Chest Pain

dawnkyung

dawnkyung

New member
Hi everyone-

I have a question. Since I started jogging daily (almost daily, 5x a week), I've noticed that sometimes throughout the day i experience slight dull pain in my chest. The best place I can describe it is it seems to be ( o Y*o ), under my left breast (please excuse the ridiculous drawing LOL) - a little lower then the star on my drawing. It doesn't hurt a lot, it feels like slight dull pains that aren't intense or anything. I wish I could describe it better...it seems to sometimes be affected by my breathing. It comes and goes in short spurts, a few seconds at a time - the frequency varies but it is not a lot. It's not incapacitating but it is noticeable. I've noticed it for about a week, but it doesn't appear to be consistent - somedays it comes and somedays it doesn't.

My fiance wants me to go to the doctor and i certainly will, but I just wanted to know if anyone has experienced anything like this before. I hope I'm not having a heart attack!

Thanks for any input.
 
Dawn - I'd definitely get it checked out. Probably nothing, but better safe than sorry. Never had that happen, side stitches yes, but this no.

Make sure you are breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. Remember you are running up hill the entire time and that is a lot of hard work you are asking your body to do.

If you have a heart rate monitor I would definitely where it and see where your heart rate is. you could be getting up to high.

Take care
 
Hi BDM -

I don't have a heart rate moniter but perhaps I will go pick one up so I can check. The pain does not come while I'm actually on the treadmill, if it does i don't notice it! It comes throughout the day at work, in varying frequencies, and as I said it is not an intense pain. I feel silly but at the same time I am all freaked out now after reading articles on the internet!

I still want to go to the gym tomorrow, perhaps I will pick one up before I go. What heart rate is a good one for me to be at? How do I know?

Thanks so much!
 
Dawn to figure out your max heart rate, you take 220- your age. In your case, I think you said you are 25. 195 would be the top you should ever go. For cardio you should be between 70 and 85% of the 190 or 133 - 161.5 There is a more technical way to figure it out, but that is a rough guide and one you'll probably find printed in the HRM's book that comes with it. A trainer can do some other tests and get you a more exact number.

Just aim to not get your HR over 161 and you should be good at least until you talk with your Dr. and I would definitely get it checked, just to be on the safe side.

Oh and if your HR is going over that number you need to either reduce your speed or your incline until you can keep it below that number. Don't worry though as your fitness increases, you'll be able increase those again w/o making that number go above the 161. It takes time though so don't get discouraged.

GL at the gym today.
 
Thanks again for replying bigdogmom. :)

Last night Chris and I went to Walgreen's to try to find a heart rate monitor, but they didn't have one! They only had these bulky blood pressure things. I think I'll have to go to sports authority or something to find one.

I was thinking more about the little chest pains, and I was thinking - you know, I'm 25, how strange would it be for me to be having heart trouble? I've always been near normal weight for myself - and I then it crossed my mind that the two-three years of bulimia could have taken a toll on my heart. I FREAKED out! I was leaving the gym when I thought of this. I wonder if I should see a regular doctor or a cardiologist? Is there a test they can give me to make sure I am healthy enough to keep up with the workouts?

I noticed today that I did feel the slight pain at certain points when I was jogging, but it was not intense at all. I also noticed that I could feel my heart skip a beat once or twice. I wonder if I am pushing myself too hard. :( I guess only a doctor will be able to tell me.
 
Dawn - you need to go to a sports store for the HRM. And yes, bulimia could have affected your heart. I'd start with your regular Dr. He can run a few tests and if he sees anything unusual, he will send you to a cardiologist. Why not take a couple of days off from the gym and see if you notice a difference. I know you don't want to, but you need to figure out what is going on first.

Don't worry a couple of days off won't throw off the good you've done. You need to be safe, that is more important.
 
I was leaving the gym when I thought of this. I wonder if I should see a regular doctor or a cardiologist? Is there a test they can give me to make sure I am healthy enough to keep up with the workouts?
Click to expand...
Write down all your symptoms and when you are experiencing them
(write them down when in front of a busy doctor you will probably not remember them)
The doctor can refer you to a cardilogist if there's a need or do a relatively simple stress test -which is hookig you up to a bunch of machines... and having you walk/jog ona treadmill.

Do't wait.

Age and weight have little to do with heart conditions - lifestyle has a lot to do with it -as does genetics...
 
Thanks for replying BDM and maleficent.

I don't have a primary care physician (haven't been to one in a at least a few years), but i looked up providers through my health insurance website and will try to see one Monday or Tuesday. I reeeeeally don't want to not go to the gym though, but I guess if I can make the appointment for Monday it won't hurt to take Monday off. Sundays I never go so I'll have 2 days off in a row...for the first time since I started!!

I wish I knew my family history/genetics, but I was adopted when I was 4 months old from South Korea and have no medical history for my biological family. :(

I also was thinking about a better way to describe the pain in my chest, and I realized that it feels a bit like when your stomach "drops" on a roller coaster, but on a much smaller scale and in my chest instead of my stomach.

I wrote down all my symptoms and will bring that with me to the doctor. I really hope that I can get in to see one on Monday! And I hope I am healthy :(.

Thanks again for your replies.
 
Dawn - it's best to get things check out and then you will know for sure. Even if it takes an extra day, then take that extra day off. you will be fine as far as the exercise goes. Actually if you talk to any trainer, they suggest a week off every so often to give you body time to rebuild.

GL and let us know what the Dr. says. K?
 
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