I experienced a sudden onset of bad left side chest pain which spread down my left arm?
Early this morning at about 3am I experienced a sudden onset of bad left side chest pain which spread down my left arm and a bit in my back. The pain was at it’s worst for about an hour, but stayed to a lesser extent for the rest of the night. There is a family history of heart disease (I have not been genetically tested for the condition yet but will be in the next couple of months) so I went to A&E this morning. They did and ECG which came back normal so they then did a chest X-Ray which also came back looking fine. After this I was told to go home and manage the pain myself. No bloods were taken. Unfortunately the pain hasn’t sopped and I still have it now- it feels almost like a bruising pain that comes and goes. If I breathe in very deeply and hold my breath, the pain gets worse and it sometimes gets worse when I move around or press on my chest. Despite having good ECG and X-Ray results, because the area I am feeling pain in is a potentially serious area I am still quite worried about it. Since bloods and further testing was not done, I am worried something has been missed. I am a 22 year old female. If the pain still persists for the next few days, how long do you think I should wait before returning to A&E?
Age: 22
Female
Medications: contraceptive pill
Yes
General Information: – I have fainted in the past before and as a result I am getting gentic testing for a heart condition, I thought my pain might be heart related hence why I went to A&E bute since ECG came up normal they didn’t do other testings.
Considering your symptoms, going to the A & E was the right thing to do. But with normal ECG and Chest x-ray, it looks like your symptoms are due to another problem. The symptoms you indicated may be caused by GERD – if you have heartburn. A simple Muscle spasm or caused by Anxiety and Stress or Panic attack. I would tend to say that it may be due to a muscle spasm which is why you still have some pain and will continue to do so for two or three days. With some OTC pain relievers the pain should slowly resolve by itself quickly. If the pain doesn’t begin to fade and resolve within this time, you will need to consult again. Also try to relax – if due to anxiety – it will help.
Hi.
Well considering your age as well as your ECG and chest x ray it hardly looks like heart related problem.
Rather ot looks more like digestive problems like gas or flatulence, GERD, muscular pain etc.
Too much stress or anxiety can also be a problem.
So my suggestion is to first of all relax.
Try taking muscle relaxant and also antacids.
If the condition does not improve in next 2-3 days consult A&E again.
Hope this helps..
Regards.