Pain In Right Side Of Chest

[joshj50]

Hi Guys:

Although not super painful I wanted to get some opinions on a symptom I have been having on and off over the last few weeks.

It is a mostly dull and at times sharp pain on the right side of my chest, it seems to emanate from the back and extends right around to the front. The pain is located rather high in the chest area, maybe 4 inches below the clavicle bone. However right now the pain is concentrated in the center of the right upper quadrant of my chest. It is mildly sharp.

As mentioned I have been having this pain for the last month or two.

FYI: I have a horrible life style, super stressed all the time, smoke, drink moderately to heavily (sometimes over 20 per week) and take one 2 mg xanax each night to facilitate sleeping. I am 31, 5'6", approx 140.

Anyone have any opinions on this pain - it's worrying, needless to say painful at times.

Thank you in advance.

EDITED: The last few days I have been taking Zicam Chewables as my partner and some work colleagues have had a terrible bout of the flu and I really dont want to get it.
JJ

 

[69Strat]

Go see a doctor and get an EKG done. Even though it is probably an anxiety or panic attack related symptom, get it checked!

 

[antdak]

I agree, don't mess around with chest pain! Go get it check out ASAP! Please read this thread: justusboys.com/forum/showthread.php?t=136527

 

[JayHew]

First off, what is said here is general information and is not specific to you only because you are not known and not seen.

What have you been doing lately, lifting, pushing, pulling??

Pain is sharp with movement? Aches when not doing anything, like sitting? Not associated with shortness of breath, dizziness, feelings of impending doom, feelings like someone is sitting on your chest? What makes it better, what makes it worse?

Most likely from what you describe it is chest wall pain, likely due to an injury (shovelling snow, etc.). As a general rule sharp pain is muscle. Increases in sharpness of pain with movement means muscle.

Don't know your family history either or have a baseline of blood work, so can't say what your risk profile is totally, but your lifestyle is strongly suggestive of higher than normal risk. Some Alcohol consumption is ok, but you can't make up for the times you didn't drink (yeah, good try). Smoking has been associated with increases in heart disease. Don't know what your blood pressure is like either. Weight sounds ok, but don't know your body build, could still be higher in fat and less in lean muscle mass = problems.

So I can say, maybe chest wall pain, but this advice is worth what you are paying for it and it all depends on what risks you are willing to take. For me, I would have it checked out and heart problems can present with back pain radiating to the front.

Hope this helps.

 

[MassRuss]

Any kind of pain like this needs to be checked by a Dr. Go to an ER.

 

[joshj50]

First off, what is said here is general information and is not specific to you only because you are not known and not seen.

What have you been doing lately, lifting, pushing, pulling??

Pain is sharp with movement? Aches when not doing anything, like sitting? Not associated with shortness of breath, dizziness, feelings of impending doom, feelings like someone is sitting on your chest? What makes it better, what makes it worse?

Most likely from what you describe it is chest wall pain, likely due to an injury (shovelling snow, etc.). As a general rule sharp pain is muscle. Increases in sharpness of pain with movement means muscle.

Don't know your family history either or have a baseline of blood work, so can't say what your risk profile is totally, but your lifestyle is strongly suggestive of higher than normal risk. Some Alcohol consumption is ok, but you can't make up for the times you didn't drink (yeah, good try). Smoking has been associated with increases in heart disease. Don't know what your blood pressure is like either. Weight sounds ok, but don't know your body build, could still be higher in fat and less in lean muscle mass = problems.

So I can say, maybe chest wall pain, but this advice is worth what you are paying for it and it all depends on what risks you are willing to take. For me, I would have it checked out and heart problems can present with back pain radiating to the front.

Hope this helps.

Havent really changed my physical activity in recent times at all, had a full physical a few months ago for a large life insurance policy and everything was great, blood pressure, blood work etc etc was all ok, the only point against me was the smoking. Other than that the insurance doctors found me to be in good health and a low risk to them that I would fall over dead within the next few years. I am not fat by any means and eat very well and healthy, actually its the one facet of my lifestyle that is not abot to kill me.

The only thing I can think of is that I have just come off from a very stressful family holiday to a more stressful work life. Could it be anxiety I wonder, peptic ulcer perhaps?

Like someone mentioned in another thread recently I hate to make an appointment with my doctor only to be looked at like I am crazy and imagining things. Although he is my Primary Physician I have only met him once for a bout of Strep a couple of years ago.

In regards to the pain, it is both, a dull ache at times and the a stabbing sharp pain, although not severe enough for me to shout out and call for help it is enough for me to stop what I am doing and grasp at the affected area (sounds a little dramatical I know). The pain is normally when I am sitting but if I stand to walk it is still present although slightly less. Maybe its my posture!

Right this minute there is no pain, either in my front or back so I am okay, but if the last few days are anything to go by, it will probably be back tommorow.

So I dont know, if I decide to visit my doctor, I will report back his thoughts/findings on the matter, I am sure it is something minor. I really hope so, I dont have the time to undergo doctors visits, tests and hospitals.

I always understood that a heart problem would present itself on the left rather than the right, Am I correct in this assumption?

Thank you for your replies.
JJ

 

[jockboy01]

Like someone mentioned in another thread recently I hate to make an appointment with my doctor only to be looked at like I am crazy and imagining things. Although he is my Primary Physician I have only met him once for a bout of Strep a couple of years ago.

I'd say go if you have a concern. I assure you that doctors see people come in for FAR less severe problems than this so he/she won't think you're crazy, I guarantee. At least you can get somebody to actually take a look at you and see how things are. There's no substitute.

I always understood that a heart problem would present itself on the left rather than the right, Am I correct in this assumption?

That is the classical presentation. But not every body reads the book as to how it should present so it is possible to have heart problems that aren't a left sided chest pain radiating to the jaw and left arm and feel like a pressure with sweating and trouble breathing. Heart problems can present in many different forms... but what you describe is simply the most common.

 

[AndrewH]

No idea. I know that a (mild) heart attack can feel like bad heart burn.

Get it checked, there's no reason taking a chance with your health.

 

[james1200]

see a doctor but a heart problem would manifest itself on the left side of your chest where your heart is as well as your left leg or arm, from what i understand. see a doctor tho.

 

[JayHew]

It sounds like chest wall pain again. Sharp pain is almost always muscle in origin. Posture? Yes that could be a factor, stress also. When under stress Humans tend to "lose their necks" meaning they hunch up their shoulders and after a while the muscles in the back (trapezius) give out and a trigger point can develop. From what you said on follow up, it sounds like it is chest wall.

Your assumption of left sided verses right sided pain is actually not correct. Some people having a inferior/posterior wall MI (Heart attack on the lower back portion of the heart) can present with back pain. So the idea of leftsided pain is not true. Each is different but have to have a high index of possibilities.

If an ulcer, usually the pain is boring type and goes from front right through to back, so would be a bit lower. Gall bladder can do the same but nausea is usually present. Something going on around the diaphram can cause shoulder pain, sometimes liver too or Gall Bladder.

Need to cut the stress. It would likely cut the problems some.

 

[joshj50]

Update:

Thank you all for your responses in this thread. You were all kind enough to repond to me, I thought I would take the time to post an update.

I did visit the doctors office and described to him the pain, he took blood pressure (normal), listened to my heart and lungs (normal) and ordered a chest X Ray which came back fine.

Blood work was pretty normal, apart from an elevated level of triglycerides, nothing too much to worry about, a change in diet should do the trick for that.

During my conversation with my doctor it became apparent that I am overly anxious and may even be slightly depressed. I sleep very badly, can be combative (verbally), difficult, moody and a host of other things that are just not normall social behaviour, although very mild. I take xanax often for sleeping and he has prescribed me zoloft, have only being taking it for 11 days but have seen a slight improvement in my overall well being. I understand that the full effect wont be apparent for another few weeks.

It is my doctors opinon that the pain I was experience was muscular in origin which resulted from me being tense all the time.

I am conflicted in taking zoloft and am trustig his judgement at the moment, will monitor the effects closely over the next few weeks, I never think of myself as being a "sad" person nor do I think of myself as being a "happy" person.

To be truthful its a little scary and confusing to be confronted with having to scrutinize your inner self and inner mind so suddenly. I am not quite sure where to go with this, I have a follow up appointment with the doctor this week to discuss my progress or lack thereof.

So that is my update, once again thank you for your replys.

JJ