Sharp Chest Pains

Question

I'm 19 years old. I've been having these chest pains since I was in elementary school. A couple times I've been to the ER and they did the usual check-up to make sure it wasn't anything serious, such as a heart attack. I've also had an x-ray and an Echo cardiogram with still no results or reason as to why I'm getting these pains.
The pains used to come off and on throughout my life, it started off maybe, a few a year? Then slowly worked to once a month and right now it seems to be each and every day of my life... I seem to get them in my left chest area, a stabbing feeling and the deeper I breathe the greater the pain is. It has now moved all around my left chest and into the side of my torso and left back and sometimes in my left arm as well... I'm petrified of these pains and they make me extremely stressed. I'm always fearing that they're related to some sort of heart attack thing and I'm going to die... I sometimes shake and get a cold sweat when these pains occur, absolutely terrifying.
The Doctor's don't seem to have any idea what it is and have only come up with; stress related, my lung sticking to this thin layer of skin on my rib-cage wall, or panic attacks. But how can it be all 3? If it is any of them, why isn't there some sort of cure or some WAY, I could at least relieve the pain or never have to deal with it again!
This is starting to control my life and preventing me from experiencing like to the fullest, if anyone has any idea on a "cure" to this, I'd love to hear it. Any input at all.

This discussion is related to Severe Left Side Chest Pain.

ian524 · Answer

i have the exact thing going on ,i'm pretty stressed out because of it,it all started when i helped move a heavey piano ,i was gasping for air and coughing pretty hard ,because we couldn't get it in the door way,after that my life changed ,the pain is really bad,i can barley sleep at night,i know how you feel,hang in there ,keep looking,go for long walk's,it help's me. i got a phisical and i seem to be alright ,my blood came back o,k, i'm confused , i don't smoke either,i'm thinking of going to a chiroprator this weekend,if you need some one to talk to let me know, if you found out what it is please let me know, take care

Timmay69 · Answer

Something to do with "ribs" or my lungs would sure make a lot of sense. I've never smoked a cigarette in my life, but some alignment or something is a possibility maybe.
I've also been told it "could" be ammonia in my lungs? 
Muscle spasms could be an idea too...   -I wish I never had this!
I'm experiencing the pains as I type this out right now.. The left side of my chest feels like it has a belt around it and it's squeezing, my left arm is getting these numbing feelings that shoot up and down it, and there's the occasional striking-stabbing pain in my left chest.. This is terrifying, I'd give anything to prevent this or for the pain/feelings to be gone!

grendslori · Answer

The first thing that ran through my mind when I read your post was you were having panic attacks or muscle spasms. You really need to calm yourself down and I do understand that may be hard for you to do. You are not having a heart attack....you are way to young for that to be a possibility because heart attacks are caused by a build up (which takes years) of plague in the coronary arteries. At 19, that's basically nil in you. Any of the other causes of heart related chest pain has been ruled out by the exams that you have had done. The more you worry about this, the worse it will get so you probably need to focus on other things in life. Seeing a chiropracter might help; the downside to that is that once you start going to a chiropractor, you have to keep going which can cost money. That's one reason i quit going to one.

Encephalomalcia · Answer

Try a chiropractor.  It is amazing how they can help.  It could be some ribs out of alignment, which can be very painful especially when you breathe in and out.