Long term, unexplained chest pain

Hi Everybody,

As someone who's been suffering from this very condition for over 6 months, I'm so happy that I found a group of people in a similar situation.

ji86, have you considered the possibility of generalized anxiety disorder? I know that sounds strange, but it's what I was diagnosed with, and when I found the right anti-anxiety medication, I began to feel better after only a few weeks.

I had an unexplained pain in my chest and back on the left side for months, and got tested for everything from heart problems, to rib issues, to lung cancer. everything turned up negative. when my GP brought up anxiety, I ignored him because I didn't feel stressed or anxious at all (aside from the anxiety at my condition). It turns out that anxiety doesn't neccessarily mean that you feel anxious at all, and it can manifest itself as all sorts of physical problems (and a common one is chest and back pain).

If you haven't looked into it yet, ask your doc about generalized anxiety and ask your family if it's in your genes at all! 

Feel better all!

I just wanted to come back and say I have found the reason for my chest pains at long last and I hope maybe this will help some of you.

After going to the ER yet AGAIN in pain and dealing with all the same tests and all the doctors thinking I have lost my mind I at last found a doctor who cared and helped me find the reason. 

The short answer is yes my heart was hurting and all the chest muscles as well.

But not for the reasons I was worried about.

I found out that I have been for the last few years having almost daily panic attacks with out knowing it. Yes there have been many I knew were one but there were likely far more then I had thought.

My body has been in a almost constant of fight or flight for months now.

I admit I new I was stressed but I didn't think it could have ever destroyed my life like it did.

They found my BP was going crazy at times of stress and in time that makes everything hurt. I was always needing more sleep I was all but killing myself at the same time trying NOT to sleep as it was then that I would have my chest pains more.

An endless go round of things making it worse.

I was first put on Ativan to calm my nerves in times of panic but I was having to use it 2 times a day to even feel human.

They next gave me 50mg of Zoloft and that worked wonders for 3 days and then I almost OD'd on it and found out I had a sensitivity to the drug.

After this they put me on Celexa 10mg, I have been on it for 2 weeks now and I have not had one pain or other crazy symptoms that I was having. 

My PB went down to the 110's again and I just feel "me" again.

I know this my not be for everyone nor work for everyone but it's worth looking into I think.

I have gotten into a mindfulness meditation program as well and it really has helped me ground myself.

It's so had to believe that something so simple was giving me headaches, chest pains, heartburn, lack of sleep and everything else.     

I wish you all luck and the best with finding why your in pain too. - Mel

Adrienne, you mentioned this in one of your post 12 months ago.

left side over the heart and penetrates to my back, left shoulder blade

This is the EXACT pain I have been experiencing the past 3 years. I am a 25 year old white male. I have had extensive cardiologist checkups on this pain and everything has come back normal besides some premature hard beats and occasional blood pressure spikes. Please reach out to me more to explain your issue in more detail. Thanks

OMG!!!!!!

Hey there!!, my name is Adam Stento, and am a 33 year old male who also sounds like, by the way your explaining ur left chest pain!, is just about identical to what ur going thru!, I also have experienced this deep, sharp, piercing, or constant tightness dull pain rite on the left side of chest directly over my heart is and sometimes in, under and above my left shoulder blade!!, I too have felt this on/off literally for last 10-13 years!, and had my first stress test done when I was just 19-20 years old, Doctor didn't find anything and didn't know why my chest hurts the way it does, I've always have had seclvere severe panic attacks, anxiety, stress, depression issues, runs deep into both sides of my family, so I figured maybe it was all anxiety related!!, but it comes on outta of nowhere, can last minutes, hours, days, weeks, then be gone for months like you've said!!, it has drove me to the point of insanity hehehe!, over the years!, recently last few months it's been horrible again to the point where I've had a 2nd stress test done and am scheduled to have another one at the end of the month!!, like you say!, it's debilitating, very scary, and have all the identical symptoms of a heart attack!!, rite at this moment it's killing me!, sometimes I think Motrin IB helps but, then sometimes I really don't know!!??,

Longtime ago, a walk-In doctor diagnosed me w/ a word I can't pronounce, not Perstities but, some longer word o never can say correctly lol, that has to do w/ inflammation of the lining of ur chest walls!!, but what I do know is something def is not rite in my chest and it gets very old, very old, ha!, w/ the constant overwhelming feeling of wondering if ur about to drop dead when the "pain"

Comes on!, I'm soooooooo sick & tired of being sick & tired of wondering why my chest hurts the way it does!, the only thing that seems like it may help is if I laydown and take a nap!!, and of coarse dwelling it on it and worring compulsively about it mixed with horrible anxiety, pushes me to the point of wondering if I'm tricking myself into it all "being in my head", kinda thing hehe!,

Sorry I've typed Sooo much and really hope I hear back from you, to talk more about this, I'm brand new to this Patient thing, and not totally sure who will be able to read this or not! I'd appreciate it greatly if I heard back from you, cuz' like u, I've gotten nowhere with doctors!!, THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!! I don't feel completely nuts over this now lol lol!!, take care & good luck!!,

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Hello my name is kenneth i am 24, and like you and the rest of the people on this forum i as well have been experiencing this unique phenomenon. It started back in Oct 2014 So let me try to ease some of your mind. First im sure this burden started from a panic attack or a high stressful situation. Since you wont know what it is you will develop anxiety from not knowing the situation. My best advice.... At least go to the doctor once to rule out some things with a ekg bloodwork etc. just to make sure its not serious. The doctor(like in my situation) will most likely not help and tell you your tests are normal! Dont worry it wasnt a waste of time.. its better to be safe then sorry. Second dont go overoard with the online searching becuse its just gonna put bad ideas in your head that you dont need. The thing to do is not stress yourself!!! the pain can be mild for a couple of minutes to severe for days or weeks. I once had an attack and dealt with the pain for three months straight!! It went away for 3 months then came back. In my experience massages, eating healthy, exercising,  and deep slow breathing help when pain is bad. I know its a difficult situation but WE can get through it. This wont kill ya (especially since it goes away then comes back) I hope someday these doctors get the people together that have this and do a much needed research study to help out the thousands dealing with this. If you feel just so down and feel like giving up remember your not alone my friend. GOD BLESS YOU ALL

kenny

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Wow... I thought I was going insane.

I have now been experiencing chest pains for 9 months. I've had a particularly busy/stressful year & just assumed I was from being over stressed or anxious - that was until the ache turned into a deep, sharp stabbing pain to the left of my sternum.. which woke me up one night.. It was at this point that I ended up in A&E thinking that I may drop dead only to have an ECG that showed no problem. My mind was put at rest (for a while). The doctor mentioned costochondritis at this point so I went on my way feeling much happier that my heart seemed ok.

5 months on...

I still experience different types of pain in my chest, not necessarily in the same place. I have pains/aches in my lower left rib (a is if there's something underneath - like a baby's foot when you are pregnant), I have pains in my left shoulder, my back, on the breast bone and under my arm . It varies.. There's no consistency. So then the pains got particularly bad again yesterday so I went to the urgent care centre. I had another ECG, blood sugars tested, BP checked, breathing checked/ listened to (for a good amount of time). The only thing they found was that my temperature was slightly higher than normal. I left the building, feeling happy that I didn't keel over but WHAT THE HELL IS IT? Think my next step is perhaps to demand a chest x ray just to have that piece of mind. It's the most confusing & frustrating thing I've ever experienced. Glad I'm not alone

Really glad I found this site. I was a healthy 33 year old woman until April of this year. Been to ER 2x since then with no diagnosis except PVCs. In addition to those (which only started in past month), I have heart pain which comes and goes. Tests done: EKG, ECG, stress test, heart monitor worn for 2 weeks, ultrasound and blood work. My heart is fine according to the doctors. And yet I'm sitting here in pain. Mine seem worse when I'm sitting down. Going to another cardiologist soon to see if it's myocardial bridging.

Glad I saw this, feel like a ticking time bomb waiting to have a stroke or heart attack. Been having left side body pain and numbness for about 5 years now. 24 now it's mostly the same sharp tearing pain under my left breast, same pain but numbness and tingling in hands, and legs. I guess I didn't see anything about numbness or tingling on here. I used to try and exercise the pain away trying to get my heart healthy, but the pain under the nipple was to harsh. Had an ekg done not long ago, they didn't say anything was wrong. Normal blood test results. I notice the pain is worse and comes on fast if I take my medicine, seroquel, so I definitely want to get off of that. And it'd make sense to quit my seroquel extended release since it's the same chemical right? Even though I don't feel pain after taking the xr it can't be too good for me.

Hi ji86,

this problem has been haunting me since 2012 upto date, you can imagine how painful and completed the pain is and now am only 22yrs. My symptoms are exactly as your and i have also taken the same test and the report gets back to me normal. Last week nov 2015 I was in hospital in qatar and the doc mentioned chronic pain, said that the pain will always come and go and he gave me a prescribtion of medicine to take to calm the pain.

This meds arent doing anything, the pain still comes and go at its own time and it freaks me out time and again. whatever this pain is, it has something that triggers it and my doc mentioned stress.

 

Hi,

I recently read a cardiac medical journal which carried an article about unexplained chest pain especially in the young. The conclusion was a dropped shoulder which caused nerve impingement resulting in numbness, pins and needles in the arm, and chest pain.

sorry can't remember where I read it but it was in the last few weeks from new cardiac research topics. Perhaps its something to investigate?

I ALSO HAVE THESE PAINS IM A 23 YR OLD TANKER IN THE ARMY AND I CANT EVEN RUN OR DO PUSH UPS ANYMORE BUT I GET SO STRONG OF PAIN THAT IT BRINGS TEARS TO MY EYES IVE BEEN BEING SEEN BY ARMY DRs FOR ALMOST 2 YRS NOW SINCE I HAD NEVER HAD THESE PAINS BEFORE JOINING AND IT SEEMS LIKE THAT CANT TELL ME WHATS REALLY WRONG WITH ME BUT ALSO ONLY KEEP GIVING IBPROFEN LIKE IT HELPS NO MATTER HOW MUCH I TELL THEM IT DONT MY WIFE AND KIDS ARE REALLY WORRIED BECAUSE IM CURRENTLY DEPLOYED BUT DONT KNOW WHATS WRONG WITH ME

I hv same symtoms 2 month back and occured with anxiety and depression. Paid a visit to cardio and hv all test done ECG,Echo,Stress test and doctor assure that there is nothing anything serious. But still i hv pain in my chest sometimes it is sweet pain and sometimes a burning sensation and loke pin flowing in vein that doesnt last even for a second.But a sweet pain remain throughout the day. Can feel the pain acutally by pressing the area of pain and sometimes it like deep one. Doesnt know where it actually lead bt passing everday in fear in my brain about what gng to be next. Is anyone can suggest what is causing these pain. Last thing doctor give observation that the outer valve muscle are grown large which is causing the pain and it will go itself but one month passed still it is there

You guys have no idea how much finding this forum helped me! 

Im currently traveling , it's actually my last week in Asia and I've experienced this sort of pain in my chest. Back home I could maybe have once in a while a little pain when breathing but never like ive experienced here. It stared2 weeks ago as I was on the bus going from one city to another and we had to cross a creepy town with nothing in it , that's when I started to feel an ache on my chest on the left side and it just kept on getting worse. I thought it would. Away because I had it also at the beginning of the trip but NOP and it got more intense. I'm aware it's probably stress related since the pain has gotten less intense ever since discovering that other people have this! It really took a huge weight off my shoulders and I immediately felt like I could breathe normal again! 

Im 22 , I'm vegan & have an active lifestyle so I really didn't believe it could be heart related problems but at the same time you never know. Anyways I'm flying home in 2 days so I'll let yall know if they pain continues there & I'll s go to the doctor as well! 

Hang in there! You're not alone , take care! Xxx

This same pain brought me here, like everyone else, only certain differences. Mine has lasted about six months and sent me to the doctor as well, only to be reassured it is not a cardiovascular problem because of its sharpness, regularity, and my overall health.

I cannot say for sure what the cause of my pain is, and I'm fairly confident to say it isn't one quick fix either but I think I can share what I believe is helping. Since I haven't (that I know of) injured myself, I focus on two possible causes: anxiety and diet.

breathing exercises like meditation have helped me try to find the root of my anxiety, and I've slowed down on coffee and alchohol. A little.. 😉 

i want want to know what other sort of solutions y'all have been trying to feel better, cause I know I can't afford medical treatment in this damn country.

oh and also, I started eating naturally fermented foods, like sauerkraut. They have crazy amounts of good bacteria for the digestive system so that if it is a gas problem, it can help! 

Hope me everyone feels better!!