24 with recurring chest pains, being tested, VERY concerned...?

Question

I've been having chest pains on and off for about 4 years now.
When I went to the doc the first time he said I had an "irritation" around my heart and prescribed me some Aspirin. They've been coming and going ever since.

Recently in the past few months they've gotten more frequent and more intense. I recently had an exercise stress test and haven't heard back from the doctor yet even though it was more than 2 weeks ago. I ended up going to the hospital one morning because the pains were so bad. There they did an ECG, blood work, chest x-ray and an ultrasound. All they told me was that the ECG was "abnormal" but nothing else was visibly wrong. The doc prescribed me some anti-inflammatory meds that don't stop the pain.

The pain itself is in different places at different times, sometimes the left side right beneath my breast and spreads to my shoulder and back area, sometimes like pressure on the center, and sometimes it's on the right side. I'm really scared about this...HELP

Answer 1

Long answer...
If I read your story, I must say it's certainly not a typical heart pain you feel. Normally pain coming from the heart, is located in the middle of your chest, sometimes radiating out to the left arm, or the throat or underjaw (the pain follows the main arterial vessels). It is related to exercise, and goes away when resting. The fact that you have it already so long, is also contradicting a real heartproblem. It should have caused serious problems by now if it was one.
Pain on the left or right side of the chest is not coming from te heart (other reasons, like muscles, ligaments, nerves).
Since an ultrasound was made, blood taken etc, a heart disease is not likely (pericarditis would have been seen on the echo, an infarct would have been noticed in the blood, troponines). Too bad I don't know more about that ECG.. You should inform what exactly was wrong with it. Also ask about that exercise stress test (since you heard nothing, probably normal).

You say the pain is sometimes like a pressure in the middle (could be heart, but the tests exclude that); sounds like esofagus too: have stomach probs? acid?)
Look I don't have enough details to give a diagnosis, too many questions I have are unanswered in your text. But I exclude (so did the hospital) a heart problem. Problem not solved yet... but you shouldn't be scared...
Go see your doc, explain the whole thing, and insist on tests till the reason is found! Let him solve it, that's his job...

Answer 2

It sounds like you have a chronic form of pericarditis. Even though it might be very painful at times, the only risk to your health from pericarditis is that you might not recognize an actual heart attack if one occurred. At your age, a heart attack is probably not likely to occur. Most of the time, the cause of pericarditis is unknown. There is a surgical procedure that removes the inflamed tissue, but its pretty major surgery, so the procedure isn't usually done unless the pain is debilitating or the inflammation is so severe that it impairs heart functions.