Why am I having heart/chest pains?

Question

I've been having stabbing chest pains above and to the right of my heart for about a year now. I went to the doctor recently, and he told me that I may have Pre-Cordial Catch Syndrome, which he said is thought to be a pinched nerve in my chest cavity. He said it's nothing serious, I dont think hes right though; it hurts very much and very often.
He wont give me any medicine for it.

What else could it be?
Has anyone had the same problem?

Answer 1

YES---the best thing to do is take bayer( dissolves best) aspirin on a semi-full stomach----this will aleviate the pain by clearing the partial blockage for better blood flow.....the same thing was said to me by a doctor about pinched nerve bullshit....i had a heart attack at 30 yrs. of age.....then the cardiologist said take aspirin it will prevent many people from having a second heart attack....ive had some close calls---at one time i was taking 6 aspirin a day to relieve the pain now since being in florida( which thins your blood naturally) for 10 yrs. i take 1-2 per day average....it works ....i am now 65 yrs. of age & told by a doctor yrs. ago i would never see 40....aspirin is a miracle drug without the normal stumbling block of a prescription by a doctor that does not really care...........remember 1 thing doctors practice medicine---if while practising you die, well they say ooops --better try something else next time...you are just a name & a number.....learn to protect yourself read any vitamin & MINERAL BOOKS , your heart needs magnesium desperately to function properly....start with 100 mg. magnesium to relieve this pain also......along with 1 aspirin per day-----if you bruise more easily cut back on aspirin--- 1 every other day or two---by the way if your heart is having problems sometimes you will have referred pain ---where the heart will not emit pain but refer pain to other parts of the chest---have you ever felt a sharp pain from your right nipple----this usually means angina pectoris ----the pectoris is your chest muscles--- angina means referred heart pain--to the chest muscles---angina pectoris usually happens when you exert yourself physically---lifting or going up stairs.....shortness of breath sometimes also......

Answer 2

from wikipedia,the free encyclophedia :
Causes
The cause of PCS is unknown, It is speculated that it could be caused by the pinching of a nerve. There is also a correlation of PCS to stress and anxiety. PCS is often seen to occur during rest or a sudden change in posture, but never during sleep.


Treatment
There is no known cure for PCS. However PCS is also not believed to be dangerous. Therefore PCS is generally seen as a mild inconvenience. Perhaps the worst part about PCS is the anxiety of fearing that the chest pain is an indicator of a more dangerous condition, so therefore a correct diagnosis of PCS is a relief. PCS should not interfere with normal activity, and there’s no reason to use any form of medication.

Answer 3

Hello....
You should definitely go to your doctor with your concerns.
your dr. is probably right. It could be pre-cordial catch syndrome or some other nerve or muscular problem. My husband has had this problem, and he says the pain is pretty bad.
Other problems that could cause this symptom include asthma, heart problems like mitral valve prolapse, anxiety, and costochondritis.(inflammation of your rib cage cartilage) just to name a few.
Share your fears with your dr. He should order a chest x-ray, ekg, echocardiogram, do a lung function test. These will pretty much rule out serious heart and lung problems.
Relax, most likely you are fine. But these tests and a good talk with doc will ease your fears. Good Luck!

Disclaimer:I am not a dr. Please see a physician with any health problems.

Answer 4

A number of things can cause this sort of chest pain.

A sharp stabbing pain which is worse when you breathe is classically called a "pleuritic" chest pain - ie pain originating from the pleura or lining of the lung. These pains do not always originate from the lung, in fact and may come from a number of sources in the chest wall:

Skin - is there any rash, particularly the blistery rash of shingles?
Chest wall - muscles - strained a muscle recently? broken rib can cause this sort of pain too - chest trauma or a bad coughing bout in a patient with weak bones (osteoporosis) can cause this sort of pain, a viral inflammation of the rib cartilages or the lining of the lung (pleurisy)

Lung: these are the more serious ones
Pneumonia (particularly with fever, cough, gradual onset), Pneumothorax - this can happen spontaneously - air getting between the lung and the chest wall
Pulmonary Embolism - (economy class syndrome) - a clot of blood which usually arises from the legs and shoots off into the lung with the rest of the venous blood

Pericarditis - inflammation of the lining of the heart can cause this sort of pain as the lung moves against it. Again - often a viral cause.

Answer 5

This could spell problems... Go for 2nd or even 3rd opinion from another doctor. Generally if you have one or more of these symtons very likely it's related to heart disease:

1. Shortness of breath
2. Weakness/Fatigue
3. Leg swelling
4. Chest pain, especially with exertion
5. Palpitations (irregular heart beats, skipped beats or 'flip-flop' feelings in your chest)
6. Sweating
7. Weakness or dizziness
8. Crushing chest pain that may radiate down to your neck or jaw (may also feels like discomfort or heaviness in the chest, just below breast bone)
9. Fullness, indigestion, or chocking feeling (may feel like heartburn)
10. Stomach distress (nausea or vomitting)

Answer 6

ask for another opinion but your Dr. is problem right go to the drug store and get some homeopaths med. they have it for every thing . there is vitamins and other Heb's that will help and stop the pain.