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Unexplained Chest Pain for a Whole Year, Please Help!

Posted , 3 users are following.

Natalie059
Natalie059

I'm 19 years old and I have this terrible chest pain and I have no idea how to get rid of it or what it exactly is.  It started a year ago when I was playing basketball.  I hadn't played in a long time so I decided to go out in my yard a play for a bit.  I ended up playing for a few hours and within the next few days I got this horrible chest pain in my sternum and both the left and right side of my chest.  I figured I pulled a muscle so I kept taking advil and icing it.  It went away after about a month or two, and then I got a new job watching kids in an aftercare program.  One day they asked me to play basketball with them and I did because at that point I felt fine.  But the next day all of the chest pain came back.  Since then I've "pulled" my chest muscles multiple times and at this point they're so weak.  It's so bad I can't even carry my book bag for college without getting pain.  And now it has spread to my sides and my upper back.  It's terrible, I can't lift anything that's even slightly heavy and I can't even throw a ball without getting pain.  I've tried everything at this point.  I've taken advil and other pills like it, I've put ice on it, and I've put heat on it  I've been to urgent care 3 times and had an EKG and x-ray done but the results came back fine.  One time I went they gave me muscle relaxer pills but all that did was give me side effects and it didn't even help with the pain.  Another time I went they gave me a pack of Methylprednisolone pills to take for a week and that did nothing either.  Then my doctor recommended physical therapy so I started doing that but it got really expensive and my parent's insurance wouldn't cover it so I had to stop.  I'm not even sure if it was helping.  I'm so frustrated and tired at this point, I used to be a really athletic person and now I feel like I can't do anything.  I want to get back to doing things the things I love like playing basketball and bike riding but every time I try to do some kind of physical activity I end up with severe chest pain.  Someone has told me it could be Costochondritis, and other people have told me it could be my anxiety but I can't seem to figure out what it is.  I don't think it's a pulled muscle anymore, I've pulled muscles before and have been able to recover with no problem at all. I'm willing to try anything at this point, if anyone can help I would really appreciate it!

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • moon53540
    moon53540 Natalie059

    Posted

    What does the pain actually feel like? Is it a sharp pain? Does it go into your armpit? Does it actually feel muscular, or could it possibly be lung related? Are you having any issues with your breathing? How about your pulse, any palpitations? Any pins and needles in your hands? (sorry about all the questions, I am trying to think of other possibilities.)
    • Natalie059
      Natalie059 moon53540

      Posted

      No, thank you I appreciate you trying to help!  It's an aching pain most of the time like it feels sore.  But sometimes if I do some kind of physical activity I'll get sharp pains.  It feels muscular to me but at this point I don't know if it is or not.  The pain does sometimes spread right below my armpits in my sides.  I can breathe ok so I don't think it's lung related and I don't have any pins and needles.

    • moon53540
      moon53540 Natalie059

      Posted

      How about when you you eat, or if you skip a meal, does it affect the pain or is it only physical activity? 
    • Natalie059
      Natalie059 moon53540

      Posted

      No, not eating doesn't affect it.  It's just physical activity.

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