Any doctors?

[jun]

I've been having some chest pains since Monday. It really flared up tonight as I was moving heavy objects

Symptoms:
-Hurts when I press on the area (right side of chest, adjacent to the nipple.
-Hurts when I left heavy objects
-Hurts when I do push-ups
-Hurts when I lean over (new)
-Hurts when I try to lay down
-Hurts on deep breaths
-Hurts on coughs

Did not hurt while running on the treadmill today, though. I do not have any shortness of breath.

Does this sound like some fractured ribs?

Should I visit the doctors? I've already got some codine to take for the pain.

[radix]

See a doctor in person, an internet diagnosis is definitely not the best way to go about this.

DISCLAIMER: I'm not a doctor, and what follows is not medical advice.

I had a similar problem for a little while after exercising a shit ton, the diagnosis in my case was costochondritis. The doctor made that determination after palpating my rib cage. Other possibilities the doctor mentioned to me were bruised/broken ribs.

Here's what I had:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cos...dritis/DS00626

http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/costochondritis

[1speedbike]

Not a doctor but I'm interested in medicine to some extent (my major is in neuroscience) but... if it does hurt when you move your upper body arund but at the same time not hurt (or barely hurt) when you're perfectly still? If that's true then it's a rib fracture.

The fact that it doesn't hurt while running should mean that it's not neuromuscular or skeletomuscular, but then again i'm not a doctor so I don't know for sure. The fact that it's nether neurological, muscular, or skeletal ALONE suggests some sort of deeper, interconnected problem. Like I said, I'm not a doctor I just loosely studied the stuff, but considering the fact that this is a BMW forum I'm sure there's MANY doctors on here reaping the benefits of their field of study (I envy you, as I've tried that path and have had no patience for patients lol) so maybe you'd be more qualified to comment.

As a general rule though.. you problem does not appear to be purely muscular, neuroal, skeletal, cardiac, skeletomucular, neuromuscular, or anything I'm familiar in ANY of my classes, so I say skip the regular doctor because he won't remember that shit from med school and see a specialized doctor in neural and neuromuscular problems...

[jun]

Thanks for the help guys. Yeah, it only hurts when I'm moving around a lot. I iced it for about 20 minutes and it's a little bit better. The pain is very acute. I would rate it a 7/8 out of 10. I'm fine when I'm not moving around.

I'll make an appointment tomorrow. Unfortunate for me, I am moving in to a new place tomorrow morning, but looks like I'll just have to make pops do most of the work.

[Synergy]

ehh the doctors diagnosed me with costochondritis in May but i knew they were dead wrong. i have sharp stabbing pains in my chest/lung/rib area (i honestly can't narrow it down) and it is completely random. they said it was my rib cartilage but it doesn't hurt at all when i press on it or do exercises.

good luck, and i hope you feel better. there ARE smart and dumb doctors. make sure you go to a smart one :\

[DocSean]

I'm a Doctor, sounds like a strained intercostal muscle/cartilage similar to what other have suggested. Does it hurt when inhaling and exhaling?

[Synergy]

Originally Posted by DocSean

I'm a Doctor, sounds like a strained intercostal muscle/cartilage similar to what other have suggested. Does it hurt when inhaling and exhaling?

can you diagnose me next?

[YellowFinger]

Doctor here as well.. in family medicine...

sounds like a torned/strained intercostal cartilage

it is a good thing u do not have any shortness of breath.

[radix]

Originally Posted by YellowFinger

Doctor here as well.. in family medicine...

sounds like a torned/strained intercostal cartilage

it is a good thing u do not have any shortness of breath.

With a nick like YellowFinger I figured you'd be an urologist.

[jun]

Originally Posted by DocSean

I'm a Doctor, sounds like a strained intercostal muscle/cartilage similar to what other have suggested. Does it hurt when inhaling and exhaling?

Does not hurt when exhaling, but when inhaling very deeply, it does.

Dang it, I always seem to have a chest injury which prevents me working out my chest. I don't think I've had a good chest workout since last winter!

[ben14142001]

^ Intercostals work most when inhaling, so the two doctors up there seem like they have the right diagnosis (I'm a med student, so I still got a couple years until doctorhood ).

-Ben

[ragingclue]

I had an incorrect diagnosis from VA ER doctors with similar symptoms. Excrutiating pain radiating from the right side of my chest out through my shoulder or back, seemed pretty random as to when it was happening, until I figured out it was after I ate spicy or heavy food.

VA diagnosed it as intercostal strain. I think they just wanted to get me out of there, but they wrote me a scrip for something ending in -ocet, so I didn't care as long as the pain subsided somehow.

Went to a civilian doctor under my PPO. Turns out it was gall stones, and if you look up the symptoms listed all over the web medical sites, they were exactly as I described them to the ER docs. I didn't even know what gall stones were, or what your gall bladder was for until the civilian doc brought it up. Once I looked at it online, I knew what the results of the labs were going to be. It explained exactly what was happening with me.

Civilian care > VA care. Proof positive. And we want the government MORE involved in health care? Not me!

Anyway, /tangent

[Ochmonek]

Originally Posted by ragingclue

I had an incorrect diagnosis from VA ER doctors with similar symptoms. Excrutiating pain radiating from the right side of my chest out through my shoulder or back, seemed pretty random as to when it was happening, until I figured out it was after I ate spicy or heavy food.

VA diagnosed it as intercostal strain. I think they just wanted to get me out of there, but they wrote me a scrip for something ending in -ocet, so I didn't care as long as the pain subsided somehow.

Went to a civilian doctor under my PPO. Turns out it was gall stones, and if you look up the symptoms listed all over the web medical sites, they were exactly as I described them to the ER docs. I didn't even know what gall stones were, or what your gall bladder was for until the civilian doc brought it up. Once I looked at it online, I knew what the results of the labs were going to be. It explained exactly what was happening with me.

Civilian care > VA care. Proof positive. And we want the government MORE involved in health care? Not me!

Anyway, /tangent

My sister had the same symptoms, and was misdiagnosed for over a year by civilian doctors. What does that prove ?

[ragingclue]

Originally Posted by Ochmonek

My sister had the same symptoms, and was misdiagnosed for over a year by civilian doctors. What does that prove ?

I know it goes both ways.

However, in my personal opinion, based on my own experiences with active duty care and the VA, and also with civilian care, I do have a strong opinion.

Others' opinions may vary. Ultimately, a lot of us will draw our opinions from experiences that hit close to home. So be it. As long as you're not drawing your opinion on the latest pundit drivel, you're ok....

Only reason why I even mentioned it was because my symptoms were very similar to the OP. The rest of my post was a tangent.

[Ochmonek]

Originally Posted by ragingclue

I know it goes both ways.

However, in my personal opinion, based on my own experiences with active duty care and the VA, and also with civilian care, I do have a strong opinion.

Others' opinions may vary. Ultimately, a lot of us will draw our opinions from experiences that hit close to home. So be it. As long as you're not drawing your opinion on the latest pundit drivel, you're ok....

Only reason why I even mentioned it was because my symptoms were very similar to the OP. The rest of my post was a tangent.

I'm actually not disagreeing with your opinion that civilian doctors are better than VA doctors. That's my opinion also.

I was disagreeing that you called it "Proof Positive".

Read this article: Gall Bladder Surgery

Here's a snippet from that article:

Airman 1st Class Colton Read celebrated two milestones this week: turning 21 and finding out he could soon be back home in Arlington, Texas.

The Airman, who lost both legs after a botched gallbladder surgery, celebrated his birthday Tuesday at a California hospital with relatives and friends from his squadron. The celebration featured red velvet cake and vanilla ice cream that Blue Bell Creamery flew in just for him, his wife said. "He was put in a wheelchair [Tuesday], and we decorated the room," Jessica Read said Wednesday. He was able to go outside in the hospital courtyard. He was exhausted after that."

Read was undergoing surgery July 9 to have his gallbladder removed when an instrument being threaded through his belly nicked his aorta and cut off blood flow to his legs. He was moved from the David Grant Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base to the University of California Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. Surgeons there had to amputate both legs. He had been stationed at Beale Air Force Base near Sacramento.

[ragingclue]

Originally Posted by Ochmonek

I'm actually not disagreeing with your opinion that civilian doctors are better than VA doctors. That's my opinion also.

I was disagreeing that you called it "Proof Positive".

Read this article: Gall Bladder Surgery

Here's a snippet from that article:

Airman 1st Class Colton Read celebrated two milestones this week: turning 21 and finding out he could soon be back home in Arlington, Texas.

The Airman, who lost both legs after a botched gallbladder surgery, celebrated his birthday Tuesday at a California hospital with relatives and friends from his squadron. The celebration featured red velvet cake and vanilla ice cream that Blue Bell Creamery flew in just for him, his wife said. "He was put in a wheelchair [Tuesday], and we decorated the room," Jessica Read said Wednesday. He was able to go outside in the hospital courtyard. He was exhausted after that."

Read was undergoing surgery July 9 to have his gallbladder removed when an instrument being threaded through his belly nicked his aorta and cut off blood flow to his legs. He was moved from the David Grant Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base to the University of California Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. Surgeons there had to amputate both legs. He had been stationed at Beale Air Force Base near Sacramento.

Ok so my proof was relatively mild.

I feel bad reading that story.

[jpsum]

e90post = WebMD??

[oneintheory]

e90post<WebMD

[Cyber]

Primary Care MD > Web MD

[Express]

ill help you out. im a pilot.

"is there a doctor on board? thanks."

[aus]

Originally Posted by ragingclue

I had an incorrect diagnosis from VA ER doctors with similar symptoms. Excrutiating pain radiating from the right side of my chest out through my shoulder or back, seemed pretty random as to when it was happening, until I figured out it was after I ate spicy or heavy food.

VA diagnosed it as intercostal strain. I think they just wanted to get me out of there, but they wrote me a scrip for something ending in -ocet, so I didn't care as long as the pain subsided somehow.

Went to a civilian doctor under my PPO. Turns out it was gall stones, and if you look up the symptoms listed all over the web medical sites, they were exactly as I described them to the ER docs. I didn't even know what gall stones were, or what your gall bladder was for until the civilian doc brought it up. Once I looked at it online, I knew what the results of the labs were going to be. It explained exactly what was happening with me.

Civilian care > VA care. Proof positive. And we want the government MORE involved in health care? Not me!

Anyway, /tangent

Those symptoms are not even close to typical gall bladder symptoms, which are right upper abdominal pain, that's usually worse after eating a fatty meal. If it hurts after spicey good, I'd think it was GERD or an ulcer.
Having said that, the gall bladder is a pain in the ass sometimes for doc's. It'll cause all kinds of symptoms that are not typically related to the right upper abdoman.

And for the OP, you should at least get a chest X-ray since a pneumothorax or even a mass could cause similar symptoms.

[ragingclue]

Originally Posted by aus

Those symptoms are not even close to typical gall bladder symptoms, which are right upper abdominal pain, that's usually worse after eating a fatty meal. If it hurts after spicey good, I'd think it was GERD or an ulcer.
Having said that, the gall bladder is a pain in the ass sometimes for doc's. It'll cause all kinds of symptoms that are not typically related to the right upper abdoman.

And for the OP, you should at least get a chest X-ray since a pneumothorax or even a mass could cause similar symptoms.

Gall bladder symptoms can include pains shooting out your back, chest, or even as far away as the shoulder area. I'm not making that up. I've talked to many doctors who I trust, including several in the family, who state for the few gall stone patients who do show symptoms, those are not uncommon whatsoever. Anyway, the point was heavy meals caused it. Usually a spicy meal meant chorizo or carne asada with jalapenos.... Meaning it was greasy too. In any case, those were my symptoms, and the correct diagnosis ended up being gall stones as confirmed by ultrasound.

I just mentioned it because it's a possibility for the OP to at least look in to. It would be something good to rule out because, as you said, they are a pain in the ass to diagnose.