Pain in upper right chest area?

[coryp]

Hello All,

I have been experiencing slight pain in my upper right chest (around the pec)since Monday after dinner. Actually I did the Stairmaster Monday pm about 30 minutes after dinner with my food not digested totally and completed 2 miles in 22 minutes. Right after I stepped off my right chest began to hurt slightly and increased with deep breathes. No real shortness of breathe of any other symtoms. Current temp is 98.5 and bp is high for me this am 120/71 and resting pulse seems high as well 84. I awoke yesterday morning and it had subsided and did not return until last night (again after dinner 8 pm) but I did not do any excercise at all this time. I slept uncomfortably and it still is sensitive this AM as I write you this email.


Any ideas?

thx

 

[Mary]

Does it still hurt when you take a deep breath? If so, it might be fluid either in the lung or around the heart.
I've had an episode of each late post surgery. It took diuretics to get rid of the fluid.
The other possibility is you've strained the intercostal muscles and it will take a day or two to subside.

 

[coryp]

Does it still hurt when you take a deep breath? If so, it might be fluid either in the lung or around the heart.
I've had an episode of each late post surgery. It took diuretics to get rid of the fluid.
The other possibility is you've strained the intercostal muscles and it will take a day or two to subside.

You never let me down Mary Always quick to answer.

I wonder how I could get fluid after 14 weeks? Seems strange that it only begun in the PM after dinner. It does hurt when I take deep breathes.

thx

 

[Mary]

You never let me down Mary Always quick to answer.

I wonder how I could get fluid after 14 weeks? Seems strange that it only begun in the PM after dinner. It does hurt when I take deep breathes.

thx

I don't know why there is fluid build up this late out, but a bunch of people on the site seem to have trouble with it.
I have had pain after eating and biking; I think it's because my stomach is full and it gets squished into the chest cavity via the leg pumping action. My other organs are then compressed by the stomach, and voila, pain on inspiration.

 

[tobagotwo]

This could also be costochondritis. The small muscles between the ribs can get aggravated and cause a generalized pain, or even a clamping effect that can prohibit you from taking a full breath for a few minutes. It's effectively a charley horse in those muscles, even though it doesn't initially feel like purely muscular pain. It feels internal. The movement of the chest in taking a deep breath can aggravate it.

One time, I had it so strong that I couldn't expand my chest to take a full breath. Had I not known better, I would have entirely believed it to be a heart attack.

It that's what this is, generally, it will go away on its own. If you are lucky, by stretching your arms and chest, or by prodding with your finger, you may find a tender spot between the ribs, so you can feel reassured that it is muscular.

If you truly believe it to be internal, and not muscular, you should consult your doctor.

Best wishes,