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What can cause a sharp pain either in my chest or right below it?
I’m 22. I’ve been constipated for several years, and I’m going but I feel like there’s stool that I can’t get out. Since around summer or fall last year, I’ve been having a feeling of fullness right under my chest. In September 2024, I also felt like I started having chest pain or pain right below my chest that would radiate to my back. It gets better at times and I don’t really notice it, but other times I feel like something’s wrong. Today I was exercising, and not too long afterwards, maybe 30-60 minutes, I started having a sharp pain either in my chest or right below it, and it’s radiated to my back at times. I felt tired today too, and like I want to go into a deep sleep but if I rested I don’t know if I’d go into a deep sleep. What could be causing this feeling, and could it be something serious?
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Have you had an ekg? Triponin bloodwork? Echocardiogram? Just to rule out anything that has to do with your heart? You can get chest pain from many things. I have three different health issues that cause almost daily chest pain. When it’s really bad my cardiologist has me go to er just to rule out bad things. Also chostichindritus can cause chest pain. Pleurisy. Not serious. My son has this but painful in chest. Esophagitis. Which is one of the things I have. Gi issues can cause this chest pain. Fibromyalgia another issue I have causes wide spread pain including chest. My point being you should discuss with your pcp and get tested. Good luck to you. Always feels good ruling out things!
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1 ReactionHi, I’m much older than you, but I too have pain like that. I’ve been told that it’s gas. Do, I try not to drink carbonated drinks.
But, as several others have mentioned, you need to see a doctor. You are very young, have you checked to see if anything runs in your family?
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3 ReactionsYou could be getting pancreatic attacks, especially going to your back like you said. Go to a G.I. doctor or your family doctor and get checked for E.P.I. Not too many doctors understand it but a stool sample test diagnoses it.
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1 ReactionHi. I have exactly what you are describing. Everyone is different and yours may be from something completely different, but here is my case. I have had my gallbladder removed years ago. So my pain isn't gall bladder. I have dealt with this for years, ER visit after Dr's visit, multiple tests, CT Scans, MRIs, and Endoscopys, and ERCPs. Not everytime, but over half the time, especially when my attacks are really bad, my liver enzymes shoot out the roof. I burp, abdomen gets really bloated, same constipation as you describe, really fatigued, nauseated, pains that shoot through to the back right side, a squeezing excruciating pain in the middle of my chest and just below my ribs. I have had stress tests, CTAs, and ekg. My heart is fine. My gastroenterologist has now referred me to Duke Medical to a more advanced clinic. They now suspect shyincter of oddi. In layman's terms, the muscle beneath my liver is not opening properly and causing bile to back up in the liver. They have found I have mild to chronic pancreatitis.
I’m sorry to hear that.