Feeling of pain in center of area between my chest and sternum

Posted by emily @emilystewart30, 14 hours ago

Since around fall/winter 2024, I’ve had a feeling of pain either in my chest or in the area between my chest and sternum. The pain has come and gone, and sometimes I feel somewhat alright and don’t notice it, but other times I notice it and am worried. Sometimes it’s felt like a sharp pain (don’t know if sharp pain is the right way to describe it) maybe in the center of me, in the area between my sternum and chest. When I feel it, usually it hasn’t lasted long like maybe seconds where it’s sharp, but hours after that I’m kind of on edge and worried about what I experienced and part of me still doesn’t feel right. I’ve also been constipated, and have been going most days, but I always feel like there’s more I’m not getting out. Last week I was going everyday, and I was going large amounts but still felt I needed to go. Sometimes I’ve gone days/week or more where I’m going everyday consistently, and then I’ve gotten to a point where I’ve felt I needed to go more, but like I couldn’t and I couldn’t push more out or it would be too hard for me to push it out. Sometimes I’ve felt pressure or a feeling of fullness maybe in my stomach area right below my chest. Sometimes I’ve felt like I’ve had troubling relaxing because I’m worried if I relax something wouldn’t feel right maybe near my stomach or sternum.
The past few days I haven’t really had pain near my sternum/chest, but I’ve felt kind of on edge and like I didn’t feel right. Today I was sitting down most of the day except for a walk, and maybe a couple-few hours after walking I went to use the bathroom, and around that time I felt like I had a pain near my sternum or chest. Going to the bathroom today didn’t seem to cause that pain though. Earlier today before that happened, I sniffled and something didn’t feel right near that area, but I sniffled after that and didn’t feel the same way. The past few days, when I haven’t felt right in that area or have had pressure, it’s seemed like I’ve felt it almost after changing positions or getting up. Today I felt kind of a pain when I went upstairs after sitting down for a while. Maybe a few weeks ago I had a similar feeling, like after using the bathroom (didn’t have a bowel movement) and standing up, I kind of had a feeling near that same area but it didn't last long.

Sometimes I’m not sure how much is going on physically and if stress/anxiety is affecting this, but it doesn’t seem like it’s all stress. Sometimes I feel somewhat decent and want to think I’m alright, but I feel like most of the time I’m somewhat alert and aware, and am worried about feeling this way again. I’ve felt like for the past year there’s been many times I’ve felt a pain near my sternum/chest, but most of the time I haven’t felt pain but I haven’t felt completely right. Sometimes I want to think I feel alright, but during those times I think I feel alright, part of me feels tense like I’m almost waiting to not feel right physically. It also seems like the times I’ve felt this pain, I haven’t felt it during the night, and I don’t know if that means anything. The past few months, it’s seemed like my bowels have been making more noises than usual during the night, and sometimes if I stay up on my phone I notice the noises.

Does anyone have advice about this? There’s a few things I’ve wondered about if I have, like costochondritis or a hernia (maybe a hiatal hernia). I have a doctors appointment next month, and I’ve thought about if I’m still feeling this way talking about the symptoms I’ve had.

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I would see a GI doctor right away. They will probably order tests to see what is going on.

If you make an appointment with your primary care they may need to refer you to a gi doc.

If something is going on it could be important that you find out right away.
I’m speaking from experience

Hopefully nothing major but it will also relieve your stress to know.

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Profile picture for azsunshine7 @azsunshine7

I would see a GI doctor right away. They will probably order tests to see what is going on.

If you make an appointment with your primary care they may need to refer you to a gi doc.

If something is going on it could be important that you find out right away.
I’m speaking from experience

Hopefully nothing major but it will also relieve your stress to know.

Jump to this post

@azsunshine7 thank you for responding. I have a doctors appointment in a few weeks, but I don’t have a GI appointment.

I’ve been letting these symptoms go on for over a year, and sometimes I’ve been worried to deal with it because I’ve let them go on this long already.

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See if you can get an appointment with a gastroenterologist as soon as possible.

If it’s serious everyday counts.

Not to scare you but you just never know.

💖

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Profile picture for azsunshine7 @azsunshine7

See if you can get an appointment with a gastroenterologist as soon as possible.

If it’s serious everyday counts.

Not to scare you but you just never know.

💖

Jump to this post

@azsunshine7 could it be serious if it’s lasted off and on for months/over a year? Sometimes I want to think it isn’t serious because it’s come and gone for months and sometimes I feel alright, but other times I’m worried that I haven’t dealt with it. I agree with what you’re saying though and should get in to see someone soon.

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Hopefully it’s nothing or possibly one of the conditions you listed.

For me… I had symptoms in that area on and off and it was the worst case scenario.

The doctors won’t know until they do tests for you.

Hugs

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I have similar issues. In my case , I have pressure under diaphragm when I exercise or don’t drink liquid for an hour. When I exercise I burp and then pressure is less. I also have Sjogren's Disease so my esophagus is dry making swallowing a conscious effort. Good luck to you! Hope you get a diagnosis soon.

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Go to the emergency room next time you have that pain it could be your heart.

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Hello. I have experienced the exact symptoms as you describe here. For me, it was an "aha" discovery: soy. GERD also contributes. Internal reflux w/o necessarily coming out mouth. In general, inflammation. Look at foods you may " think " are ok, perhaps something you introduced more recently.

Best of luck. My sympathy as well!

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