Imaginary Chest Pain?

Question

I've been having on-and-off chest pain for about two years. I'm currently 18. When I first started having them, I went to the ER a couple times, but apparently chest pain in minors insn't taken so seriously, so I was sent home with tylenol or antacids. Saw a cardiologist, GI doc, GP. Had an EKG, stress test. Everyone told me it was probably anxiety.

So, it comes and goes, and recently it's coming again, and it's quite uncomfortable. Just sharp, to the slight left of my breastbone, fairly often, with no correlation to any habits (eating, exercise, laying down). I don't know what to do. It isn't so much the pain that bothers me (I'm used to it), but whatever it could signify.

Has anyone had any similar experiences?

Yes, I did believe the docs were correct... The EKGs I've had were all tachycardic. The echos had some mitral valve regurg. But I suspect it'll go soon. When I take deep breaths it gets better sometimes.

Answer 1

yes actually, i have. except mine tends to be dead center at the base of my sternum. I feel so stupid when they tell me that "its just heartburn" or something like that. I've even had xrays and ultrasounds and all that crap.

It comes quickly and goes away just as quickly, but it hurts like crazy...like a sharp stabbing pain.

Hopefully we find out whats wrong soon...and now i know its not just me, so its NOT just in my head.

Answer 2

First your pain is NOT imaginary, if you feel pain it is not imaginary. You said you have MVP (mitral valve prolapse), that is your answer. People with MVP sometimes have unexplainable chest pain, tachycardia, shortness of breath. The are basically benign but they are real and can cause a great deal of anxiety. I have MVP and went through the same thing, just know your not having a heart attack or anything. I take a Beta blocker, it stops the episodes of tachycardia, and I have not had any symptoms in a long time. Ask your doctor about it.
Even though the Dr's were a bit dismissive, they did do a full work-up on your heart, and as I said these are not uncommon symptoms for people, especially women with MVP.

Answer 3

As long as you have had an EKG after the chest pain, you can be sure it is not related to the heart. Minors could have heart trouble, but an EKG would rule out heart trouble in your case.
Do Tylenol and antacids relieve the pain? You didn't say. I am not a physician, but you have to be persistent and keep on checking to find the cause: gas; a broken bone; asthma; bronchitis; a tumor.
Get yourself a good general practitioner instead of going to the emergency room. An internist would investigate and delve into it until she or he found the cause. At the ER, you are there once, and the following time, you see someone else who may not take your condition seriously, if it is not life-threatening. ER is only for life-threatening and traumatic injuries which have to be fixed right away. Don't waste your time there.
Good luck to you. If you have a good doctor who will continually search for the cause, it will be found.

Answer 4

Yes, I get random chest pains all the time. And guess what? I have anxiety and hypochondriasis. Your chest pains are probably just a symptom of anxiety, if you have had all those tests done and had them come back negative. Does your chest ever feel tight? Do you find it hard to breathe sometimes?

Try cutting down on worrying, and try not to obsess over the pain. Trust the doctors. You'll find that one day you realize the pain isn't there anymore.

Answer 5

Much pain is from muscles below is an example of what may help (based on headaches). Much of the pain on our fronts is comming from our backs.
Begin with a couple swigs of molasses or a couple of bananas daily - magnesium (which regulates many things in the body) and potassium (a needed building block for muscles).
Drink at least 1/2 gallons of water per day. Running a body low on water is like running a car low on oil is the analogy the head of neurology at UCDavis told my husband about 10 years ago.

Now to the cause - muscles - your back, neck shoulders and head have tender spots. They are knots in the fibers of the muscles called trigger points. It makes the muscles tight which makes them press on nerves and other things causing the pain.

The cure - start with a professional massage, you will also want to go back over any place you can get to 6-12 times per session up to 6 times per day rubbing (or lightly scratching on your head) every where that is tender until the knots go away. The place where the skull connects to the spine press up under the edge of the skull (to get to those muscles).

For more information read The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Davies. It teaches what to do and where the pain comes from.

Answer 6

This could well just be Gas. I don't mean to frighten you but it could be other thing too. "Chest Pain" is considered a Health Risk by the NHS. If you was to ring NHS Direct and let them know about chest pain they would strange away advise you to get down to your local Hospital/A&E. Maybe go a see your GP, See what he/she has to say about it. I really don't mean to frighten you but these things have to be taken seriously. All the Best! :D - Bradley.

Answer 7

Don't give up just because they say there's nothing wrong!! My mother-in-law had the SAME thing and I suggested they might want to do pulmonary tests and sure enough... she has a slight case of asthma which causes chest pain. This was just last week,so go back to your Dr. and ask them to check your lung function. Good luck!!!

Answer 8

I to have had these pains, are you a smoker? But when i do get those pains, I go outside, put my nose up in the air, and take very deep breaths slowly. I hope it works for you like it does for me.

Answer 9

could be what you eat - a lot of garlic does it to me- i know one night when i fixed dinner at work me and about 2 other co workers had chest pains later that night - i used too much garlic felt like we were havin' the big one -

Answer 10

There's never anything "imaginary" about pain. Pain is really pain. One possibility is your vagus nerve could be hyper-sensitive and could be causing a sort of "spasm" in your body. Learn about the vagus nerve and the valsalva manuever. See if that helps.