Chest pain: inflamed sternum or heart? ( RA)

[Ryka]

Hello fellow travellers,

I regularly have a dull ache in the middle of my chest. I dont remeber how long the previous episodes last but today I have had it for 3 hours now.

Its a dull ache, at the centre of the chest, between my breasts. But not in the middle but around the top centre left region.

The cardiologist is only available from jan 2024. So, I dont know what to do. Is this heart related or if this an inflammation of the rib/sternum? How can i tell?

Surely thinking I am too young for heart problems is not rhe right way to reason? (I am 35). (RA since 29, on Baricitinib in the last 8 months)

Its not gas or acidity. I have eaten, taken antacids etc.

Any and all suggestions and advise/speculations are helpful.

Thanks so much

Slightly worried

Ryka

[vonniesims]

You need to get it checked out. Don't know how you access a doctor in Belgium, but I think you need to be seen today .Good luck

[Ryka in reply to vonniesims]

Thanks for the reply.

I was able to get a last minute appointment with a gp. She took my BP, pulse, listened to my chest, touched and tapped, took a ECG.

Looks like its related to the muscle or cartilage inflammation. Probably RA linked.

She gave me diclofenac and told me to take it for 10 days.

[vonniesims in reply to Ryka]

Thats good. At least you know what you are dealing with now.

[wishbone]

I had pain off and on in my upper-sternum for a number of years. It could get uncomfortable on times and may well have been RA related. As you discovered the problem is it can be difficult to differentiate from a cardiac issue. I still have ocassional mild pain but nothing like I used to.

[missymo in reply to wishbone]

I do but I would sake it’s m more of an ache, I’ve got permanent Hickman line in my chest & I had a mild heart attack but I suppose I,l have to live with it. I do take painkillers for chest everyday prescribed by cardiac clinic

[wishbone in reply to missymo]

Mostly it is an ache but could be painful on times. I actually ignored the pain on one ocassion thinking it was a flare of my old complaiint and it was only thanks to my wife insisting I see a doctor that I found out I was actually having a mild heart attack and spent the next few days in hospital. Thankfully nothing naughty was found during an angiogram and not had any cardiac problems since, and that was approx 16 years ago. What is a Hickman line?

[missymo in reply to wishbone]

It’s a line in your chest to put a feed through it to keep nutrients in your body which I can’t.

[1ChLoE]

So glad you managed to see your GP. If in doubt with chest pain always get it checked out. Hope your pain settles soon

[Ryka]

Thanks for the replies everyone. The diclofenac (75mg) helps. The pain is gone. But it does come back if I skip a dose. So, it appears like some inflammation.