Chronic Chest Pain

[chesthurts]

Hello,

I am a 29 year old female with chronic chest pain since 2002. I was raised in a household with 2 smokers, so was exposed to second hand smoke for my entire life, and have a personal smoking history of 12 years. My mother died at age 53 of NSCLC. So, obviously, I have serious risk factors for the development of LC in spite of my relatively young age.

My pain is all on the right side, starting about 1 inch to the right of my breastbone. It travels all the way down my ribs to my right flank, although the spot to the right of my breastbone is the most painful. I have a corresponding knot in the muscles of my back in the exact same spot. I do have chronic diarrhea and it has been mentioned that this pain could possibly be my gall bladder.

The pain is NOT constant. It comes and goes frequently, although I cannot tie it to any specific activity. Sometimes it will not hurt for weeks at a time. Other times it hurts for weeks at a time. NSAID's as well as heat/ice do seem to help.

I have had multiple negative chest xrays. I have no cough, mucous, fatique, or any other apparent symptoms aside from the pain.

I have spent thousands on testing to try and determine the cause of my pain, but remain undiagnosed. My doctor's current supposition is that it is postural and he has sent me to physical therapy. I do have very, very poor posture and spend 8+ hours a day sitting at a computer. Despite the negative xrays, I remain anxious that it is lung cancer.

Can lung cancer cause long term, sporadic chest pain with no other symptoms, while still remaining small enough to be undetected by chest xray?

Thank you.

[ztweb]

Welcome ChestHurts,

I don't have an answer to your question, but I did want to welcome you here. Someone might know some answers for you. Good luck and God bless.

Jen

[Connie B]

I would say YES to your question, but I would also add that if you are having pain for this long, then I would request a CT SCAN. Have you ever seen a lung doctor? (Pulmonogist)

You also might want to get an Ultra Sound done and have your gall-bladder checked as well.

I don't think ANY of us can honestly answer your question, but I'm sure everyone would agree you might want to get a CT scan and maybe see a Pulm Doc.

I'm not taking this lightly, but you need to get to the bottom of this pain issue. This could be caused from other lung problems as well, or even heart issues. I know if it were me, I would want answers.

Good luck,

Connie

"chesthurts"]Hello,

I am a 29 year old female with chronic chest pain

Can lung cancer cause long term, sporadic chest pain with no other symptoms, while still remaining small enough to be undetected by chest xray?

Thank you.

[Don Wood]

Welcome! I support Connie's advice. Don

[Andrea]

I agree with Connie to get checked.

I myself had some chest pain on and off, if you do a google search for "chest wall pain" you will find that it can be common and just be costochondritis

which is inflamation and not serious and common in peole your age.

However never ignore it, make sure you get thoroughly evaluated and tell your dr you have a family history of lung cancer, for peace of mind you want a chest ct-scan.

[chesthurts]

thank you for your comments. I appreciate the help.

"Connie B"]I would say YES to your question, but I would also add that if you are having pain for this long, then I would request a CT SCAN. Have you ever seen a lung doctor? (Pulmonogist)

I haven't, just my GP.

I'm not taking this lightly, but you need to get to the bottom of this pain issue. This could be caused from other lung problems as well, or even heart issues. I know if it were me, I would want answers.

I did have a negative EKG maybe 2 years ago, but no further cardiac testing.

my doctor said that if the PT didn't help, he was sending me for a CT. I'm sure he would be willing to order one now, without waiting to see what effect the PT has.

I was mostly curious about how likely it would be for LC to cause sporadic pain for such a long duration and still not show on an xray.

[chesthurts]

"Andrea"]I myself had some chest pain on and off, if you do a google search for "chest wall pain" you will find that it can be common and just be costochondritis

which is inflamation and not serious and common in peole your age.

costochondritis was the prevailing diagnoses for a long time, but my doctor is concerned with the long duration of pain and says that's not very common in costochondritis.

I've read that costochondritis can be caused by trauma to the chest and I did have a bad car accident in 1997, and the pain is directly underneath where my seat belt was lying across my chest. in 1998, I had breast reduction surgery. But even so, my doctor isn't convinced it's costo.

He's aware of my family history.

Thank you for your comments.

[cindi o'h]

Pain is not a symptom of lung cancer. Seldom does pain in chest alert med prof. that lc exists. That is why screening for lc using a spiral ct is helpful for those who are at high risk.

Just my thoughts based on listening to lc survivors histories.

Cindi o'h

[chesthurts]

I went and checked dates over the last few months, and it looks like it flares up about every 6 weeks for a week or two. What an odd pattern of pain.

[Andrea]

Also sounds like fibromyalgia type of stuff, just general pain with no explanation. But again, check it out for peace of mind

[cindi o'h]

massage? chiropractor? frequent stretches away from computer?

NOT lung cancer.

[Connie B]

I agree with Cindi.

"cindi o'h"]massage? chiropractor? frequent stretches away from computer?

NOT lung cancer.

[chesthurts]

Thank you for the comments. I feel more reassured. With my family & smoking history, it's very easy to let my anxiety get the best of me.

I did call my doctor and he agreed to order a CT if it would reassure me. I'm to call him back tomorrow if I want him to schedule it.

Incidentally, I spoke with my aunt today (my mother's sister) and she said that she had identical chest pain 3-4 times a year, that she has had since her child was 2 years old. (He is 17 now.) She said that she had a bunch of tests and they couldn't find anything. I found that very interesting.

[marym]

Usually lung cancer doesn't cause chest pain. Unless there is pulmonary problems, one wouldn't guess they had it. (trust me)..Gallbladder attacks result from eating. That is if you have a problem with gallstones, they will cause a problem after you have a meal with excess fats. These pains are usually gone the next day, although you might feel awful. Another sign of gallbladder disease is very dark urine - brown.

I think a CT is a good idea because that's really the best look at the lungs. I know my family all had one just as a precaution aafter my diagnosis.

Good luck in finding the problem, but please relax on the cancer.

Mary

[wendo1974]

ChestHurts:

I read your posts and it was like seeing me in a mirror image. For 3 years I have had the same pain as you, have had two CT scans, multiple Xray's and the same diagnosis of chostochondritis. Also, they said my posture is very poor and I have scoliosis. I also have the same pains in my gallbladder area, and underneath my shoulder blade. So, I have to believe its not lung cancer, although it scares me to death b/c I smoked for 10 years. I am also 31 years old, and have fibromyalgia symptoms so I think all of these things are inter-related. Most likely, in another 2-3 years I will have another CT scan to put my mind at ease, but for right now, I have to trust my doctor and the hospitals who did the tests that I do not have it. I feel your pain, b/c I have had the exact same thing. So don't worry about it now, take some time off and enjoy yourself, OK? We are in the same boat!