Chest pain??

**Tanya** · February 16th, 2008, 08:09 PM

Ok, I have a pain in my chest and upper abdo. It goes up my neck and shoulder on my left hand side.

It started two days ago and felt like I had eaten too much. It still feels that way, but it hurts to take a deep breath esp up on my shoulder.

What could it be?

**Bathsheba** · February 16th, 2008, 08:58 PM

It could be quite a few things ranging from serious to not so serious. Has it just been recent or have you had previous episodes? Sometimes stress will give you this kind of feeling. You also might have put your back out. It's hard to tell.

I actually spent this afternoon in the emergency department with chest pain. But it was different and because i have a health condition that makes my heart race. I had all these tests... seems everything is ok... just need to take more heart tablets.

If it persists for more than a few more days I'd see your doctor... or at least give Nurse-on-Call a ring. They are usually very helpful. Let us know how you go.

**westy** · February 16th, 2008, 09:20 PM

Hi Tanya, sorry to hear your having these chest pains.

I would be going to the hopspital to have it checked out better to be safe then sorry...right??

I once took my DH to the Dr's when he was suffering bad chest pains and they told us as soon as we got there with chest pains of any sort don't worry about going to your GP , get yourself straight to the hospital so we headed straight there and they immediately hooked him up on one of those heart monitoring machines.

So i'd say definately go and get this checked...it could be something minor but if it's not the longer you leave it the worse it could become. Let us know how you get on.

**Janie** · February 16th, 2008, 09:34 PM

Tanya, I've had this a few times, differing each time. The worst, and most serious, was when I had pneumonia, twice. Other times it just went away on its own.

If it's still hanging around after a couple of days, you should probably go and have it checked. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, but better to be safe than sorry.

How do you feel otherwise? Is it getting better or worse, or staying the same?

**Bathsheba** · February 16th, 2008, 09:41 PM

What are your energy levels like? If you are tired then it could be a circulatory (heart) problem. Have you had a chest cold recently or been coughing?

**Tanya** · February 17th, 2008, 06:36 AM

Thanks girls,
when I hopped into bed last night I couldn't lay down without pain. I eventually found a possy that was less painful and fell asleep. When Bonnie woke at about 3am I rolled onto my left side to feed and I eventually rolled us over onto my right side because it was too painful. It still hurt but it was less so on my right side.

I have woken with the pain mostly in the cavity around my breast bone and up into the middle of my ribs on my left side.

Energy levels seem normal. I'm not overweight and there seem to be no other symptoms?? Weird!!

I might call my sister, she's a nurse.

Thanks again git

**blue daisy** · February 17th, 2008, 06:44 AM

Tanya

its hard to make a diagnosis with your post

but the shoulder tip pain is more than likely referred pain from your abdomen or chest

it could be a variety of things

are you short of breath, feeling fatigued or dizzy
as it may be a lower lobe lung infection (pneumonia)

if it hurts in an inhalation it sounds like it could be an inflammation of the pleura (the membrane around your lungs) causing a friction rub. On auscultation with a stethocsope you can hear a squeeking as you inhale

hope you feel better soon

x

**Janie** · February 17th, 2008, 07:59 AM

After reading your post this morning Tanya, I'm thinking that it's possible that it's something like pneumonia or pleurisy, although as Nat said, it's very difficult to diagnose from a post

I would go and get checked out today for sure, if it's either of those things you want to get started on treatment right away.

And just a note, the first time I had pneumonia, it didn't show on the x-ray for days (which I know can happen), so everyone was convinced that I had pleurisy, and gave me horrible tablets that made me incredibly sick. By the time the proper diagnosis was made (days later after repeat x-rays), I was in agony. I slept sitting up on the couch for over a week, it was just way too painful to lie down. I didn't have a cough with it at all, and I hadn't been unwell with anything else. The next time I had it, I knew straight away what the pain was, and the Dr I saw really didn't believe that I had pneumonia, but I insisted on a chest x-ray, and lo and behold, there it was!

So the moral of the long (winded!) story is, that if they can't tell you what is wrong, and the pain is getting worse, just keep going back until you get an answer!

Good luck hun, let us know how you're going

**Buffykaz** · February 17th, 2008, 07:53 AM

Not sure if this helps, but you could get your gall bladder checked out?
I had chest/shoulder/collarbone pain when I was pregnant with DS and I just thought it was really bad indegestion due to DS sitting up so high during pregnancy. It didn't go away after I had DS and it turns out I had gall stones and it is quite common for the pain to be located in the chest or shoulder.
Apparently the onset of gall stones is also common during pregnancy (due to your body being focused on baby more than other processes), especially if there is a history of it in your family (as in my case). I was not overweight either and was otherwise very fit and healthy. I had keyhole surgery to remove my gall bladder and have been fine ever since.

**Tanya** · February 17th, 2008, 08:05 AM

Buffy, I checked out gall s+tones, but it seems the symptoms of that are on your right side?? My pain is on the left... unless I an back-to-front

Thanx Janie, couldn't get onto my sister, so I will wait for DP to get up ( he works nights) and see what he says.

**Janie** · February 17th, 2008, 08:10 AM

How is the pain this morning Tanya?

**westy** · February 17th, 2008, 09:16 AM

Tanya how are you this morning ?

Sounds to me as though you really should go and see your Dr at least. Does it hurt when you breathe in?

**Tanya** · February 17th, 2008, 09:40 AM

See this post girls Chest pain??

I called my sister and she suggested I wait until tomorrow to see a GP. She said she would put me in a category 4 (She does Triage) and I would be waiting a while to be seen, esp considering I have no other syptoms.

It's no better, if not a bit worse.The top of my back is getting sore for bending over while I walk.

Anyway I will let you know how I go tomorrow.

**Janie** · February 17th, 2008, 10:10 AM

Sounds like a plan Tanya! That's cool having a sister who does triage, very helpful.

Hope it's managable today and tonight, and that you have some luck with the GP tomorrow. Let us know how you go

**Janie** · February 19th, 2008, 08:43 AM

How are you now Tanya, has the pain gone?

**Tanya** · February 19th, 2008, 09:03 AM

Oh sorry meant to update yesterday...

Anyway...

Yesterday I woke and the pain was still there, but lessened somewhat. So I decided not to seek medical advise but to let things go and see how I was tomorrow (today.

Today the pain is almost gone

I have no idea what it was, but it seems to have cleared up by itself.

Thank you all so very much for you replies and concern :hugs:

Tanya