View Full Version : question about general lung pain
i've been looking through some past threads so that i wasn't asking a question that had already been asked - but i gave up so i'm sorry if this has been asked before. i'm starting to sort of freak out and was hoping for some reassurance. for about a week i've been having general chest (above my heart) pressure, and a dull aching pain throughout my upper chest. i've also developed a cough that isn't all that bad/debilitating, but still a cough. i'm 27 and have never smoked, so i'm not worried about lung cancer (or heart problems for that matter). what i'm most concerned about (and this is going to sound crazy) is some sort of undetected cancer that has spread ot my lungs. i know that might sound farfetched but i'm really worried. like melanoma or something - i do have a lot of moles and what if the dermatologist has been missing something all these years? anyway, the pain/pressure is mild and very generalized - kinda goes through to the back by my shoulder blades.
can someone PLEASE tell me if tey've ever experienced this? and if you ever found out what it was? i'm just terrified that i have cancer in my lung somehow. thank you so much.
miss diagnosis
21-05-09, 12:40
sounds like you might have pulled a muscle in your chest. do u go to the gym or work out? if not could be a bit of congestion in your chest. go to chemist and get an expectorant and you will be grand in a day or two
thanks for your response miss - i appreciate it! i don't think it's congestion though - i've felt chest congestion and this definitely seems like a differnt kind of pain/feeling. i suppose it could be muscle pull or strain -i'm just worried that it could be that or, what if these symptoms are something far worse? plus i am going out of townt his weekend and even if i wanted to, couldn't get to a chest x-ray til next week. i don't wanna keep worrying til then. anyone have this before?
also, sorry, one more thing. i had a physical about 2 mos ago and my doctor listened to my lungs/breathing. if i had a tumor or something like that in my lungs, would they be able to hear that with a stethoscope? does anyone know?
i'm so sorry to keep bumping this up you guys but i'm really getting freaked out and hoping the reason people aren't responding isn't because you think it is serious. i was hoping this was a common symptom of something easy but everything i'm reading online says that if it is generalized pain and goes through back to your shoulder blades or in between then it could be a signal of something really being wrong. as far as i know i'm not coughing up blood but there isn't enough phlegm (sorry) for me to see what color it is.
anyone got some advice? i can't get to a doctor til next week at the earliest and i really don't knwo what to do....... thank you for anything you can tell me!
well as an update, i have made a dr appointment for june 1- couldn't get in til then , blech. and it is the weirdest thing - ever since i got off the phone with the receptionist making the appointment, i've been feeling about 23082 times more anxious. like i'm starting to get the anxiety symptoms - shortness of breath, light headed, etc, feeling of dread, etc. does that happen to any of you, that as soon as you make a doctors appointment you start to almost panic more?
It sounds like anxiety to me. I have similar symptoms that come from GERD that then get worse when I start to obsess about it. GERD is sneaky in that you don't have to get heart burn to have other problems. I had GERD for years before I finally started getting heart burn. Also, I have had problems with my breathing because I get anxious and I don't take deep breaths. What I do is go for a long run. This serves two purposes, one it makes me breath fully and two it reassures me that I can still run so must have good lung function. If you are not someone who exercises, this may not help since you have no baseline to compare. You can also yoga or self hynosis for stress relief. Regarding your fear of cancer, everyone on this board is scaredof cancer most of the time, but the trip to your doctor will assuage that. Keep me posted and I am sure this is all anxiety related. You are among friends here so don't feel bad about asking questions. Also, most of the people on this site are in Europe so you may not get a lot of responses at times that are in the middle of the night over there.
J2
thank so much j2. i really hope it is anxiety, but i felt like everything i read online (i know, bad) was saying that anxiety chest pains are more muscular/sharp pains, and my pains are very dull and achy. and they're more generalized. so that is what really started my worrying. so you were diagnosed with gerd? does it happen just after eating or can be all the time? i do work out consistently but haven't been doing it this week b/c originally i thought i had pulled a muscle while working out/lifting weights (though now i don't know if that's what i did) and i didn't want to aggravate it. as it's been a week now though i am thinking that is not what it is. and i won't be working out this weekend b/c i will be out of town, but maybe i'll try when i get back. i know everyone is afraid of cancer, i just let my imagination run wild to the point that it isn't just cancer, it is metastatic cancer from somewhere else!! that is the worst part. thank you SO much for your response.
With GERD the pains are dull, almost like a pressure than a pain. As for anxiety and chest pain, a panic attack = sharp pain, GAD = vague, migrating pain. There are several good books referenced on this site about how anxiety affects the body. I like one by Asmundson called "it is not all in your head". I have read several but I like this one. Also, there are some free downloadable audio clips on this site from Claire Weekes. The clips and her books are good too. Good luck and don't let this ruin your weekend.
J2
Robelros, A question out of Curiousity, When you press your chest (Mainly the man-bewb area & slightly above it) Does it hurt? I seem to be having similar pains for the past while...
actually no kraggy, it doesn't hurt to the touch. in reading some older posts, people have mentioned that if it hurts to touch it, it is musculo-skeletal (or something like that). unfortunately mine isn't like that, which makes me more nervous about it.
j2- thanks for your info, i am reading a book right now called "stop worrying about your health" by george zgourides - i'm not very far but it seems to describe me pretty well. the whole chest pain thing just really freaks me out not because of heart issues but more because i worry about my lungs. and i'm always worried abotu cancer obviously, so adding the symptoms to my fear and well, you can see why i'm upset. i hate having to wait 10 days to see the doctor....
Robelros, I am so glad you're reading that book, first of all. Isn't it fantastic? Well, have you had a chest x-ray? that would show any abnormailities. You asked for suggestions so I will say get a total body check from a dermatologist...if there is any suspicious mark that he wants to remove and have biopsied, do it. Better to know than walk around with anxiety.
Your pains could be from anything, I do have reflux so sometimes if I eat wrong, I will feel it between my shoulder blades in the back but very painful, not what you're describing. Rob, just the title of your post shows me that you are labeling your pain as something it is most likely not...it is back pain...you don't know that it is lung pain which is SO unlikely at your age.
I don't remember which book it is because I have so many but the author says that we all feel pains during the day, here and there. Most people don't pay any attention to it. We dwell. TRY to get your mind off this for the next week. Again, if you can, see the best dermatologist you can find so you don't have to doubt his diagnosis. There are books that tell you which doctors are rated the best in your area and ratings online. Please don't think the worst and keep it in mind that whatever it is, it can be treated. If you are reading the cognitive books, you know by now that they tell you to think of the worst thing that can happen and then proceed to go about methodically taking care of it. I have had bad news where I had to have operations and I just did what I have to do. But I think of all the time wasted worrying about things that weren't there...all the years of good health (I am healthy) and I didn't appreciate it.
Please let me know what the results are...so many people here and I forget 10 days later but I like to follow up. Good luck and stay with that book :-)
thank you lauren - your posts always make me stop and consider what is running through my head - and i really appreciate that! you seem to really have your HA under control - i hope we can all get there someday.
i haven't had an x-ray yet- i have an appointment with my doctor set for a week from monday, and will probably get one (or order one) then. hopefully by then this will be better or getting better, but who knows. and the funny thing is i was just at the dermatologist about a month ago, for my yearly (actually i go every 6 mos b/c i'm so anxious about it) skin check. there were a few she said to keep an eye on, but otherwise i got the all clear til november. i think she's a good doctor and i do trust taht she wouldn't steer me wrong, so then why do i still question if she is wrong? like with this chest thing, i automatically assumed that she must have been missing somethinga ll these years that i've been going to her, and now it is too late and it has spread to my lungs. you're right, i have no idea if it is even lung pain. according to my dad, there are tons of little muscles and tendons and things in that area and it could be so many things. one of the things i read in the book is that every time your brain starts leading down the path of irrationality, you are supposed to tell it to "STOP". i'm going to work on that today and hopefully this won't ruin my weekend!
again, thank you for your encouragement and advice - i really do appreciate it!
Hi robelros..I've had chest tightness and pains for many years, it always happens when I get stressed, especially between the shoulder blades. I've been told its everything from costro to acid reflux to muscle pains. I've never figured out quite what it is, but I know it gets worse when I get worked up.
My father had cancer that spread, and by the time it had spread he had lost over 100 pounds and was weeks away from death. I really don't think this is what has happened with you, but I know exactly how you feel. Its a very scary thought when something is happening in our bodies that we can't articulate, exactly.
You have time on your side as well. I'd bet the farm that you are a healthy young woman with many happy years ahead of you. At 28, the chances of you getting some horrific life threatening disease are pretty slim, and for those who are very young and have had this happen, they definately would have signs other than the odd pain here and there.
Hi Robelros, I have to admit that my health anxiety is not as in control as you think it is :-( I can verbalize the inaccuracies and lack of logic of my thoughts but it hasn't internalized yet. I have been like this since early childhood but it has come and gone at different stages of my life.
I have times where my anxiety over a pain is so horrible that I take my temperature, use a stethoscope, test my urine with strips and tremble with fear. At times like that, I just want to die rather than go to an emergency room. I would do anything to be like people who don't have this lousy condition. I just keep trying and appreciate all the good help and suggestions on here. I am so happy that you're reading that book. So good that someone relates to us. I wish these therapists lived closer to me, I'd see them!
blondie - thank you so much for that. it does make me feel a lot better to know that other people have had pains like this and are ok and alive to tell about it :) this particular episode has been weird b/c i feel like it is different pains at different times at different places in my chest/shoulder blades. it's like i can't get a handle on it, what sort of pain/pressure it is, etc. it sounds like you've been through that before. i even tried taking pepto bismol last night just to see if it would help (though doubtful). it didn't - AND i woke up this morning with a black tongue and freaked out!! word to the wise - pepto makes your tongue black, i learned that the hard way! anyway blondie, bless you - thank you for making me feel better.
lauren - you sure do a great job of hiding your anxieties then, i gotta say - you had me fooled! although maybe it is true that it's much easier to rationalize someone else's symptoms than your own. in any case, i'm sorry that you are struggling too. it crosses my mind 200 times a day, how much i wish i could just be like everyone else out there who don't struggle with this stuff. i know everyone has their problems but at times this is unbearable. the book so far is great - he really has a handle on people like us - thank you so much for recommending it!
Rob, I am laughing because I have been googling before google existed (then it was the medical department of bookstores) so the first time I took Pepto and my tongue turned black, I thought I had a condition called black hairy tongue! I totally freaked out and thought this is it, I will be worse than the elephant man and they'll put me in the circus or a leper colony...then I looked up the side effects of Pepto and had a sigh of relief.
I can laugh about it now but talk about health anxiety...gosh, that was one of the scariest!
robelros - big warning here, Pepto also makes your POOP black! :ohmy:
I found that out the hard way, especially hard for someone who suffers from HA!
My chest and shoulder blade pain moves around a lot too, which is reassuring. My doctor told me that true "lung" pain is a stabbing pain that does not move around and hurts when you breathe. You might have a bit of reflux...its what I was finally diagnosed with. Try a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, a teaspoon of honey, and 4 oz. of water and see if the pains subside some. It helps me with reflux (which is usually pretty under control unless I go into a tailspin over my health, and then it hits me like a ton of bricks!).
Also, it could be that your just so stiff because you are so nervous, and its making you hurt. I know when I am so nervous I hold myself so tight, and that just doesn't help much. A massage is always helpful! I swear, if I ever win the lottery, I'm getting me a permanent massage therapist!
Feel better robelros! :hugs:
wow really, black poop?! so odd, coming from such a bright pink tablet! lauren, i can only imagine how you must have felt - luckily i was able to solve the mystery in a matter of minutes on my computer - you must have been in a massive panic! they really should put those warnings in big bright letters on the box :)
blondie, not that i'm glad you're suffering, but i'm so glad you have felt these sorts of pains and i'm not the only one (sorry, haha). it's been a difficult few days but you have made me feel a lot better and now i can go on my little weekend trip in a much better frame of mind. i'm still always worried about these things until i get a full checkup (or in this case, an x-ray, perhaps), but you have helped me a lot for the next 10 or so days until i can make it to the doctor. and i think i'll use this as an excuse to get my bf to give me a massage (woo!) it's medicinally required, hehe.
big hugs to both of you - have great weekends!
Hi there
Im new here but I just wanted to say this is exactly what I have too and have had for nearly 1 year. I have had so many tests. Just to reassure you I have also had a chest X-ray which was completely normal. l was also told by the A&E doctor that I went rushing to in the beginning that when they listen to your chest they can tell loads from you lung sats. I too was worried about the lungs as I smoked for many years, but all was fine. I still have the pain daily and dont know what to think. The Doctors I have seen, and there have been a few, all say that it is muscular. All this has sent my health anxiety through the roof. So now they put it down to my anxiety!! What a great site this is has given me so much comfort with my anxiety:) Hope all goes well for you.
hey chris... thanks for posting. so the pain that you're experiencing is kind of dull and achy? i hear a lot of people say they have sharp pains which makes them think it is heart-related. but mine are just not like that. plus they go back to the shoulder blades. actually, since i last posted on this the pain has gotten better, but it sort of comes and goes over a period of days. does yours do this too? i've also been having some coughing and trouble breathing. a part of me is nervous about this, and then the other (more rational) part of me thinks i might have allergies, allergy-induced asthma, post-nasal drip, something like that. i have a doctor's appointment next week and am hoping to get a chest x-ray just to be sure. thanks for your words of support - i know you can relate! hope you start to feel better soon too.
Hi robelros
Yes my pain is dull and achy and comes and goes too. However, since my last post I have a new slant on the situation. My doc decided to send me for an endoscopy. Not a pleasant procedure, but ok with the sedation. They have found that I have a hiatal hernia and some gastric acid problems. It would appear that this has been causing my pain and I am now on Nexium for the problem. Day 3 now so will wait and see what happens!!! I would recommend that you go for the chest xray first and see what that says but if it carries on and that is clear push for an endoscopy, as our symptoms are so similar you could have exactly the same. Good luck and I hope you have some answers soon.
Hi robelros sweetheart. This sounds similar to what I am experiencing right now. dull achey pain though it is alternating with sharp shooting pains through me..I have had this for months on off..the off times seem to be when I am not so stressed..it is through the roof just now..
I feel fo ryou about the moles too,I can see where you are going with the lung thing and spreading..I admit I had the same sorts of feelings petal.
Anxiety is an awful awful thing and although ofcourse pain can come from lungs and things which isn't anxiety alot of shoulder,chest sorts of pain and breathing do seem to stem or worsen with stress,anxiery etc. I am trying to ram this in my own head just now lol.
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I wanted to say I have been going through the dull chest pain and it goes into my back, sometimes it moves now with occasional sharp pains, also i get stomach pains, like by the rib cage not low. So they have been giving me prilosec because doc thinks its heartburn. seems to help, but doens't take away completely. I had a workup to check the heart, i didn't get a endoscopy though. I was panicking so bad from the chest pain, went to er a few times, feeling foolish when they said anxiety and muscle related. I now notice a difference when I am having a busy day around the house cleaning and cooking big meals, it gets worse and food has to be watched too, think it helps.
Hi rdy4fn24
Those rib pains you mention were one of the symptoms I had and they got worse with working around etc. Food affected me aswell. All this has been caused by my hiatal hernia. I went to a&e 3 times with it and had the heart checked amongst other things. Everyone said it was anxiety and muscle related. Finally I got the endoscopy and now I think mine was caused by my pregnancy 10 months ago as it all began towards the end of that. Infact I even screamed at the midwife that I was having a heart attack!!!! I think the Nexium is helping a bit but early days. My consultant has told me that if the pain continues after 8 weeks they will look at operating on it (not a pleasant thought!!). Hope all goes well for you and its so hard to believe that a hiatal hernia could possibly cause this much pain but it appears it can :(
I have the chest pains too, which I found out were the result of acid reflx and hiatal hernia. Not fun, but not life threatening. I have taken Aciphex for it since 2006. It took a couple of weeks of taking it for the pains to go away, and I felt really good for 3 years on the meds.
Unfortunately the meds are no longer working and I'm getting daily heartburn and worse yet, I now have this thing where it feels like there is a lump in my throat. I'm not sure if its due to stress, or I need new meds. Of course me being me, I've attributed it to other terrible things that it could also be, but this week I've been doing better and trying to concentrate on the things that it most likely is.
As for the endoscopy, please don't worry about that test. They give you something so you really don't even know what is going on, even though you are awake. It was over and done in what seemed like seconds and the best news is they give you the results right then and there, no sitting around waiting for test results.
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