breastbone pain through to middle of back shoulderblades

I'm 52, female, 130 lbs, 5 foot 2 inches, low blood pressure (adv 100 over 60). I have had intermittent pain (sharp) radiating through both shoulders to middle/ upper breast bone for years (about 20).
My heart is great, no other medical conditions found except mild hypothyroidism that is treated with meds and definitely is not the cause of the pain. I have also fought the titles of fybromyalgia, MS, arthritis for years.
It's worse when at rest. Like in the mornings when I get up or if I am on the computer for too long (over an hour). And it hurts so bad it is hard to catch your breath, especially if you have to cough!! And my sternum clicks along with bones in my shoulders. My son will massage my shoulders and he can feel the bones click and move. (freaks him out).

Docs don't know c**p. If your under 25, its panic attacks. If your 25 to 35 it's muscle fatigue. 35 to 45 would be possible arthritis and above 45 your just getting old.

Good thing is that it does NOT seem to be heart, gall bladder or thyroid related.

On another site someone suggested a stomach ulcer. I had an ulcer a few years ago that I had to take meds for and cannot remember having any of these "attacks" while on the ulcer medication. I am going to call and have my Doc refill my prescription and give it a try. Maybe the ulcer is coming back? Maybe you all can check that avenue out. Would be great if that is what has caused all out issues!! Good luck.

I googled my symptoms and was directed to this post. I can't believe how many other people are suffering with this and no doctor can seem to find out what it is!! Mine is a little differen't from some, I saw someone on here write that when they are trying to sleep they can't move around because of the pain, my pain doesn't seem to be external at all, for instance if I press the sore area with my fingers the pain doesn't increase like muscle pain would. I've had the pain for around 2-3years. It only now getting so bad and frequent that I had to seek a doctor. I had the pain when I was both slim and overweight so I don't think it is connected to my weight, although, it has increased and now I get the pain almost everyday. Ok, so the pain is usually under the breastbone and often raidiates through to my back. Sometimes it is very hard to pin point exactly where the pain is and initially I thought it was my heart. Sometimes it begins in the back, and raidiates through to my chest area. It is often so bad I could cry and I can't concentrate on anything else. The pain either comes on or worsens at night. At one point I never experienced the pain during the day but now I am noticing I am getting it through the day also, although it is never as bad as it is in the evening. I haven't really noticed it worsening with exercise although of course when you feel a painful sensation your insticnt is to go lie down or relax or something. The only position that somtimes makes it feel better is either sitting up and leaning forward so my head almost touches my knees or (this is a weird one) getting on all fours and letting my shoulders touch the bed. I tried to record a pattern in the pain but so far I haven't found one, I get the pain when I haven't eaten anything, as well as when I've eaten too much, it comes when I eat healthy and at the same time I've had it when I've eaten and drank the worst c**p. Something I have noticed is that is does intensify if I'm getting stressed. The pain is similar to integestion and I do feel a tad gassy (too much info!) I also feel tired almost all the time and have a temperature.
I've had an ECG, blood tests and an x-ray and all of these things have shown me to be quite healthy (which did come as a shock to me I must admit as I have a very sickly family history) and the doctor said the only concerning factor about me is my weight (which I am doing something about, on youtube actually if you wanna watch lol) She said there are only two more options now and that is reflux and stress. I DO NOT believe this pain can be brought on simply through stress. No way. I know what stress feels like and this is not it. I have to give a stool sample so they test for reflux whixh I am not looking forward to doing. She perscribed me some capsules aimed at reducing acid and I'm to start those once I've given the sample. I am still worried it could be heart related and still have a 24 hour ECG to do. Ok WOW, that is a lot of text. As soon as I find anything out I will post it here and hopfully help someone who is also suffering with this, I know it is awful. The thing I will say is, go to the doctor immediatly because, touch wood, it could be heart related and it is always best to get this sorted. I have my next doctors appointment in 2 weeks to update her on my progress. Much love to everyone and I hope we find out what this is.xx

I am starting up with the same symptoms. Woke me up out of bed. I have reflux and heartburn all the time. This is not the same. Pain

in front out the back. This is the worst I have been hit with it. Tried water. Little milk. Nothing. so I got up. It's worse when I lay down.

On Plavix. Wondering if pills are too hard on me. Will have to see my doctor and have same test done. Already having T I A's. Don't

need this.

I too have had this pain underneath the sternum bone that radiates through to my back, always seem to occur around the early hours and wakes me up then stops me from sleeping till it eventually wears off.

I found like another on here that taking still water helps and then I take 2 table teaspoonfuls of double action Gaviscon, when it happened this morning it took about 2 hours before the pain started to go but it has taken 7 -8 hours previously.

I have recently had an endoscopy/colonoscopy performed, and this found various things like Barrett's mucosa and oesophagitis/reflux. 2 benign stomach polpys and Duodenitis, I won't bother going into the colonoscopy results as it is quite clearly an upper G.I problem rather than a lower issue.

I have the same feeling, but this all started after a major panic attack, has any one ever  had the same experienced. This could drive a person crazy. Advil does help the pain.

i have the same i always sufferd with this from an early age 16 infact and i have bouts of it off and on some times i dont have it for a year then it comes back with vengence im haveing a bout again for the past two weeks docs have perscribed all soughts over the years nothing works i had camera down nothing shown up but a bit of thinning of my linning in belly  and abit of gastric but that does not cause the pain in my chest they now put me on a urse of diazepam to relax my muscles but its not working im now 42 and still no one no what this is good look to all suffers out there

I had similiar pain and I spent the last eight months going from one doctor to another and spent a lot of money and found nothing.  By chance my mother inlaw suggested it may be my bed so my husband filled the air mattress and put it on top of the bed to see if it made a difference.  If was a blessing, I felt like a new person.  I had a great bed with a pillow top and I didn't realize it was sagging.  Maybe you should consider your bed.

I had similiar pain and I spent the last eight months going from one doctor to another and spent a lot of money and found nothing. By chance my mother inlaw suggested it may be my bed so my husband filled the air mattress and put it on top of the bed to see if it made a difference. If was a blessing, I felt like a new person. I had a great bed with a pillow top and I didn't realize it was sagging. Maybe you should consider your bed.

Guest wrote:

mrsdoughty wrote:

For an entire year now I have had pain in the centre of my breastbone, through to my back between my shoulder blades. I have also had pain in my left shoulder blade and occasionally my right. I have had a gall and abdo scan, and an endoscopy which showed nothing. My doctor says it is all panic related and I am at the end of my tether convincing him that it is the pain which is causing the panic and not the other way around. He just will not seem to get it into his skull. I am at a loss as to what to do next. Can muscular pain feel like this? could it be arthritis related? My initial blood tests showed borderline anaemia which was successfully treated with iron tablets. Can anyone relate? Thanks

YES!!!! I CAN RELATE. I HAVE HAD THE SAME PAINS YOU ARE DESCRIBING OFF AND ON FOR THE LAST 6 MONTHS. MINE IS ON THE LEFT SIDE ONLY WHERE MY BREASTBONE MEETS MY RIBS AND THEN IT RADIATES THROUGH MY CHEST CAVITY TO BETWEEN MY SPINE AND LEFT SHOULDER BLADE. IT'S NOT ALL THE TIME AND I HAVE HAD THE DARNDEST TIME TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT. I HAVEN'T GONE TO MY DR. YET SINCE I AM AFRAID HE'LL THINK I'M NUTS. I DID HAVE A TOTAL CARDIAC WORKUP FOR ANOTHER ISSUE AND EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL SO I KNOW THIS ISN'T A CARDIAC THING THANK GOODNESS. HAVE YOU GOTTEN ANY CLOSER TO FIGURING THIS OUT?

im going through the same symptoms constant burning under my left breast burning and some pinching my left arm stays numb most of the time feels better when i take some antacids but now getting worse its been several years now over counter antacids are not helping

i have pain in my left side and sholder blade, centre of my breast and back. any body can help me..........i can not smoke and cannot other same here

I cannot agree more with all of you... I am baffled to why people in the medical field cannot see this is REAL... I have had this on and off for many years and recently it has progressed to EVERY day issue. The evenings are unbarable. I am at the end of my ropes... Why do they always want to chalk it up to stress and intestinal. I am so very tired of this pain and wish someone could come up with an answer. I asked my doctor about the Tetze and he brushed that off...

I am with all of you on this one, I've had my gall bladder out because I was told it was the 'problem', then they said it could be wheat intolerance. I currently take lanzaprozole every day and the doctor has given me colofac MR to take before lunch and dinner and if it is still bad take another lanzaprozole at night.  I feel like a pill junkie.  When the pain gets too bad I take 2 paracetamol and can end up on 8 a day, and I can honestly say they don't always take the pain away.  You're all right, why can't they find a solution or at least come up with what it is.  I've had this for years and it is physically draining and very restrictive in your daily life.  I also get nausea with my pains, hot and cold sweats and palpitations.  Sometimes it can be worse than others and I've tried various changes of diets, but there are only so many things you can eat when you can't have wheat or fats.  I'm just waiting for the diabetes to kick in then I can't have sugars either!  However, I will be going back to my doctor to see if there is anything else he can suggest as I feel the colofac is not really helping.  I'll post again if he comes up with anything. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

OMG!!! First I want to say thank you to all for your experiences with  this matter. I have the same thing going on with me right now and was very afraid I thought I had did something out of the norm. However, my pain started in my back between my shoulder blades and then it disappeared and now I have this God offer pain in my breastbone area of my chest with ever deep breath or normal movement it hurts to a stopping point. Once again thank you for all your replies and information on this matter.

 

DiaKeeRob

Please let me know what he tells you I have suffered with this for sometime now but I just thought it was something I did until yesterday when the pain started in my back for no apparent reason. Now it is in the front after keeping me up last night with every turn.

yes i am 42 and i have had these pains it starts in the front breast bone area and goes to the back all the shoulder blades, i dont know where to put myself, i drink hot water from the kettle to break down and fats or acids and take a gaviscon but i feel it must be from something i eaten through out the day or i have eaten too fast,it seems to occur 3 or so hours after ive eaten. i also rub the top of my stomach under rib cage to try to shift the pain.doctors say gavison,peppermint tea to coat the stomach and leave the acids where they should be.im concious of what i eat and chew my meals more and eat slowly to help digestion, but its frightening and its worse when you live by yorself with a small child