Chest/Lung/Abdominal Pain for MONTHS

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For the past 9-months, I've had sporadic sharp chest and abdominal pains that seem to be changing in severity and location as time goes on. This all began last summer when I started to get what I can only describe as "sharp pin poking" sensations in random areas of my ribs and upper abdomen. It wasn't painful and mostly annoying, but I went to Urgent Care for peace of mind. They did an EKG and chest x-ray, both of which were normal, and told me they thought I was just anxious. After a couple months with the pain persisting, I awoke in the middle of the night to a horribly painful cramping sensation in the center of my chest. It scared me enough that I went to the ER. There they did another EKG, another chest x-ray and some blood work. Again they were normal. The ER doctor chalked it up to anxiety or indigestion and sent me on my way. Not feeling that was sufficient I went to see my GP a week later. He did a slew of blood tests, I was tested for H. Pylori and they did an abdominal ultrasound. All tests came back normal. With the normal ultrasound he ordered an abdominal CT with contrast which I did in December. It didn't come back normal per say, but it wasn't necessarily alarming. I had some mildly enlarged lymph nodes in my lower abdomen where I had no pain and a tiny enlarged lymph node that it caught in my lower rib area. I have a follow-up CT test at the end of the month to keep an eye on the stability of the mildly enlarged lymph node, but my doctor doesn't think it'll show any change.

Now interestingly at the beginning of the year, the random pains that would come and go in my chest and abdomen mostly (not completely) subsided and it became localized. Now more often than not if I twist to the left or extend to the left I get a sharp pain in my rib about an inch or two below my left nipple. Also, I've noticed that if I bend at the waist for an extended period of time my lungs feel sore. I tried to see my GP last month, but I ended up seeing a different doctor who ordered another chest x-ray and EKG, which were normal.

My GP has been against ordering a chest CT because he said he's confident it will only show incidental things and it'll just lead to unnecessary tests, but I'm to the point where I think I should just do it. I'm tired of being told anxiety when I'm not anxious. That constant diagnosis is what makes me anxious. I did tell my GP I was worried about lung or esophageal cancer, but he told me at my age with no risk factors that is extremely unlikely. Any thoughts out there would be appreciated.

I'm a white, 36-year old male and only mildly overweight. I don't smoke and I drink on occasion. My dad passed from cancer in his 70s, but he also had the BRCA gene. I did genetic testing and don't have that.

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2 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi Michael

    This is similar to what im going through in some ways. 7 weeks ago I started having chest pain "in my rib about an inch or two below my left nipple" just as you. I felt it when I exhaled deeply and when I crossed my right arm over to that side. At first I did not pay attention to it but after a week I ended up in the ER. They did the same, EKG, XRay, blood work, etc. All good. A week after that visit I started having abdominal pain. My GP referred me with a GI specialist which performed an endoscopy. She found that i had gastritis and something that seemed to be pushing from the top of the stomach. Ordered a CT scan and all clear. She then put me on lanzoprazole.

    As couple of weeks after, my whole rib cage is hurting, feel exhausted, lost weight since all started and I still have that pain.

    Let me know if you find out what is causing yours, I will do the same.

    • Posted

      I never did find out what was wrong. One day I just woke up after experiencing it for some time and it was just, gone. No explanation. If I had to guess what helped I'd say fitness. The pandemic make me sedentary. Once I got back into the fitness swing it cleared up. I have to believe it's somehow connected.

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