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Forum Name: Cardiology Symptoms

Question: Strange pressure/ache left chest

magenta - Tue Jun 12, 2007 7:18 pm

Hi there, I'm new here but I would just like some advice please. I'm a 21 yr old female, around 54kg and 172cm tall. I have been told I have IBS, but thats it. Around a week ago at work, I stood up from my desk and got sudden Chest pain, very sharp and like a 'jolt' from the front the the back of my chest on the left side, in the area under my left breast. The pain stayed the same for around 4 hours, though didn't get worse with movement/walking/coughing. Though it did seem to worsen slightly upon breathing out. But since then these last few days I've had what feels like constant 'pressure' under my left breast, almost like theres someone inflating a balloon under there. Now and then I still get a sharp 'jolt' of pain, but its mainly 'pressure' now, almost like a dull ache. Also get random palpetations? (excuse my spelling) least I think thats what it is, my heart seems to 'kick' hard for a few secs then gradually slow back. I recently registered at a new GP surgery, and had my blood pressure taken it was 118/70 ? If that helps. I occasionally take anti-spasmodics for my IBS, I am fairly active, but I could be better. I do stress out easy, im a very nervous person, im terrible for that, but ive never experianced this before. Thankyou for any help M

magenta - Tue Jun 12, 2007 7:43 pm

Replied to add: When I say the pain is under my left breast, I mean actually under it, like behind the breast.

John Kenyon, CNA - Wed Jun 13, 2007 6:06 am

Hi Magenta - While your described symptoms do not sound cardiac-related, it's of course impossible to know for certain at a distance, and besides, whatever it is, it has to at least be very annoying. It definitely deserves a doctor's attention. Having IBS you could be experiencing referred pain from the splenic flexure of your colon (upper left quadrant of your abdomen), which happens a lot and can show up almost anywhere between the left abdomen and the left shoulder, with the submammary (beneath the breast) pain being a common place for it to show up. It's good to keep in mind, too, that heart pain is almost always not sharp, stabbing or sudden in nature. The one possible exception to this rule would be the pain that sometimes accompanies Mitral valve prolapse (MVP), an almost always benign condition that can be accompanied by a lot of odd symptoms and is almost never a cause for concern it itself. One other non-cardiac possible cause might be costochondritis, and inflammation of the carilige in the space between any two or more ribs. Since the pain began with a change in position that is a possibility too. Increased pain on exhalation might also suggest costochondritis, or even a muscle spasm in the chest wall. Palpitations are awfully common, and even moreso in people who tend to be anxious or over-stressed. They are also rarely of any concern, except insofar as they can provoke a good deal of Anxiety. As you can see, even without any serious heart problem, there are plenty of potential causes of this sort of discomfort, and it really should be addressed by a doctor. I hope this serves to ease your mind, and at the same time encourages you to have the thing looked into, so that it can be treated and made to go away. It can't be very pleasant, even if it doesn't sound serious. Good luck to you. Please keep in touch.

magenta - Wed Jun 13, 2007 8:18 am

Thankyou so much sir :)

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