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Persistent Chest Heaviness/Tightness
Hello,
I am a 25 y/o male and I began experiencing chest tightness/heaviness around the sternum area, more so the bottom of it, since March 2024. This is a sensation that never goes away and is persistent throughout the day the moment I wake up. My PCP doesn't seem to know what it is as we've exhausted a lot of possibilities.
What's been done:
- 3 X-rays, 3 EKGs (they look normal, done at an Urgent care, ER, and PCP)
- Oral steroids (no effect)
- Allergy testing (nothing found)
- MRI chest scan (nothing found)
- 2400mg of ibuprofen daily, 30 days (no effect, prescribed by a 2nd opinion doc). Not much luck with Tylenol either.
- Upper endoscopy (no issues found), did 40mg of omeprazole for months with no improvement while following GERD diet.
- Cardiologist found no issues so far, though will follow up later for a stress test to see anything else can be found.
- Physical Therapy, working on trying to get a referral to continue this.
What seems to work:
- Doing core exercises alleviates me of the sensation as well as long as I keep doing them. After I stop, the feeling comes back though.
- Urgent Care gave me a steroid injection, which alleviated the issue for a week. It then came back afterwards.
- Muscle relaxants seemed to work before, though I don't know if my tolerance went up as they don't work as effectively before
- Applying slight pressure anywhere on front chest immediately alleviates the feeling as long as the pressure is there. I've been wearing a chest binder in order to be relieved of this feeling. Though the sensation immediately comes back after taking off the chest binder.
I've talked to a 3rd doctor about this to get another opinion on this, to which they suggested it's musculoskeletal probably. But from there, I don't know what else they can check in this area. Please help, thank you.
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My first thought is considering a referral to a rheumatologist, once cardiac issues have been ruled out.
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1 ReactionYes definitlehy see a rheumatologist. I have Sjogrens syndrome and get pericarditis from it all sorts of weird chest pain but I also have mild pectus excavatum its an indent in the middle of my chest which can cause the chest problems also
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1 ReactionLook into costochondritis. I have had this for 3 years and you are describing many of the same symptoms.
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2 ReactionsI am 78 and I have been diagnosed with costochondritis. I have had it over a year. I just want to know is there a cure for this or can this be corrected someway?
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1 ReactionI am seeing pain management doctor. We are hoping maybe shots can give me some relief. Some days days the pain can be so severe I can barely stand it. I was just wondering is this the thing that will help? Will it ever get better?
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1 ReactionNSAIDS, older antidepressants such as amitryptaline, PT with gentle stretches, and TENS units have been used with good results. I think the best specialty to help would be a rheumatologist. Most cases only last weeks so you are an outlier or your diagnosis needs to be reconsidered
@yokely did you ever get to the bottom of what it was? I seem to be experiencing something similar…
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1 ReactionI was going to write to @yokely this: It's possible to become so fixated on the physical effects from your anxious state that you don't even realize you were anxious to begin with.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/recognizing-and-easing-the-physical-symptoms-of-anxiety
In my case it took me like five minutes to recover from chest tightness, heavy/light headed feeling, shallow breathing, and constant dread that if these hot summer days without A/C might make me dial 911 if I came to feel as if unable to sleep even as it was past sleeping time.
The magic was I was fretting hard. Once I heard on radio that was on playing classical music and near end it said: Self-forgetfulness is when you get to achieve what is worthwhile in Your Life. It struck me like a lightening: I took a long breath and said: My building is not facing missile attack; I have food enough for days. YOU have no reason to stress about. So get back with what you want from Your Life to feel no regrets.
I slept well soundly, bc I needed rest to do well the next day for the life I still had.
The only other panic/anxiety attack was some 12 years ago. I came out of it doing CBT by Myself. Our physiology is tied to our emotional state more closely we seldom realize. Good luck folks!