The good news is that (other than the pain) it is completely harmless.
The way it always felt to me is like someone wrapped a small wire around something tender in my chest, and if I tried to breathe or straighten my posture, they would yank on it. I’d get it anywhere from a couple times a week to once a month. Then one day in my mid-30s it just stopped.
From what I understand this is relatively common. I was so grateful for the person on reddit who dropped this nugget of wisdom several years ago. It was nice to know I wasn’t dying or whatever.
Description is pretty spot on, but it’s on the opposite side for me. Are my innards flipped?
It’s possible. Very small chance but it does happen.
Crazy this just popped io as I just started experiencing something like this just this week.
We moved our living took around and the way the couch is positioned I tend to lay on my left side and propr myself up on my elbow.
Recently when I do this and breathe in I get a sharp pain right where the arrow is in the picture.
I have to stand up and breathe through it for it to stop. After a few occurrences, I noticed that if I press in the area it’s mildly soar. I have to really feel for it to find it.
I have no other breathing problems so it really scared me that I had a broken rib. Although I haven’t done anything that could have broken my rib.
See, I am unfortunate in that I know exactly where my chest pain comes from and it is from 6 of my ribs being broken and fused together from falling off a cruise ship and breaking them on a railing on the way down.
The interesting part is I didnt know I broke them until years later when I was hit by a car and the hospital doctor was just like “oh yeah you just hurt your broken ribs again, put some frozen peas on it and wait for the pain to go down”
Anyways, dont break your ribs unless you want to know when the weather is changing by pain.
how the fuck do you fall off a cruise ship, break six ribs, have them fuse together, and never even realize it?
Do you just actively avoid going to speak to ANY medical professional unless forced by ambulance?
Okay, you can’t start a story like that and then not tell us the cruiseship story in full glory.
Oh good so it’s not just been me dealing with this random pain for the last 20 years…
Sounds kinda similar to costochondritis, it is central chest pain. I thought it was a heart attack when I had it and went to the ER. Fortunately it was just costochondritis.
So it’s not a tiny London man coming to check if I got my stabbing license in order?
I had it when I was a teenager. When I stopped playing Trumpet it seemed to go away. Maybe the larger lung capacity caused it?
This thing haunts me every few months since always. You can usually stop it by exhaling deeply and relaxing muscles in affected areas.
I think that might be pleurisy instead.
I haven’t had it in so many years, but I eventually got to the point where I’d just take a deep breath and it would seem to pop away. It would hurt, but then it would stop.
It’s more common in young adults and children, and I’m approaching middle age here unfortunately, but the upside is no more precordial catch.
Oh wow I’m glad I’m not alone in this. I turned 30 and it happens from time to time and I couldn’t figure out what it was. Granted I was a little too worried to look into it
Ah fuck I just assumed I had random muscle cramps in my chest from a fight I had in highschool. Always third rib from the bottom,on the left, about 45 degrees off center
Now look up Proctalgia Fugax
Ahh, this is fun. Every time I’m like “Is this it? Is this the one?”
But no, it never is.
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until it is
It was painless though. Speaking from experience.
OK wait on second thought I can’t remember. So maybe it was. Damn!
That’s the spirit! Got to stay positive.
Gotta have something to look forward to!
And your body has been crying wolf for so long that you just ignore it
But no, it never is.
Yet
Holy fuck it has a name.
Of course it has a name … Of course I’m not the only one this happens to.
Ive had it since a teen when I got pneumonia, always assumed it was related to that, however it’s actually this and it’s a perfect description. It a bit of a mind blown moment
So it doesn’t mean I’m low key having a heart attack?
Thank god.
heart attacks come in many different forms. even silent ones.
my dad had a major heart attack at 51. when they evaluated him he had had three previous heart attacks that he never knew about.
How are they able to tell how many you’ve had?
the heart muscle dies. they can tell via EKG
Oh nice post. I totally have this.
Treatment: Reasurance
Its okay. You’re not dying. Calm down.
The pain is agitated by expansion and contraction of the chest. Taking a deep breath and allowing the rib cage to fully expand can relieve the pain, however it will feel unpleasant initially. At the point of full expansion, it can feel like a rubber band snap in the chest, after which the initial pain subsides.
Oh I gotta try this.
The trick is doing it quickly, like gasping for air after jumping into cold water.
Yeah, this is how I used to deal with it. You just eat that stabbing pain for a few seconds and then it’s gone.
I haven’t had this in probably 15 or more years at this point, which seems to be consistent with the syndrome itself being most common in young adults, teens, and children.
I can also sometimes get it to snap by putting my left foream against a doorframe and twisting my torso rightward to stretch my chest. I’ve always thought it was “popping my sternum” but it only works/is necessary on the left side
Make sure to keep going until you feel and hear the snap.
I’m gonna need the tire inflator
At the point of full expansion, it can feel like a rubber band snap in the chest,
🤮
I often struggle with arythmia, angina, and palpitations, with up to several seconds between beats sometimes, and this sounds horrific. I’d rather double my heart problems than trade them for this
