Chest Pain & Hospital Visit

[Pumpkin]

Tonight around 9pm I was getting ready to go out with my friends. I was standing infront of the mirror putting on some mascara and as I was talking to my mom I got really bad chest pain... absolutely excruciating. It was a sharp/stabbing pain right in the center of my chest inbetween my boobs and in my upper chest. I couldn't tolerate the pain. The BAD pain went away after about a minute but it still continued on as we were leaving to goto the hospital but nowhere near as bad as the initial attack. In the car it felt ok but as I was walking across the parking lot into the Emergency Center it came back once again. Sitting in the hospital I had a few stabbing pains as well but nothing was as bad as the initial pain.. I think the sitting was what kept the pain away.

At the hospital I had an ECG done to check my heart along with x-rays of my chest... everything came back clean. No heart attack, no blood clot and no lung issues. The doctor said it could have been muscular or due to stress/anxiety but we didn't really get into that. I was told to go home and take an advil... I had a fever in the hospital and I have a bit of a cold now but no more chest pain.

I'm 18 years old and i've had panic attacks in the past but usually before a test or a situation where i'm nervous/uncomfortable about something. My usual symptoms are feeling sick to my stomach with a racing heart, stuttering, shakiness, etc. Do you think this was a panic attack? I've never experienced chest pain this bad before.... the pain was a 10/10 for sure!!! What do you guys think? I appreciate all feedback :)

[Kixxi]

Tonight around 9pm I was getting ready to go out with my friends. I was standing infront of the mirror putting on some mascara and as I was talking to my mom I got really bad chest pain... absolutely excruciating. It was a sharp/stabbing pain right in the center of my chest inbetween my boobs and in my upper chest. I couldn't tolerate the pain. The BAD pain went away after about a minute but it still continued on as we were leaving to goto the hospital but nowhere near as bad as the initial attack. In the car it felt ok but as I was walking across the parking lot into the Emergency Center it came back once again. Sitting in the hospital I had a few stabbing pains as well but nothing was as bad as the initial pain.. I think the sitting was what kept the pain away.

At the hospital I had an ECG done to check my heart along with x-rays of my chest... everything came back clean. No heart attack, no blood clot and no lung issues. The doctor said it could have been muscular or due to stress/anxiety but we didn't really get into that. I was told to go home and take an advil... I had a fever in the hospital and I have a bit of a cold now but no more chest pain.

I'm 18 years old and i've had panic attacks in the past but usually before a test or a situation where i'm nervous/uncomfortable about something. My usual symptoms are feeling sick to my stomach with a racing heart, stuttering, shakiness, etc. Do you think this was a panic attack? I've never experienced chest pain this bad before.... the pain was a 10/10 for sure!!! What do you guys think? I appreciate all feedback :)

Hi Pumpkin,

I know what you are going through, but let met just say that the mind is such a trickster. I had so many chest pains where I thought for sure I was going to die. I also didn't feel any stress beforehand, but looking at it afterwards I noticed that my whole body posture was screaming out stress. Like being hunched over, tight shoulders, nearly all muscles tensed up. It is quite normal to experience what you did from physical anxiety. Your mind might have been calm, but your body might have been in extreme stress. Of course I am no doctor so I cannot say for sure. This is just what happened to me. Definitely before I had to go out somewhere, since I suffer(ed) from agoraphobia. The need to look perfect and to be perfect always set me off as well.

Hope this helps to put your mind at rest a little bit.

[Silmarwen18]

Hello there,

Ive had similar attacks before. My pain is severe to moderate (it changes) and always under my left boob. Ive had S+A Disorder for four years (diagnosed) but the pains a lot longer.

My fiancé has also had the same as you. Right in the centre and excruciating. He had never suffered any attacks like it before and hasn't since. He had all the same tests and was given the all clear as well.

It happens out of the blue for both of us as well. (All my other symptoms come and go with actual situations of stress)

Your not alone I promise :)

[MAM090982]

I have had this too. I had chest pain last night as well, in my upper right chest, mine is usually in the center between my boobs, and it is always as weird as it sounds, is a gas bubble. As soon as you relieve that, the pains usually go away. Have you had any issues with acid reflux?

[Pumpkin]

Thanks for all the replies guys!! I'm really thinking it was just some stress/anxiety because the ECG/x-ray was normal.... I always pictured chest pain associated with anxiety to be a dull and heavy feeling with shortness of breath but the pain I had last night was a sharp and stabbing feeling which is why I freaked out. I couldn't make it go away and I didn't know what to do.. I was sure it was a heart attack because the pain was just so excruciating and unbearable. Today I have a cold with a sore throat which probably explains my fever last night but no more chest pain. I'm hoping that awful feeling never comes back!

Thanks for the help guys... it means a lot to me. Hope you're all doing well! :D

[Pumpkin]

Hey guys.. just an update. The chest pain is still here and more consistent if anything. It's not anxiety!!

I was prescribed an anti-inflammatory drug today and i'll be on it for a week. If this doesn't help, i'll be going for a CT sometime next week.

Just this once I really wish my pains were anxiety related but hopefully it goes away soon and i'll never have it again.

The medication is called naproxen and it's 550mg twice a day.

[needtogetwell]

Did they happen to mention something called costocondritis? This is inflamation in the tissues which connect the ribs to the sternum. I have a chronic problem with it and it is acting up really bad today. Sending anxiety levels through the roof.

Anyway if this is what you have, the naproxen should help. I take this too but the one I have is called Vimovo, it is 500mg naproxen with a stomach protector (nexium ) in it.

If you aren't used to anti-inflatories, try to take it with some food. They tend to be quite hard on the stomach.

Good luck, I feel for you. Hope you feel better soon.

[Pumpkin]

Did they happen to mention something called costocondritis? This is inflamation in the tissues which connect the ribs to the sternum. I have a chronic problem with it and it is acting up really bad today. Sending anxiety levels through the roof.

Anyway if this is what you have, the naproxen should help. I take this too but the one I have is called Vimovo, it is 500mg naproxen with a stomach protector (nexium ) in it.

If you aren't used to anti-inflatories, try to take it with some food. They tend to be quite hard on the stomach.

Good luck, I feel for you. Hope you feel better soon.

Hey needtogetwell

No... I think the word started with a P for whatever I could possibly have... something with swelling around my lungs but i'm not entirely sure.

I just took my first tablet and I ate with it because I was told it could give you an upset stomach. I'm hoping this isn't anything serious because as of right now we're unsure of what it is and the chest pain can get pretty bad.. it's on and off.

Thanks for the reply :) hopefully you feel better with your costocondritis!

[JohnC]

Hi Pumkin, was it pleurisy? I don't think that"s spelled correctly but that's how it sounds.

[Pumpkin]

Hi Pumkin, was it pleurisy? I don't think that"s spelled correctly but that's how it sounds.

i just googled pleurisy... that could be it although i sort of feel like she said pericarditis which is swelling with the heart or something.

i'm not entirely sure but she never gave me a set diagnosis... she just sort of said under her breath as she was typing what it could be.

bad thing about my anxiety... i tend to forget and lose my focus when i'm worried, especially sitting in a doctors office when i'm worked up.

the chest pain is still here but it's not sharp... the pain killers are doing their job it seems. i feel a much duller pain (i'd prefer the dull over the sharp) but i'm a bit worried about the meds because since they're masking the pain i don't know how bad my condition really is.

i really want to get that CT scan next week.

[JohnC]

Hi Pumkin, I would try not to worry to much about it simply for the fact that if they thought it was serious they would of kept you at the hospital. If you get the CT next week that should put your mind at ease a little. You may have had something that just takes a little time to heal. Try and relax and TRY to stay off Google ( at least medical searches, lol ). I'll be wishing you well and if you got a question, ask it.

[Pumpkin]

Hi Pumkin, I would try not to worry to much about it simply for the fact that if they thought it was serious they would of kept you at the hospital. If you get the CT next week that should put your mind at ease a little. You may have had something that just takes a little time to heal. Try and relax and TRY to stay off Google ( at least medical searches, lol ). I'll be wishing you well and if you got a question, ask it.

I know googling stuff is really bad. I'm trying to avoid that at all costs although i've already done a bit of it. I've freaked myself out a lot in the past haha.

But thanks a lot for your help :) Means a lot!