“Worried about chest pain/discomfort - lung related or cancer? ”
I'm a relatively fit (I run about 1000km per year, cycle to work often) male, never smoked (been exposed to second-hand smoke a handful of times in clubs), and generally eat pretty well (though have a mighty sweet tooth). Mild alcohol consumption the past year of about 3 beers per week. I am a professional artist and use oil paint and solvents, though I try to use stuff that's less toxic, but not entirely safe either.
I'm 6'2, around 165 lbs. In 2013 I was diagnosed with GERD, and since then the symptoms come and go depending on how much gluten I consume. I've generally managed to keep it stable. Could it be that my GERD has become cancer and is causing all this? In early February of this year, I noticed a dull (yet mildly intense) pain in the upper right side of my chest (approx just a little below the collarbone) that is triggered by deep breaths - inhalations mainly.
It can also be triggered by certain movements and some muscle flexes/usage, depending on my position. As I'd been doing some cross-country skiing a few days prior I thought perhaps I'd strained something - but there's no area that's sensitive to touch or pressure. Anyway, here we are 3 months later and the pain is still there, perhaps slightly worse at times. I have continued to exercise but stopped lifting any weights the last month to see if it would help. Mainly I run and bike.
I don't have pain when laughing or coughing... and don't really have any other symptoms other than the pain. No shortness of breath either. I do have a regular popping of my sternum that I've had for about 10 years - more regularly in the last few years. It's painless though - when I click/pop it seems to relieve a sense of pressure in the chest - though this seems unrelated to the pain described in my post.
I tried taking some ibuprofen but it had no effect. I've become quite stressed about this - if it was an injury it would surely have healed by now I'd assumed. When one thinks of pain (even dull) upon drawing deep breaths, one thinks of lung cancer. I don't have a family history of lung cancer as far as I know, but my mother has a different kind of cancer (cll).
I'd really appreciate any thoughts on this. I'm trying to get an appointment with a doc, but it's complicated at the moment. Thank you very much!
I'm 6'2, around 165 lbs. In 2013 I was diagnosed with GERD, and since then the symptoms come and go depending on how much gluten I consume. I've generally managed to keep it stable. Could it be that my GERD has become cancer and is causing all this? In early February of this year, I noticed a dull (yet mildly intense) pain in the upper right side of my chest (approx just a little below the collarbone) that is triggered by deep breaths - inhalations mainly.
It can also be triggered by certain movements and some muscle flexes/usage, depending on my position. As I'd been doing some cross-country skiing a few days prior I thought perhaps I'd strained something - but there's no area that's sensitive to touch or pressure. Anyway, here we are 3 months later and the pain is still there, perhaps slightly worse at times. I have continued to exercise but stopped lifting any weights the last month to see if it would help. Mainly I run and bike.
I don't have pain when laughing or coughing... and don't really have any other symptoms other than the pain. No shortness of breath either. I do have a regular popping of my sternum that I've had for about 10 years - more regularly in the last few years. It's painless though - when I click/pop it seems to relieve a sense of pressure in the chest - though this seems unrelated to the pain described in my post.
I tried taking some ibuprofen but it had no effect. I've become quite stressed about this - if it was an injury it would surely have healed by now I'd assumed. When one thinks of pain (even dull) upon drawing deep breaths, one thinks of lung cancer. I don't have a family history of lung cancer as far as I know, but my mother has a different kind of cancer (cll).
I'd really appreciate any thoughts on this. I'm trying to get an appointment with a doc, but it's complicated at the moment. Thank you very much!
Male | 36 years old
Complaint duration: 3 months
Conditions: GERD
1 Answer
The chest pain does not sound like GERD. It sounds musculoskeletal. It would be quite rare to get cancer at your age but if you are concerned then a GI doctor can do an EGD to check your esophagus and make sure there is no problem there.
