Chest Pains

[guvna2004]

If you've red my recent posts you would understand what i go through everyday, But i just need a little support from you guys o try and get me through. Does anyone get really horrible trong chest pain, lasts about 4 seconds then its gone, it feels as if its on my rib cage. I think its been there for years but ive only just become consious of it due to alot of stress at work and the fact i mooved away from my parents with my girlfriend. I got a doctors appointment in 2 weeks, for a fresh assesment, that should go well as im a healthy eater, moderate drinker and go running 3 times a week. It only started scince i started to drink Wine. I think i might have a phase of ALCHOL ADDICTION coming on but im pushing that out by not drinking. All the support welcome and appreciated. Missed you all.

JAMES xx

[Guest tearose]

Hey James, sorry you feel so bad.

You know, when we are more active, stressed or sick even the smallest ailment feels worse! You may have pulled a muscle that is in spasm...I don't have a clue what is going in your body! You have some serious things to address so it is good you will be seeing the doctor soon. If you are feeling so horrible, like an elephant is dancing on your chest, then go to the emergency room. I hope this feeling passes but be smart and do what you can to help yourself!

best regards, tearose

[MomtoGiuliana]

I agree with tearose 100%.

Chest pain can be caused by all kinds of things, benign and not. I don't think we can assess yours, except to say that chest pain is common in POTS patients.

Alcohol may exaccerbate your POTS symptoms. It does mine and I avoid it. It doesn't give me chest pain, but it seems to increase blood pooling to my extremities.

Glad you will be assessed by a doctor soon.

Take care,

Katherine

[guvna2004]

Yes i agree with you both, ive had this for about a month from what i can remember but i do remember having it some year or so ago, and it just passed. Every time i get the pain i always place my fingers on my pulse and see whats going on, but it always seems fine, no increased pressure or HR, its always the same.

[StaceyYount]

Hey,

I get this and so does my husband and he is not a potsie . It happens when we have a tight muscle just under the shoulder blade near the spine. Now the muscle does not hurt that much and I really don't notice the tightness but it gives me a shock of pain through to the front of my chest. The pain is actually on my chest and it does not last long. If you have someone press around the edge of your shoulder blade you might find the knot, This may not be your problem but wanted you to know that we both get it and it is annoying and scary until you figure out what it is. I hope that this is what it is for you.

Take care,

Stacey :-)

[India]

Hi James,

I've had similar pains on and off for the past few years: on a couple of occasions they took me to the emergency room. I had all the usual tests and of course they came back negative for any heart related problems. As a couple of the other posters suggest, POTS sufferers seem to commonly suffer from such pain although the cause is not clear.

What one of my many doctors suggested, however, is that, in my case, the pain may be related to recurrent GI problems (also a common issue with POTS sufferers). I too seem to suffer the pain after alcohol or spicy foods. Apparently, GI problems can often manifest themselves in chest/rib pain based on how pain pathways are formed when we are very young. Hence some people's GI pain manifests itself as back pain, another's as chest pain etc. I've been on various GI meds--including ranitidine and prilosec--and they did provide some relief. But I would not recommend long-term use of these meds as they seem to cause more GI problems than they solve in many people by upsetting the healthy bacteria balance in your gut.

Of course, stressing about all this will make the pain worse, whatever the cause. So as long as you get any heart related causes ruled out, I suggest you keep on with the exercise as far as you are able as that is what helped me both reduce the stress and relieve some of my GI symptoms.

Good luck!

India

P.S. As a "newbie" I've got to add that it is such a relief to find people out there who can identify with all the curious symptoms I had for the ten years before I got a diagnosis. Thanks to you all!

[guvna2004]

Well my chest is a bit disfigured ( i would say anyway ). At 8 years old i noticed a lump in the centre of my chest, a pea sized lump attached to the middle of my chest ( the bit that dips in ), i had X-RAYS and was told it would dissapear in time. My family , my brothers esspisially, have always said my chest is deformed, not that I or many others can tell. 99% of the time i get chest pains its usually on my bones, i press the area that it hurts and i feel my bone hurting. If i press a part of my chest that dont hurt it feels normal, a bit of pain due to the fact im puting pressure on it but otherwise its normal. I also get alot of WIND, burping and from the bottom end, lol. Gastric reflux used to come but it stopped now.

Were should i feel for the knot u say in my sholder?

James...