If you an RN or Doctor please help, I am a student with no medical.?

Question

For the past three days, I have been feeling a sharp pain in my left upper rib cage area, right underneath left breast. The pain feels like someone is stabbing me. The pain is now radiating to my back. Lately I've been under extreme stress than normal. My father suffered a heart attack, along with school has completely put my stress levels on high. (Just to rule out) I know it is not my gallbladder or appendix because both have been removed. Overall I feel like I am in good health with the exception of this nagging pain. Can anyone say what could be happening and will it go away, or is it a more serious condition and requires a doctor visit. Please help! Serious knowledgable people only. Thanks

Answer 1

I have exactly the same pain. Last week I visited my doctor and he said it was a neuritis: a swollen nerve. In my case no treatment was necessary.

Anyway, you should visit your doctor to rule out anything else, since the pain is very near your breast.

Best wishes!

Answer 2

I strongly suggest that you drop what you are doing and visit your local clinic.  If they have "walk-in," "urgent care," or the like -  that is where you should go with this.  

If your clinic is not available, then I would like to see you going to the emergency room.  

I can't say with any certainty whether your chest pain is serious or not, and that's why you need to go in and be seen.  Much better to be safe than sorry!

Answer 3

It could be any of several things, and can't be diagnosed in this venue. The stress suggests costochondritis, but viral pleurisy or even something dangerous like a pulmonary embolus are possible. Even with a real in-person history and physical exam, this type of pain is often difficult to diagnose, but risk stratification according to your age, co-existing problems, etc. will at least tell you how much to worry. We can only make wild guesses here.

Answer 4

Concur 100% with Dr. de Witt, this is such a complex matter that needs rigorous evaluation by a physician.  Offering you an exhaustive list of possible etiologies for your complaint won't serve you much good.  Do yourself a favor and see your physician or ideally a Neurologist and let the doctor evaluate and exclude what may or may not be going wrong.