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What can cause chest pain that’s come and gone for months?
Since around maybe September or October last year, I started having chest pain or pain somewhere below my chest. A few months before that during the summer, I felt a feeling of fullness right under my chest. The chest pain would come and go, but it’s still been coming and going four months later. Sometimes the pain radiates to my back, or it feels like the pain is in the same place on my front side as my back side, almost like if there was a line going through me, it’d connect the pain on my frontside and back. It seems like there’s days when I feel the pain and eventually I kind of get my mind of it, but when I feel the pain it worries me and I feel like something is really wrong.
Maybe around noon or so today, I felt the pain in my chest. Maybe half hour or an hour after feeling the pain, I started feeling a fullness right under my chest or kind of near my ribs. At times it’s felt like there’s pain or pressure near my sternum. I’ve also been constipated and I wonder if that has anything to do with this.
Do I need to go to the hospital for this though or go somewhere urgently? I’m feeling somewhat better now, but it scared me having the chest pain. This has happened before in the past and eventually has gotten better, but it hasn’t completely gone away. I have a doctors appointment this Thursday, but I don’t know if I need to do something sooner.
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I personally would go to the ER when this happens. Urgent care will probably send you to the ER anyway. Better to get checked while the pain is happening, I would think.
If you choose not to go to the ER, you could call the office early Monday and try to get in that day. The fact that the pain went away is good information (and hopeful).
But anytime anyone mentions chest pain, they end up in the ER in my experience. In fact, the ER tends to fast track you!
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2 ReactionsHi, thank you for responding. Would it still be good to go to the ER even if I’ve had this pain happen before? I’ve had it happen often since September/october. Sometimes it seems like it’ll be bad for a day or two and then I don’t really notice it, but I feel like I’m having trouble relaxing partly because I’m concerned about it.
I started having the pain maybe around noon today and I feel kind of better, but I feel like it hasn’t completely gone away. I’ve felt like there’s a fullness under my chest or near my ribs
I think it's worth it to go even because you are worried.
For "fullness" you could try simethicone (Gas-X) or a muscle relaxant.
But it sounds like for peace of mind an ER trip would be good. Noone here can say whether it is medically necessary but chest pain or pressure seems like a good reason to go.
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2 ReactionsPart of me wants to go because I’m worried, but at the same time this has been happening often for several months. I do have a doctors appointment in less than a week
Hi,
Waiting it out doesn't seem to be working for you, emergency would be the best place to be right now. It could be as simple as trapped wind or something far more serious. The sooner you find out the sooner action can be taken.
Cheers
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1 Reaction@emilystewart30
Heed everyone’s advice please. I had gallbladder pains years ago that felt like chest pains and radiated around the back..felt like a vise circling my midsection and that came on and off often with months in between. I let it go too but eventually had a scan and had it removed. You need to get diagnosed quickly and be prepared for a lot of testing…anxiety is not helping anything.
Good luck
FL Mary
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3 Reactions@emilystewart30 @imallears I agree about possible gallbladder issue. The symptoms can be very sneaky. How do you experience this in relation to eating, or different kinds of foods? This is what my husband went through, and they decided to go through with a scheduled surgery. He didn't make it to that date. He had a particularly bad "attack" and ended up in emergency.
If you go to your doctor this Thurs, don't hesitate to head to ER before that if another attack comes on!
Ginger
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1 Reaction@emilystewart30 a middle ground might be to call for a cancellation or immediate need appointment tomorrow at *:30 at your MD office, since it is already Sunday.
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1 ReactionI haven’t noticed a correlation between foods I eat and the pain. I’m sorry to hear that your husband experienced that.
Can gallbladder issues cause chest pain and cause the area near my ribs to feel tender?
Today I was pushing on the center of my chest and kind of near my sternum maybe, and it felt kind of sore to press it and it felt kind of like the pain I had. It doesn’t feel sore to the touch every time though
So was costochondritis ruled out? How? When I have that, pressing my ribs causes pain.