Concerned about persistent dull ache in left chest (3-4 months)

Conrad,

Sounds very similar. Will keep you informed as I go. Thanks for the reply. -Steve

I actually have LOW blood pressure. Thanks.

How old are you?  I have the same pain and it just comes and goes.  I am going to be 40 and I'm in decent shape.  It does occasionally come on w/exersize and stress.  Sometimes it just comes and goes and feels like a dull pain near my heart.

I am 52 but most that know/meet me think I am quite a bit younger :) I also am in decent shape. Do you have high blood pressure? Have you ever noticed the 'feeling' in the cold of winter when exerting yourself a bit? Have you ever had a stress test?

I had a stress test some years ago that came back ok. Now of course,  it did not.

Please get yourself tested...at least if nothing else, you would have a baseline to compare to in the years to come...

Let me know how you do...I do care to know! Good luck

Yikes. Now THAT sort of report is enough to make anyone have a heart attack.

Could I have that sort of blockage if I'm a lifelong athlete? I just ran up a 2400 foot climb yesterday. No additional pain.

Will check it out.

Thanks.

Yikes is right! Lucky for me, we found the blockages BEFORE I had a damaging heart attack, thank goodness. Although I am not a doctor, from what I have heard from the doctors, YES, even a lifelong athlete can-as in my own doctor's practice (he, by the way is a marathon runner).

Please do get checked out and let me know what they find...hopefully, nothing!

I went to the ER because I couldn't get an appointment to see my regular doc for 6 weeks. I wouldn't have bothered the folks in ER if the on-call doctor didn't suggest that I should (she did). The pain was persisting, and intensified slightly from what it had been for several months. For the doc on call, that was enough. 

In the ER, they gave me an EKG, echo-cardiogram, and chest x-ray on the spot. If I didn't think I was in danger before, the oxygen tube they put up my nose convinced me that I must be in dire straits.

Turns out they found...drum roll...nothing! The only thing that alarmed the nurses was that my resting heart rate regularly hovers around 35. "Are you light-headed?" No. "How long have you had episodes of low heart rate?" For years, though it does seem to have dropped about 10 bpm these past 5-8 years. The ER doctor said that sort of heart rate is normal for lifelong athletes. He had actually handled Alberto Salazar (Olympic marathoner) when Salazar had a massive heart attack several months back. I told him I'm no Olympic runner, but he said that didn't matter. Athletes beat slower. 

When I get to my regular doctor next week, I will suggest a stress test just to be sure. I've done antacid, etc. Nothing seems to make it go away. Maybe I just need an all-expenses paid vacation to Hawaii? Will keep you all apprised...Thanks again for the insights. 

Thank you so much for keeping me posted and INSIST on the stress test....I too, showed nothing abnormal on the same testings you did...I am sure glad there is nothing so far...keep me posted :) Tx

May I ask how old you are? The pain that I have seems to be on the left side of my chest right under my breast. is that where yours was or somewhere else. Thanks in advance for the info. P.S I'm 39

I am 52, but a VERY young 52 :) My discomfort was right between my breasts, pretty much in the center of my chest. Your heart and mine may be situated differently in our chests so that the pain could be in a different area. I can only urge you to get checked, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

After I posted the initial note, I found out that the neice of a good friend of mine just had a heart attack........SHE IS 36, A DOCTOR'S ASSISTANT, GREAT SHAPE, ATHLETIC, NON-SMOKING......what more can I say?

EVERYONE that knows ME was SHOCKED that this could happen to me...me too. So, it could happen to you, hopefully not.

Please get checked out and let me know what they find....a baseline is always good for the years to come! Good luck