We were driving in some heavy traffic while I was talking to my son on thier baby being born in the next few days--so lots of stress. I suddenly had a streaking of pain (very sharp) go across my upper chest from right to left--kind of like a bolt of lightening. I felt crushing and took my breath away.. Just moments after it happened--it quit.
Background--I am Female, almost 50 years old. I have had a transient stroke about 5 years ago at age 45. My father had a MI at age 55 and my brother had a MI at age 45. My cholestrolol is under 200, bp is a little high (135/90). I am overweight by about 50 pounds. I have become sedentary since the Fibromyalgia has been so crippling at this point. My back discs are desolving as well. I take narcotics for pain around the clock and asipirin for my oestoarthritis.
Meanwhile with this shortened background, does anyone have any opinions about whether to make a big deal out of it and see a doctor or just live on and count on the "big one" some day.
Opinion? Not heart realted.
Heart problems are rarely of the lightning flashes of pain variety.
What you suffered was probably the result of an impingement of one of those wonky vertebra agains a nerve root emanating from the thoracic spine with pain flaming out along the route of the system of nerves connected to that particular route.
Just in case, make sure you take a daily adult aspirin (or several for your various aches and pains) until you are certain...and then even after that.
ohhh I had something very simular one day when I was getting out of my van very sharp pain jolted through the left side of my chest only lasted a few seconds..scarey but I just blew it off.I had heart testing and blood done just several months ago all fine so I didnt worry about this.
Last edited by tnmomofive; 07-19-2006 at 10:47 AM.
Hi there,
It is Linda from the fm board although I have not been actve on the board for quite some time.
Saw your name and wanted to see what was going on with you. I get those sharp shooting pains often, I call them zappers. about 8 months ago I started getting them at 7 pm and they continued one after another, at 6 am I woke my husband to take me to the Er, I did not think it was heart, but with anxiety I was getting quite scared plus they really hurt.
The Dr. said immediately this is not heart, but they did the monitoring, ekg and blood work. She told me I had a spasms that was pinching a nerve probably in my neck. Mine run different places in the chest, sometimes in the low ribs, center or upper chest. these were from shoulder to shoulder, left to right in the upper chest. Everytime I get one now I am so afraid they will continue, they really make you say ouch. They also can be a part of costochondritis.
I think there are some older posts about shock like pains on the fm board.
Hugs my friend, Linda
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pa235
Fibromyalgia
Myofascal pain syndrome
Costochondritis
Arthritis, cervical and thorastic
Oh yes, costochondritis!! I had forgotten all about that heinous disease. I have had that off and on over the years. It lasts a few weeks at a time for me and I guess that is why I freaked out with the suddeness of the pain. I get to where wearing a bra is IMPOSSIBLE!!!! Then I just "bounce" everywhere I go. This is when it is great to live in a metro of 1 million--no one cares or even looks.
Heart "stuff" runs in my family and I just keep a lookout. I know that women's symptoms are not like mens' in some ways. I guess I should research that a bit more. I appreciate all the input
I am not really an every day poster myself. I try to get on every couple weeks or so and see how everyone is doing.
