What Causes Rapid Heart Beat Along With Pain On Left Side Of Chest?

Posted on Fri, 13 Mar 2015

Question: my daughter is 25. In november she was jogging and had a rapid heartbeat. She went to the dr. and they gave her a holder monitor and an keg. She went back to the doctor and they have ruled out anything serious but they want her to have an echo. She is complaining of pain on the left of the center of her chest and it goes to her shoulder blade. She says she takes an ibuprofen for the pain and it goes away. Sometimes her upper back hurts. She is going for her masters degree and has been seeing the student health center doctor. Should she seek a 2nd opinion? She said she was out of breath about 2 weeks ago when she was jogging. She said her heart rate was very high then. She takes the birth control pill. Could the pain she is experiencing be a pulled muscle? Can you help?

Answered by Dr. Rakesh Madhyastha (56 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Need more details

Detailed Answer:
Hello

Thanks for the query

I would like to know a few more details in order to help you better

1. Is the pain present even at rest or only on jogging?
2. When she was out of breath was the pain exaggerated and did it get relieved after taking rest?
3. Any history of fever in the recent past?
4. Does she cough? Does the pain increase on coughing?

The chest pain could be arising from the pleura ( lining of the lung), muscle or from the heart. Please get back to me so that I can guide you on how to go about it.

Please get back to me, I am awaiting your reply

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Rakesh Madhyastha (13 minutes later)

She does not cough. I don't recall my daughter saying she has had a fever. Even at rest, I believe there is pain and she takes ibuprofen for it. She says it relieves it. She was home for Christmas and did not complain of it. She had the monitor on before Christmas. She said her heart rate was very high when she ran and she was out of breath and that when she quit running she was able to breath better. she didn't say anything about being in pain from the running. The doctor at the student health center is talking of putting my daughter on a beta blocker. My daughter said that the student health doctor said something about the heart not being able to put out enough oxygen or something like that. They had taken an X-ray the first time she went in. They had taken blood and my daughter said the tests came back ok.

Answered by Dr. Rakesh Madhyastha (20 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Costochondritis

Detailed Answer:
Hello

Thanks for the query

The pain which your daughter is having might be costochondritis. It is nothing but inflammation of the cartilage connecting the ribs to the center. The pain is not arising from the heart.
I suggest her to do the following

1. Ibuprofen can cause severe gastritis and is also nephrotoxic. I suggest Acetaminophen instead
2. I suggest to stop exercising until the pain is better
3. Make sure she is not exposed to the cold, she has to wear warm clothes if the weather is cold

I hope I was of help, if you have any further queries please get back to me

Regards

Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar