercise, I don't smoke drink party , I love sport classes and keeping fit ,I hope it is this as I have been thinking all sorts , I do around 6 classes a week and did some double yoga lessons lasting 2 hr 2 nights running. I do hope you are right thanks allot feeling better already
    • danielle198570
      danielle198570 Rodfly

      Posted

      Hi Rodfly, i dont do much other than a bit of walking however i get in and out of the car about 50 times a day i help my sister do a parcel courier round for approx 2 hours a day but its not heavy lifting,did u think this is the cause or makin me worse?Ive been helping out around 1 year now. Thanks
    • Rodfly
      Rodfly Guest

      Posted

      Hi Joanne, 

      I can't emphasize enough the need to rest, so you must sadly avoid yoga, especially head stands which place an enormous stress on the ribs and diaphragm. Long walks are also out, walking needs to be distances under 500m return and slow strolls, not arm-swinging exercise gaits. Long periods sitting up as well as unsupported reclining positions. Lifting should be limited to 1kg maximum. Sounds onerous but these limitations mean the difference between a couple of months and a year or more, it's up to you.

    • Rodfly
      Rodfly danielle198570

      Posted

      Hi Danielle,

      Yes unfortunately getting in and out of a vehicle, particularly a small sedan low to the ground, is most unhelpful. If it were a 4WD, probably less of a problem as you're not required to pull yourself up and out, but you basically step straight out of the vehicle. Again, limit weights to 1kg, which itself is measured at your body, not at arms length.

      Consider this - a common house brick weighs an old fashioned 8lbs. At arms length that increase to 20lbs, so think about that when handling parcels and courier freight.

    • Guest
      Guest Rodfly

      Posted

      Hi rodfly. Thanks for advice , I am going to take your advice and rest as hard as it will be as excercise is part of my life like sleep food, I think you are right as already I have had a better night with the pain.the thing is I have full mobility in my arms shoulders but I think inside the muscles. I am still having a phone consultation with my dr fri but I will let you know. I am still getting a dull ache through my breast and round my ribs and makes me feel anxious, I don't want to be on tablets as I am not keen. With Xmas coming up and busy with the tension of the festive time I think a good time to cut back excercise .thanks again  smile 
    • Guest
      Guest

      Posted

      Ps how do you know all this ???
    • michael80037
      michael80037 Rodfly

      Posted

      Hi Rodfly, only recently found this site and alot of people on here have similar complaints to me. I have had all the tests, MRI, CT, endoscopy, ultrasound, as well as numerous chest x rays. All have come up with the same answer ----- "we cant find anything wrong" The pain in my chest is so bad that it is waking me at night time, it hurts like hell to turn or twist my torso. but unlike others on this site when I am out walking or in the gym the pain dissapates only to come back a short while after. The doctor has told me that costo is a form of arthritus and when you are using the joint the pain will ease. I am a 59 year old male and have had this problem for 3 years and over that time the joint has got worse and worse. I am going to the doctor in the morn and he is going to give me a cortizone injection into the sternum joint-- not looking forward to that. Will keep people informed as to the outcome if someone can drag me down off the ceiling after the injection !!
    • danielle198570
      danielle198570 Guest

      Posted

      Hi all just letting you know how it went at the doctors, so this doctor is now the 3rd one i have seen within the last 3 weeks, she is pretty positive its nothing serious like my heart or lungs due to all my previous tests at the hospital being clear, although she does think i have a bit of costochonritis which in her words said should clear in a couple of weeks, but ive read up on it and it can take months, but she just advised me to keep taking painkillers and anti inflammatorys, she is sending me for an xray tommorow more so for my peace of mind, but she is pretty positive the xray will come back fine, the tablets i was prescribed for anxiety, she has told me to see how i feel in a couple of weeks as she thinks i have a bit of anxiety also, even though im pretty sure i dont. So all in all i think she has reassured me a bit more that its nothing serious, although im a little confused as she said excercise will help but according to a lot of people on this form who have been unlucky enough to have costochonritis rest is the better healer, i think im going to opt for a few days rest and see how things go. cheesygrin
    • Rodfly
      Rodfly danielle198570

      Posted

      Hi Danielle,

      How're you feeling nowadays? Are you over the costocondritis?

    • danielle198570
      danielle198570 Rodfly

      Posted

      Hi Rodfly, no im not so good to be honest, i had a couple of good days, but the doctors just seem to send me away, although my chest xray came back clear, but last week i did a peak flow test and i blew 250, the doctor has given me an inhaler to help clear my airways, but im still none the wiser and still in pain unfortunately although the pain has seems to have moved to the left side of my right breast, and in my shoulder tips x
Back to top
Prev Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.