Hello everyone It's been awhile since I've been here. I've been taking care of myself or at least trying to and reading up alot about perimenopause.
Well lately when I'm relaxed and lying down and watching tv I get this sharp chest pain that lasts a few seconds. It's on my left breast and a bit under the left arm. It scares the heck out of me! I'm worried if it's anything to do with a heart attack? I've been getting crazy palps lately because my period was 10 days late this month. I wonder if it's because of my period. I've gotten this pain before usually before my period or during. Does anyone know what it could be? I really don't feel like going to the ER again, lol.

Honey I get chest pain at times too,and yes it will scare you to death! But as you mine doen't last long and I can tell it's on the outside of my ribs or in the breast area and not deep inside but still scary...I have no idea what causes it but I know it's very uncomfortable and catches ya off guard..since I had a hysto 20 yrs ago this coming dec my problem is I can't tell if it's time for my period or not,I used to could tell every month but for the past few yrs things have been so screwed up I have no idea when things are gunna hit

It DOES catch you off guard--and it's scary! I haven't had what I call the "ice pick jabs" in my chest for a while--but last week they came back with a vengence. It freaks me out. I keep trying to tell myself not to worry--my periods are so strange lately that I have to have SOME kind of nasty symptom because the last few months have been relatively calm in the peri-area. I can be sitting, calmly, watching TV and wham! a stabbing pain--and then nothing for a day or two. Then I'll get two or three in a row that aren't too bad. This has all happened before and I was checked out and given a clean bill of heart health--but it just freaks me out! I know my stress level is elevated--which doesn't help--because of this--so my entire chest area feels heavy and my sternum aches on and off. I can't wait for this to pass again--and maybe, please--stay away.

dear sunshine2426:
yes i get chest pains 2 more than 1yr . however i did have every heart test i could 2 rule out heart poblems . i still have no peace about the pains but pray thru them i know god does not have 2 put disease upon us 2 take us , a normal healthy woman who does not smoke drink or have high bp will not have a heart attack , we will b fine . iam having a horrible day with palps anxiety short of breath , but still i want 2 try and help others like u thru . b blessed

mookiehanta@yahoo.com

I get this too! Particularly scary when it comes on the left side huh? But I've had it on both sides so I don't get quite so freaked about it now.

Sometimes they're just little jabs, but occasionally -- ACK! Feels like a knife blade. But like sthrnstar1 says, I've learned to distinguish where it's coming from. It's usually in my breast or right below, sometimes under my arm. I have GERD problems, so I'll sometimes have something like this right in the middle of my chest but lower, like right at the top of my stomach. I've noticed that the really strong ones are almost always followed by a hot flash. So maybe there's some connection.

I've noticed lately that my breasts have gotten much softer. I've heard that you start losing breast tissue during peri and it gets replaced by fat. That would explain the feel, but I'm curious if these stabbing pains are the result of the tissue breaking down? I don't like the idea of my breasts breaking down, but at least I can relax with the knowledge that I'm not having a heart attack.

I have gotten those sharp pains and they are downright scary! Lord this stuff has you praying a lot. Prayer and meditations helps me so much. I mean when a pain hits you are almost thinking the worse. I then have to do deep breathing and it passes... It is a stab sometimes in the chest.

If you have been drinking a lot of water, or eaten something that gives you gas. The more you go to the bathroom the palpitation increases. That is why bananas are absolutely great. The pain usually passes but it is when it catches you off guard. It will shake you into a panic attack. I have had my heart tested , blood pressure, all the related blood work. I am healthy! The doctors look at you as if you got off a spaceship.

I will never tell anyone not to go to the doctor. If you are pre, during or post menopausal, you will have all kinds of strange things occur. I was in the ER so much they thought that I was crazy. I kept insisting that I am going through the change. My doctor said I was too young believe it or not. I felt like there was something wrong with me that others just didn't seem to understand. I mean from aching joints to heart skipping a beat.

At first I thought I was flipping out. I have had gas so bad in my chest. Seriously, it can also be gas that will give you stabbing pains.

I just learn to sit and relax and tell the Lord to keep me and my mind. Each time I was rushing to go to the ER. I would sit at least a hour to see if the symptoms will pass and they generally do. I mean I couldn't believe that they could not tell me I was peri.

Now, if I am really having any kind of anxiety I honestly sit and do cold water treatments to see if it passes. I will apply cold water to my face and to my neck and relax. I am praying for all of us to get through this mess!

Ladies this is the thread that I have been searching for. I have had these random chest pains for over a year now and feel so much better to know I'm not the only one. After my first bout with them I panicked and called 911 went to hospital and stayed overnight. All bloodwork and ekgs turned out ok. A stress test was recommended and a follow up with my doc. When I saw her she said she didn't see me as a candiate for blockage so never did have the stress test. She said since I was walking everyday and had ok cholesterol and very good blood pressure, non-smoker, etc, that it was probably just stress and gave me a xanax prescription. Many times after that when I would get them I would run for that pill to calm me down and keep me from having full blown anxiety attcak. Now I usually just let it go and tell myself I have had them for over a year and if it was anything too serious I'd get worse. Hope I'm not kidding myself. Does anyone else get them in this same area? If you go directly to center of breasts and then move slighly left into the breast area? Sometimes I think it's the breast itself? Can be confusing. All help is soooo appreciated.

I have had this for almost three years now, since peri symptoms hit hard. Saw a cardiologist to have all the heart workups to make sure (I suggest anyone with any consideration that it even might be a heart issue should get checked). Anyways, finally ended up being diagnosed as inflammation of the rib cartilage and absolutely hormone induced by a rhuematologist. He's seen this many times in his practice in women going through menopause. He gave me some prescription strength ibruprofen, which works great. At first I was taking a couple a day, but now, I just take as needed, and it does work great. I keep thinking though that this is such a wierd thing to happen in menopause.

Hope this helps to answer some questions.

Ladies, I am 2 years past meno and I have started having these pains and they scare me. I have had all the heart test done even a cath!
Do we ever get better?
Glen

Dear Glen
Yes we do.We are just alittle 'maturer!' so more vulnerable to aches and pains
Interestingly enough,I was told by my family Doctor that sharp intermitent chest pains can be caused by trapped gasses.Of course if the pains lasted a long time and came more often then it would be safer to have a Testto rule out other reasons.

I personally have begun to realise that anxiety and stress are the main culprits behind many of our strange Post Menopausal symptoms.Yoga helps me relax.

Stay Well
Elizabeth

I have been getting this dull ache on the left between the breast and clavicle and sometimes the left shoulder. I read about the trapped gasses but how come it gets trapped in the same spot each time. It landed me in the ER in August and of course a clean bill of health. I can have these pains all day off and on for days at a time then wake up and feel fine the next. This has been a major anxiety inducer. I always say...what if it is my heart. What if....What if........ GRRRRRRRRR.

I know what you mean, every comercial out there tells us we are going to have a heart attack and gives us the statistics to prove it, so with the heart palps and weird pains it keeps me a mess I have had all the test and now they just think I'm crazy
Glen