Hi there From UK ,

I have a worry concerning my heart .
Sypmtoms are:

Once a month on average i get a pain in the heart area. This pain stops me from inhaling but not exhaling ... so i am forced to hold my breath for periods at a time ( i can take very very small breaths )... i cannot move for fearing the pain will be too much . I have been to my local GP but he has no idea ( figures ) .. then after about 5 minutes . the pain dissappears and all is well again... There is no warning when it comes.

Please help.

Thanks

Hey Thunda,

I'd like reassure you that I doubt there is anything wrong with you. As a matter of fact, I experience the same thing every now and then (maybe couple of times a year). I was also very alarmed at first, but I learned that many people have this feeling at least once in their lifetime.
Try to look for the following- it seems that this pain that won't allow you to take a normal breath occurs when you're in a particular position (i.e., lying on one side on the couch while watching T.V.) - if it relates to the body position, try to avoid it in the future.

Cheers...and no worries!

But the pain is in the heart area and not the lung area ... tho i have to admit more offen than not it happens when im lying down ...there is no particular position that sets it off.

cheers for the response anyway..

I too get this once or twice a year.. lasts for just a few minutes. And also i've had others say the had the same experience. Also been told this is nothing to worry about. if it happens for me i just relax and it passes or i will lay down on my right side and it immediately goes away.

It may be an idiopathic heart muscle spasm or a smooth muscle spasm in the area of the heart. Have you had a test for any deficiencies of electrolytes, calcium, potassium, etc...?

No Sorry ...

So can i say its not life threatening and is just one of those things that can't be explained ??

Yes, it's one of those things that the body does to you that can't be explained. Science won't figure out everything, you know.
I, too, have exactly the same thing you are describing, went to the GP, nothing. Asked around, found out so many more people experience the same thing I am, so, not to worry.
You are ok! And life is beautiful...

THunda,

It's called costochondritis and it's an inflammation of some of the tendons in the chest wall. WHen you inhale they must stretch and can hurt like Hell.
Just wait it out; sometimes it takes weeks or months to heal.

Try Alleve (naproxin.) It's a good analgesic for the pain.

If a deep breath makes it hurt, it's almost NEVER the heart!

THunda,

If a deep breath makes it hurt, it's almost NEVER the heart!

Lenin is correct. A careful reading of your original post states the problem occurs when inhaling. Its reasonable the expansion of the respiratory cavity aggravates a condition with the skeletal framework.