# Meidcal question, sort of..

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meidcal-question-sort-of/375514>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 6, 2006, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meidcal-question-sort-of/375514 "2006-10-06T17:31:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Dob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Dob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dob)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2006, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meidcal-question-sort-of/375514/1 "2006-10-06T17:31:05Z")

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So about eight years ago I picked up a heavy box and all of the sudden on my left side it felt like it was on fire and I couldn’t breath. The pain was bad. I figured I must have tore or pulled a muscle, so i took some advils and over the next 3 days it went away.

But over the past years about twice a year I will do something and the same thing happens. It’s like my chest is constricted, and I cant move my right arm up and out without pain. I take a few advils and a day or so later its gone.

I have lived with it figuring it was just a muscle thing (yeah, im an idiot) but this year my wife and I had our first child, and with all the lifting and carrying the problem comes back way more often. Except now I can start to feel it happening, its like a little tingle behind my right shoulder blade and my chest gets a little tight, but I can sit up straight, pull my shoulders back and my breastbone “cracks” and it goes away.

I had a physical two weeks ago (everything is fine, heart, lungs, blood work, all good) and I finally asked my doc about it. he sent me for a chest xray to start (on monday) but thinks it wont probably see anything he just wants to start there.

I looked around on WebMD for a cause, but couldnt find anything. As soon as you type in “chest” there you get 14 pages of heart attack stuff.

Anyway, I was hoping someone around here might have had the same thing happen, or is happening to them now, or some ideas. Any help?

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meidcal-question-sort-of/375514/2 "2006-10-07T01:31:35Z")

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**Dob**. Sorry to close this. But we discourage specific medical question threads that pertain to a personal problem

I’m glad you’re under a doctor’s care.

**samclem** GQ moderator, who at age 62 had a similar experience recently. Sharp pain in upper chest last two years, when stretching at odd angles. Figured it was a blocked artery. Life of debauchery, eating what I wanted, drinking what I could.

Went for my first general physical in a long time, to my shame. Doc sent me for chest xray and stress test. Results–no problem.

That’s not to say you don’t have a problem, but I hope not.