I had a weird episode this evening. Suddenly came over with the most intense stabbing pain in the left of my chest and into my shoulder. It was so painful I couldn't move or breathe properly. I very much bury my head in the sand with these things, so even tho inside I was thing oh crap I hope I'm not having a heart attack, I let it play out. It didn't improve at all after half an hour so my husband called 111, I was told to go straight to a and e. It had started to subside at this point, not as intense but sore, aches, like I'd been punched. Had an ecg, bloods and xray all came back clear. Big relief as I couldn't deal with heart problems too! They said it was muscular. Made it sound like I'd basically pulled the muscles in my chest, maybe from my lungs over working or had an weird asthma attack or could be to do with the chest infection I currently have. I was shocked that it could be as painful as it was but was assured it certainly can be and have been sent home with morphine. Has anyone ever experienced this type of pain to do with rubbishy lungs? Thank you!
Asthma and severe chest pain - Asthma Community ...
Asthma and severe chest pain
Yes, whenever I get a chest infection. Hope you soon feel better.
Thank you. Sorry if I'm bring nosey. But my lungs hurt from the infection but this pain seemed more around my heart. I rated the pain 10, and I've had children in recent memory, it hurts loads more than my usual chest infection lung pain. Do you really get that much pain when you have an infection? If so, I'm so sorry that must be awful!!x
Well, it makes me cry out! On the occasions when it's been worst I've ended up on bipap so I've learned to be very nervous of it! But maybe it's entirely different from what you're experiencing.
Hi Treed12,
Yes,I get this pain...in fact I get it chronically. The other day I had an ecg which was fine...but then the sharp pain wasn't there when I was having the ecg! My doctor keeps saying its indigestion but I'm really not convinced it is!!
Dee
Thanks for your reply. It's been a one off for me, hoping it will stay that way. Sorry you suffer from it chronically. I was still getting the pain when they did the ecg. But when they felt the area it really hurt so definitely muscular. It's annoying when doctors suggest things like indigestion, you know when it's that, they think you cant differentiate pain! I'm still feeling very sore and achy this morning, almost like a pulled muscle which makes sense I suppose.
I had something similar at the start of last month, it started while I was swimming and didn’t ease so I guessed muscle strain. During the evening felt nauseous and a bit dizzy, pain even worse when led down and couldn’t take a deep breath. At the time lots of coughing and mucus too. Over the last 6 weeks it has been intermittent but often painful to breath deeply. I did consider 111 but thought I would be wasting their time.
I know what you mean. I hate calling 111, I've learnt to answer questions very carefully so they dont send an ambulance. As I said I'm just shocked at how painful it was. I've pulled muscles before. But this pain was comparible to childbirth.
I can’t compare to childbirth, but it didn’t feel like a pulled muscle either. I would never want to take an ambulance that someone else might need more, and as I am still here I guess it was OK.
I get a similar pain 2 or 3 times a year - very sharp stabbing pain on the left side near my heart which makes it hard to take a full breath (physically). Movement makes the pain worse and I just have to chill and breathe shallowly until it goes away (it once took 2 days to resolve). It doesn’t go into my shoulder though. No-one has ever been able to tell me what causes it (have had ECGs which are clear) but I assume asthma!
That sounds horrid. I never knew the new layers of fun asthma would bring. Ive since seen my gp as a follow up for something else. He thinks I might have sprained my chest from weird breathing. A few weeks and I should feel better. Yay. The irony tho that I need to rest, cant exactly stop breathing to rest it 🙈
Hi there, sorry you’re suffering with chest pain. I have severe asthma/ ABPA/bronciectasis and now suffer chest pain quite regularly due to pulled muscles and cracked ribs just from coughing 😫. I take Co-codamol 30/500 when necessary and find a warm pad on my chest helps me relax. Also holding a cushion against your chest when you have to cough can help reduce the sharp pain. It’s a horrible experience because your already limited breathing is impacted even more by the pain. It can be quite frightening. I sympathise with you.
Thanks for the heat pad tip. I’m sore today so I’ll give it a try. Paracetamol usually does the trick though if it’s not too bad. It is very frightening indeed.
I get this pain too which started a year ago then stopped when my asthma meds increased. Again I’ve had several ECG which show nothing abnormal. It always happens when my breathing starts to get difficult. I asked my specialist who believes it’s possibly lung inflammation that is pressing on nerves.
Thanks for the replies. I had a few small 'relapses' today, nothing as bad as when it started Thankfully. Just so happened I was checking my blood oxygen level before bed as I always do and it came over me again and my sats dropped to 75, as it eased off it went back to 99 which is my norm. Seems odd that a strained muscle would cause a drop that low when it coincides with the pain?? So weird!
I have had problems with ribs and muscles in the chest area for many years but some of it is down to my hypermobility. I do things like gentle stretches or massage to try and loosen things up or try and extend my rib cage with big breaths if I am able, not to mention hanging off the door lintel! It is very painful and even though they know I have this problem at work, I scared our specialist nurse when she turned round in her chair and saw me clutching my heart area in pain. My family is quite used to seeing me get up and hang off the lintel!
Been to A&E twice with chest pains, not as severe as you experienced. Both times sent home but told never to ignore chest pains in case it is heart.
Me-Always lhs chest with infection. Nothing on x rays. 🧐
Also, try gently massaging muscle between each rib as that will ease the pain
Ya in April started getting pain in the middle of my chest my doctor said it was over having a chronic cough for four years. Some times I have the for a few days
Be careful you all aren't breathing in microbial contamination like commonly found in water damaged buildings, that will trigger these sharp pains in the chest and/or lungs. Environment is huge.
Wow no asthma. Really that would be a dream come true for all asthmatics. I’m going to look up and see if I can buy privately.
I've reported su-mo's post - they shouldn't be posting here saying there is a cure for asthma when there isn't, nor that treatments with no evidence are helping them. These enzymes may be harmless but they may not, and there's no evidence they'll help asthma.
Yeah I am experiencing this now and I have a chest infection too but morphine is amazing hope you feel better soon
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